Tipro ZX Spectrum INES

[Half-Saint]

I nearly forgot about this. Got it new and unused about 10 years ago. It's been moved from place to place so many times that it got a few scratches here and there. Serves me right for not packing it up!

Anyway, this is a ZX Spectrum 16k/48k enclosure which had a reset button, you could do a cutout to install a micro-drive but most important is the keyboard. To use it, you had to transplant the motherboard. Keys are not exactly Cherry compatible - the stem is a bit too big.

This was the first keyboard ever to be made by Tipro in limited quantities so I'm glad to have one Too bad Yugoslavia wasn't a Western country because I'm sure they could have sold many more of those to the UK.

[nathanscribe]

That's quite nice, if a little bulky. I had a DK'Tronics which was also bulky, with read and grey keys - I'll see if I can dig it out later and post a pic or two. Likewise, the board was transplanted into the new shell, and it uses pseudo-Cherry switches.

A friend had a much sleeker model, something like a Saga if I remember. It was thin, white, had a pen try at the top... he always had better computer kit than I did, and I was perpetually slightly envious. I think I was better at programming though.

[lal]

That table cloth is also nice, although it looks more like old wallpaper :)

[webwit]

I first had a DK'tronics and some other one which I can't remember, but couldn't keep my eye off the Saga so later (after delivering a lot of newspapers) I got that one. I can't remember the key feel of any of them, or how they coped with Daley Thompson's Decathlon (the Great Destroyer of Keyboards).

[Half-Saint]

Don't tell me those are stickers?!?

[webwit]

[Half-Saint]

That's just horrible. I'd rather have them custom engraved

[nathanscribe]

Stickers were pretty common on those replacement cases from what I remember.

Here's my old DK'Tronics, which houses the raw power of a 48k ZX Spectrum, and a built-in amp for when you want it to really BEEP...



I also have an old Genius Mouse for it; the interface is in a box somewhere, no idea what happened to the software though. I think I used Artist Studio or something. Got fairly decent results, given the tech. Needs a little retrobrite though...



Here's detail of a switch and cap. I haven't tested for Cherry fit yet, they're pretty thick.

[grilkip]

I had a Sinclair ZX Spectrum+, boy that was such a fun computer. Writing basic on it was so easy with all the shortkeys.

[nathanscribe]

I agree. I used mine into the ground. I'm one of a generation who could look at bits of hex code and tell you what they did.

Kids these days, etc...

[itlnstln]

I like girls.

[webwit]

My first programming language was ZX Spectrum Basic. My second Z80 assembler

[woody]

I like girls.

That's the spirit.

[webwit]

This is why he is in mechanical keyboards... to meet girls.

[cactux]

[Account and posts deleted on request]

[webwit]

Your first programming language, or you got into that to meet girls?

[Half-Saint]

I ran to the fort in '77 too