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Visual Intensity 4
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Visual Intensity - Issue 4 (1994-05-29)(Dual 4Mat)(Disk 2 of 3).adf
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Computing
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067
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067
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1978-01-04
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3KB
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122 lines
{te{L{6
S P E C T R U M R E T R O S P E C T I V E
{C{5
BY BOB TESTICLES
{I{7
Part 1 : The Hardware Bits
{C{8 History Of The Spectrum
{A{41982 {5- {6Issue one speccys appear in two
forms : 16K models for 125 quid and
48K ones for 175 pounds. Bargain of
the century if you ask me. Later that
year, the 48K issue two Spectrum
appeared complete with the 'dead
cockroach' cock-up (A transistor
soldered over the ULA).
{41983 {5- {6The issue 3 speccy appears.
This version runs cooler, has a better
ULA and a louder beep and key port
incompatibility problems. Prices are
cut to 100/130 pounds. A Spectrum
hybrid, the Timex TMS-2068 was brought
out. It had better sound and a better
display than the standard speccy. A
PAL TV version was never made.
{41984 {5- {6The year that the rubber keys
went out o' the winder. The Spectrum
Plus had a new box and a reset button.
The circuitry was revision three with
minor revisions, i.e. It still blew
up after two months.
{te{41985 {5- {616K and rubber key speccys are
discontinued. The Spectrum 128K comes
out. It looks like a Spectrum Plus
but has a heat sink, 3 channel sound
and incompatibility problems - i.e. A
lot of games didn't work on it.
{41986 {5- {6Amstrad take over Sinclair and
give us the Spectrum +2 (which really
was taking the piss in my opinion).
It's basically a 128 in a new box with
a useless tape deck stuck on the side.
It cost 140 pounds.
{41987 {5- {6 Amstrad now give us the
Spectrum +3 which is like a +2 but a
hundred quid dearer and with a duffo
disk drive instead of a tape deck.
{41988 {5- {6Another speccy hybrid, the SAM
appears. It is 48K compatible but has
more memory and a better display.
{7After that, not a lot happened...
{C{8 Amusing Hardware
{A
{41) {6The DK Tronics Sound Generator
(29.95) - Before Amstrad, if you
wanted decent sound, you stuck this in
the back. It's basically an AY-3-8912
and a speaker in a box...
{42) {6 ASTRID (Automatic Satellite
Telemetry Receiver And Information
Decoder) (Around 150 quid) - "Don't
just play games on your computer - use
real data from space!". Nuff said.
{43) {6Seiko RC-1000 Wrist Terminal
(99.95) - Sort of a digital watch that
you could plug into your speccy. Make
sure you take it off Friday night
before starting your Jodrell...
{te{44) {6Microdrives (50 quid) - "I've got a
good idea" said Clive. "I'll make a
disk drive, only with tape". "Go back
to sleep, dear" replied Mrs.
Sinclair.
{45) {6 Stack Light Rifle (29.95) - Before
Amstrad gave us the...
{46) {6 Big Ears (49 quid) - Talk to your
computer using this speech recognition
system as seen on B.B.C. T.V.
"computer programme". Unfortunately,
doesn't respond to the command "Fuck
Off".
{47) {6 Currah Microspeech (25 quid) -
Speech synthesis and the Spectrum go
together like Dannii Minogue and
talent. With this add-on, instead of
sounding like a dalek with laryngitis,
it now sounds like a dalek that's been
smoking dope all day.
{48) {6 Cobolt Base-less Joystick (8.95) -
"No more suckers" read the blurb.
Good job it ain't true or they'd be
out of business.
{A{5
End.
{PI