[taken from Marat Fayzullins Spectrum.FAQ file version 2.0]
Formally, using snapshotted game without legal owning a copy of it on a tape is a *copyright violation*. Nevertheless, ZX-Spectrum games are not being sold anymore and using snapshots doesn't harm copyright holders much, if you don't make profit from it and don't distribute snapshots on a large scale. It seems that some companies [Ultimate/USGold] have nothing against free distribution of their games, but there is no written permission yet.
Where can i get Spectrum games?
If you have access to ftp, here are some sites where you can get snapshots of ZX Spectrum games and (a few) other programs. There are a lot of other emulators for other platforms too:
ftp.dcc.uchile.cl//pub/Sinclair
ftp.nvg.unit.no//pub/sinclair // only 100% legal stuff
ftp.ijs.si//pub/zx // very extensive but hard to log on...
ftp.itu.edu.tr//pub/spectrum // looks like 9600bps to me...
If you don't have access to any ftp possibilities: bad luck. See next chapter for a work around...
Best internet newsgroup for ZX Spectrum fans: comp.sys.sinclair
How can I load real Spectrum tapes?
If you like Mac Spectacle or any other ZX Spectrum emulator, you probably owned or still own a ZX Spectrum or one of it's derivates. And if you owned a ZX Spectrum, you have probably some old tapes with programs laying around.
If you want to rescue them from decaying and reuse them with the emulator, get ZX Loader, a program which reads in most tapes and stores them as 'tape files' on your Macintosh's hard disk. You can read from those 'tapes' just like the real ZX Spectrum can read real tapes, and it's much more fun watching the red-white or blue-yellow striped border, while a program loads (faster than on a real Specci, of corse) than just loading a snap. The tapes included in this Mac Spectacle distribution have been loaded with ZX Loader.
Where can I find the newest version of Mac Spectacle etc.?
You can get the newest version, modified versions and source code of
As obvious from it's address, the server is located at the university of Erlangen, Germany. This installation is for testing purpose only and may be cancelled without further notice. Please don't complain if you can't access it.
Log in as anonymous and change directory to //incoming/kio. You can't read the directories but you can change directories and you can get any file if you know it's name. So for the first time, get the file "README". It will tell you the names of the downloadable files.
If you want to send something to me and email is not appropriate, you can put it here too, but don't forget to sent me a mail about it.
In case of problems contact me:
ea215@fim.uni-erlangen.de (Guenter Woigk alias KIO !)
