Computers

Home computing classic reborn as ZX Spectrum Next

Home computing classic reborn as ZX Spectrum Next
Thanks to a charitable donation promised by SpecNext, the ZX Spectrum Next sports the name Sinclair up top
Thanks to a charitable donation promised by SpecNext, the ZX Spectrum Next sports the name Sinclair up top
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The new ZX Spectrum Next main board will fit in the original model's case, but tinkerers will need to break out the drill before squeezing it in
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The new ZX Spectrum Next main board will fit in the original model's case, but tinkerers will need to break out the drill before squeezing it in
The ZX Spectrum Next games and software is stored on an SD card
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The ZX Spectrum Next games and software is stored on an SD card
The ZX Spectrum Next main board, with a Z80 processor that can run at 3.5 MHz or turbo 7 MHz modes and 512 KB of RAM
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The ZX Spectrum Next main board, with a Z80 processor that can run at 3.5 MHz or turbo 7 MHz modes and 512 KB of RAM
The keyboard of the new Speccy is promised to be a marked improvement on the original, and uses a butterfly mechanism to make sticky keys a thing of the past
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The keyboard of the new Speccy is promised to be a marked improvement on the original, and uses a butterfly mechanism to make sticky keys a thing of the past
The authentic look of the ZX Spectrum Next is thanks to the designer of the original, Rick Dickinson
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The authentic look of the ZX Spectrum Next is thanks to the designer of the original, Rick Dickinson
Old CRT monitors can be connected via VGA for extra authenticity, or ZX Spectrum Next users can take advantage of the HDMI port to hook the computer up to modern TVs
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Old CRT monitors can be connected via VGA for extra authenticity, or ZX Spectrum Next users can take advantage of the HDMI port to hook the computer up to modern TVs
The ZX Spectrum Next is compatible with hardware and software developed for the original
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The ZX Spectrum Next is compatible with hardware and software developed for the original
Thanks to a charitable donation promised by SpecNext, the ZX Spectrum Next sports the name Sinclair up top
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Thanks to a charitable donation promised by SpecNext, the ZX Spectrum Next sports the name Sinclair up top
The keyboard of the new Speccy is promised to be a marked improvement on the original though, and uses a butterfly mechanism to make sticky keys a thing of the past
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The keyboard of the new Speccy is promised to be a marked improvement on the original though, and uses a butterfly mechanism to make sticky keys a thing of the past
View gallery - 9 images

Back in early 80s Britain, when home computing was still very, very young, Sinclair's ZX Spectrum opened the eyes of bedroom gamers to a new world of color and became a massive hit. The affordable 8-bit computer-in-a-keyboard was literally everywhere, as were the strangely musical electronic sounds as games loaded up from the cassette player, and the agonizing cries of youth when software crashed. It was a time of enthusiasm and wonder, and the folks at SpecNext are looking to recapture this adventurous spirit with a modern take on the Sinclair classic called the Next.

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum – affectionately dubbed the Speccy by its users – replaced the cheap and cheerful ZX81, with its love it or hate it membrane keyboard. The new model's keyboard was much improved, having raised chiclet keys above the membrane, but the real upgrade attraction was the ability to display color graphics on an attached TV screen rather than the monochrome capabilities of the 81 before it.

Though later Spectrums did come with a floppy disc drive, most Speccy gamers will have loaded software onto the system using a cassette player. Once a cassette tape was popped into the player, users would need to wait a few minutes – yes minutes – for the game to load, unless it crashed and the process had to be restarted. Happy days.

Speccy hackers have since modified the original system to accept games loaded onto SD cards, thrown in better processors and added more memory, and improved the graphics.

These home-grown upgrades can make it difficult for developers still creating content for the iconic home computer, so London startup SpecNext has come up with an upgraded and enhanced flavor of the ZX Spectrum that's compatible with the original. This means that any software or hardware originally designed for the original will work with the updated model, but recent software creations developed to take advantage of modern tech will also run.

The authentic look of the ZX Spectrum Next is thanks to the designer of the original, Rick Dickinson
The authentic look of the ZX Spectrum Next is thanks to the designer of the original, Rick Dickinson

At the heart of the new Next model is a Z80 processor that can run at 3.5 MHz or turbo 7 MHz modes, supported by 512 KB of RAM (though this can be bumped up to 1.5 MB internally and 2.5 MB externally) and SD card storage. Video can be sent out through VGA or HDMI, it's compatible with joystick controllers and has a serial interface for an old school computer mouse. Software can also be loaded into the computer using a cassette player courtesy of the included Mic and Ear audio jacks. And there's an optional Wi-Fi module, too, but a noticeable absence of USB.

The look of the Next model appears quite an authentic retro effort, and that's thanks to a design supplied by Rick Dickinson – the man responsible for the look of the original. The keyboard of the new Speccy is promised to be a marked improvement on the original though, and uses a butterfly mechanism to make sticky keys a thing of the past. And thanks to a charitable donation promised by SpecNext, the Next even sports the name Sinclair up top.

Enthusiasts who would rather use original housing can slot the Next's board into an old case for a more authentic feel, while benefiting from the upgraded hardware. Tinkerers can also give the Next a slice of Pi by slotting in a Raspberry Pi Zero to allow the system to make use of the mini board's memory, processor and GPU.

In development for a while now, the ZX Spectrum Next has launched on Kickstarter to secure production funding. Pledges for just the board start at £99 (about US$125), rising to £175 for a fully assembled computer. If all goes to plan, shipping is expected to start in August. Check out the pitch video below for more on the project.

Sources: SpecNext, Kickstarter

ZX Spectrum Next

View gallery - 9 images
3 comments
3 comments
AndySouthern
It's more like a Sinclair QL keyboard than a Spectrum one.
What a pity they didn't use the QL's microdive (MDV1 & MDV2) as SD readers instead.
Lrun MDV1 "Snarky_comments"
netean@gmail.com
I really don't get all this nostalgia for the spectrum. Whilst a very important computer in its day, one that transformed the home UK computer market in the 1980s. It was AT BEST, a mediocre home computer.
This reminds me of the Spectrum + and that is absolutely NOT a good thing. That had very probably the worst typing experience of any keyboard since the ZX81.
HelgaIliashenko
Good for you to know that it was a mediocre computer. But it was on of the cheapest computers on the markets. In Eastern Europe it was cloned everywhere by everyone, we had literally NOTHING except of Speccy back in the day. Not only that - for many of us ZX Spectrum was the only home computer we knew existed. So please do not underestimate ZX Spectrum, it was a unique platform of all 8-bit era because of its ubiquity, very nostalgic for many of us, especially in Eastern Europe, Great Britain and Spain.