Sinclair ZX80 / ZX81 / Z88 Forums

Trouble is no amount of nostalgia would allow me to play the games I did as a kid without being told to grow up !

Speaking of T-shirts.

Some years ago Paul from the German forum spent the afternoon at my home, before he bid farewell we went for fish and chips at my local chippy.
what has this to do with t-shirts Moggy?!

Well Paul at the time was wearing a white T-shirt with a ZX80 emblazoned on it and as we sat down outside to eat our meal, a tall bearded lad come rushing up and said words to the effect of "ZX80 nice one"! He introduced himself and it turns out he lives local is a sometime WOS visitor and retro nut who goes by the name of "Napoleon Blown Apart"

The moral?

You meet the nicest folk in a ZX80 T-shirt!

I remember it well.

Moggy wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 10:05 pm Trouble is no amount of nostalgia would allow me to play the games I did as a kid without being told to grow up !

I don't know. Games are games. Would you still play a game of poker, or would you be ashamed of it as a "kids game"? Or chess? is it more legit, as a "grown ups" game, simply because it has existed for a longer period.

Same goes for physical sport, which are also "games". Rugby, a bunch of men running around tossing an odd shaped ball to each other. Tennis, two people smacking a fuzzy ball back and for to each other. All "just" games...

To me, games are games, they are recreational activities, that test our logic, strategic or physical skills. JSW is a reflex and precision based game. Same as Quake, but Quake also brings in some tactics as well. And since then games have evolved to incorporate many other factors. Today, a video game can be as simple as Tetris, or as cinematic as Baldurs Gate III.

TBH, I think the only person you have worries about tell you to "grow up" is yourself. As Howard Jones once said, "throw off your mental chains". I can't imagine at your age, you have too many people hanging around, waiting for you to play Candy Crush, point at you and shout "Loooooseeerr". Don't try and externalise your distain for games to 3rd parties. Its you yourself that seems to hold the viewpoint?

In my late teens I went to college to study graphic design, and whilst there, I also became serious about 3D graphics. In my heart, I wanted to work in, and MAKE video games. For me, it is the most compelling new media of the 20th century, far outstripping movies for instance, where its always a single narrative.

When I left college I did go and work in games. And, it was my favourite job to date. Sadly, I joined that industry during a large turn down, and that, combined with lower than warranted wages meant I moved on to more "respectable" and yet boring and less creative jobs.

I respect that you may want to use, and did use your ZX81 for "serious" work back in the 80s. But not sure why your so disparaging about a field, in which literally thousands of people make their living, across the UK and indeed the world.

I would hardly compare video games, to a game of conkers. But if thats what you think of video games. Each to their own...

Okay, just a reminder to keep posts civil. These forums are suppose to be a friendly place for members to talk about and share details of their Sinclair (or clone / compatible or similar) computers, their projects and related material.

I would rather not have to remove, delete or edit posts.

If a member is unhappy about a post, please use the report post ("!" icon) so that it is brought to a moderators attention.

Mark
Forum moderator

@Mark.

No worries Mark, my comments were civil plus I'm too far down the road to worry about what some new kid on the forum thinks who then quotes a single line from my opinion c/w laughing emoji, therefore not serious, which has obviously rattled his youthful cage.

Your point however is taken and will be respected for my part as I've known you too long to do any other, I regard you as a fair moderator and dare I say over the years a forum friend so will not do anything to spoil that.

@ Retronaut

Chill you'll live longer. This is a niche forum about an even more niche product/s and if the ramblings of an old man upset you enough to vent your spleen in what seems like childish foot stamping fury then I would suggest the hurly burly of forum life isn't for you.

As My old man used to say, "You go to your church and I'll go to mine."

That's my last word on the subject feel free to respond.

I wish you nothing but long life peace and happiness.

Quite, as you say, its a niche forum. I thought it was more general, it says in its header it is Sinclair ZX World, hence my post. But it appears its more of a ZX80 and 81 centric forum. Ill post elsewhere from now on, as maybe Next videos are off topic here.

Moggy wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 8:15 pm I wish you nothing but long life peace and happiness.

Sure, no hard feelings.

@Retronaut.

Please don't let our little misunderstanding stop you posting here.

Although ZX80/81 and Spectrum in the main, I believe that all creations of the Sinclair world plus some spin offs deserve a mention here and the Next should be no different.

Although no thread topic exists for it at the moment well neither was there one for the Lambda which thanks to users like Martin now has a home here as does the Z88 so have at it that man and keep us posted on your Next adventure and please don't let this old curmudgeon put you off.

Whilst the gaming aspect of it is not for me, the technical side of it I find extremely interesting and a Spectrum that can run at 28mhz whilst running Forth is not something to be ignored and definitely piques my interest!

So yes stick around as it is a nice home here and apologies from me if I was clumsy and mean spirited in my responses so let's start again?

Hi Retronaut I'm Moggy welcome to the forum.


@Mark.

Revisiting my previous replies and acknowledging their mean spirited nature please feel free to remove any or all remarks on my part if you feel it's appropriate, looking back this is not the way to welcome a new member to our forum and frankly I'm surprised and ashamed of myself.

Retronaut wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 1:57 pm Quite, as you say, its a niche forum. I thought it was more general, it says in its header it is Sinclair ZX World, hence my post. But it appears its more of a ZX80 and 81 centric forum. Ill post elsewhere from now on, as maybe Next videos are off topic here.

We have no problem with members posting, discussing, talking about any of the Sinclair or Timex Sinclair 8 bit computers or their clones or compatible's.

The Next is no different. We welcome members to discuss this machine if they want to.

See the forum banner: "Discussion forums for users of the Sinclair 8-bit range of computers - ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum, Z88, clones..." We can't include a list of all the clones and compatibles. And no, there is no Next specific area. That may change if interest in it picks up. Meanwhile, feel free to post in the Spectrum area or the Misc area.

However, yes, there are more members here who discuss ZX81/TS1000 related matters than ZX Spectrum matters. You are already on the most active ZX Spectrum forum: Spectrum Computing forums. There is also World of Spectrum forums (however, new members are currently having problems getting accounts activated). And there is a separate independent forum for QL users (QL Forum).

There are also non-English language forums.

Spectrum Computing forums and World of Spectrum forums also cover the ZX81/TS1000 etc., but both have mostly ZX Spectrum related activity.

Just to be clear, I have no problem with you discussing your Next adventures.

Mark

The problem with the Spectrum Computing site is it's tagged up as "Gaming" or somesuch, so is blocked on my work laptop. Thankfully this site is not, so I spend more time here.

I might even carry on discussing my ZX81 issues sometime