1 Feb
2024
1 Feb
'24
7:20 p.m.
I had someone very seriously questioning me, over on
Fesse Bouc, if I
was serious when I said that the ZX Spectrum could remotely be
considered a more significant machine than (one model of) TRS-80, and
he was incredulous when I absolutely maintained the point.
We had the Timex version of the Spectrum in the USA, but it wasn't much of
a machine. That probably ruined it so we never got the 2+ or 3+.
Virginia USA reporting in, and so far I have the Spectrum 2+ (boxed) and
3+. They are cool machines but I think the Atari and Commodore beat it
sound wise. But I *REALLY* dig the fact that you had cassette distribution
of software at what looks like pretty low prices? That is really cool. I
imagine game tapes in supermarket checkout lines everywhere.
Remember when these machines were on the market in the 80s everyone relied
on magazines for information, and those magazines relied on advertising
dollars. No WWW. So it's not a big wonder that that Americans didn't know
about these machines since marketing money wasn't spent here.
Thanks to another cclist member I have purchased an A4000 Acorn via
facebook marketplace, and am excited to finally get my first Archimedes
machine. Hope the repairs needed aren't too bad! After that will be a BBC
micro but really the A4000 seems like a killer machine.
At some point I might try to find an A3010 as well, but the 4000 checks
the boxes for me.
It's pretty hard buying machines from over there, local collection only!
- Ethan O'Toole