Hard Disks for ZX Spectrum

We need your feedback !!

Having secured Plus-D floppy disk drive interfaces for the Speccy, we have been thinking about hard disks. The problem is finding external hard disk drives which can be used (modern ones are all USB drives whereas we need IDE). The one option is to use a flash card slot, so you can write to a flash card, but there the problem is that they have a limited write cycle (about 100,000 writes).

You can use a standard IDE hard disk, with a PC power supply, but it looks unsightly

We welcome you views on what you would like to see.

Living up to our promises

As promised earlier in the year, we have secured a small supply of Plus-D floppy disk interfaces for the ZX Spectrum - we have some second hand disk drives to go with them and are pleased to say that they even have the parallel interface built in which proved so useful on the original model. We have tested them and find them to be of a very good quality, and for £48 you get the interface, centronics lead and printed manual as well as a 12 months guarantee.

We have even spoken with Miles Kinloch and received his permission to release the expanded ROM (v1b) for the interface. We are currently talking with Betasoft (Andy Wright) to see if they will also release Betados which has a lot of additional features over G+DOS - these will both be available as optional extras if agreed.

Have a look at: http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum.html for details of all our storage options for the humble ZX Spectrum - now you can be truly freed from cassettes !!

The downfall with Sinclair computers has always been related to the keyboard - that is why so many suppliers provided alternatives. However, if you want to keep your Spectrum or QL working in original condition, you will often find that you need to replace a keyboard membrane when a key or two stop working.

The good news was that in 2003 we managed to get a new production run of QL keyboard membranes which had long been out of production.

Now a new challenge faces us. The original ZX Spectrum (16K and 48K) used a rubber keyboard mat which had various keywords emblazened on it - this mat is also surrounded by a metal faceplate which has the Sinclair 3 stripe logo and the remainder of the keywords. The mat tends to get discoloured with use and the keywords can wear badly. The plate gets scratched and dented and is missing from some people's machines.

Unfortunately, we sold the last faceplate a couple of years ago and now we are running desparately short of the rubber keyboard mats - we are down to the last box of 20, so if yours is starting to look a bit haggard, you had better order a replacement soon - none of the usual suppliers have any more stock either!!

We are still looking for a manufacturer for these parts - if you know of one willing to make them in small quantities (max 500 units), then please get in touch - it would benefit the whole Spectrum community.

If you are looking to make or save money from the internet - you could do worse than look at our reviews on RWAP Services. Virtual World Direct is one scheme which has been proved to improve your odds of winning a prize on the UK National Lottery (to 1 in 13) and the Euromillions Draw.

Adventures for Sinclair Computers

In case you are looking for adventure programs for the Sinclair QL or the ZX Spectrum, we have created a new website of our own dedicated to adventure programs - RWAP Adventures.

RWAP Adventures contains some public domain adventures for the Sinclair QL, along with second hand adventure software for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

We also provide the ability to purchase various of our own adventures (and those of Talent Computer Systems) for the Sinclair QL, together with guestbooks where you can ask for hints and tips and leave clues for other players. Our adventures currently covered are:

• Return To Eden
• The Prawn (this is a spoof of the infamous PAWN by Magnetic Scrolls)
• Lost Kingdom of Zkul
• West
• Nemesis MKII
• Horrorday

We have also used the QL2K Sinclair QL emulator to enable PC users with no knowledge of the QL to play the following adventures:

• Return to Eden
• The Prawn
• Lost Kingdom of Zkul
• West

We welcome feedback on our adventures and are always willing to help.

Please also remember to look at our other websites: Internet Business Angels and RWAP Services

Getting files onto the Sinclair QL

Following a recent discussion on the ql-users mailing list about a simple guide to transferring software downloaded from the internet onto the Sinclair QL, Dilwyn Jones has usefully added such a guide to his website which resolves some of the common problems and misunderstandings, including why programs unzipped on a Windows PC will not run on the QL.

This also comes to one of the other main divisions in the QL community - there are people who have moved with the time and use the latest systems and emulators, and those who are still insistant upon using the original black box. The latter are missing out on the ability to run the latest operating systems and some great software (such as our own full colour Sinclair QL game QWord).

At the very least, the unreliability of microdrive cartridges (particularly when they contain software that is some 20 years old) means that people should consider purchasing a second hand disk interface and memory expansion and external disk drive. Maybe this is why we need a replacement for the now hard to find Super Gold Card to provide the impetus for more people to upgrade.