A lurker finally posts. :)

[Nomad]

Hey everyone!

I signed up at the beginning of this year because I was keen to explore the PCW and CPC world and it looks like this is finally going to happen because I'm about to land a 464, so I thought it was time to bring the lurking to an end and introduce myself.
If you have any recommendations for games and accessories, please let me know! 

[keith56]

Welcome to the forum! So you're getting a CPC 464 eh? Great stuff!

As you say you're 'exploring' the CPC world, I'm guessing you've not really used one before, I'd be interested to know what attracted you to the system?

[mr_lou]

Welcome! 

I'm seeing many newcomers to the CPC community who doesn't have any past memories of the CPC. Like Keith, I'm also curious to know what brings people here, when they don't have any nostalgic memories of the CPC.

[Nomad]

Welcome to the forum! So you're getting a CPC 464 eh? Great stuff!

As you say you're 'exploring' the CPC world, I'm guessing you've not really used one before, I'd be interested to know what attracted you to the system?

Welcome!  I'm seeing many newcomers to the CPC community who doesn't have any past memories of the CPC. Like Keith, I'm also curious to know what brings people here, when they don't have any nostalgic memories of the CPC.

Thanks for the warm welcome! I grew up during the 80s and early 90s and remember the CPC very well - and although I never owned one during its commercial life, I certainly played around on them a bit and I particularly liked the 6128. My fave cousin had a 464 with hundreds of games and we enjoyed many hours playing the latest releases and also the classics. The quality of the manual also impressed me as a teenager and put to shame the documentation that was included with a number of the CPC's rivals.

I've long been a retro fan and this interest has expanded quite drastically of late - and my interest in the CPC has been stoked for the past 12 months by an increasing number of videos on YouTube that have drawn attention to how much the CPC in many ways has been overlooked in comparison to the C64 and ZX Spectrum. The opportunity has arisen for me to add a CPC to my IT arsenal - and without breaking the bank, so I've decided to take the plunge!     

[Gryzor]

Welcome anew then! Bet you'll enjoy it...

Of course a 464 does limit you somewhat, much as I love it; you'd be better off getting a mass storage device of a floppy emulator (and the interface), then trying all the new games that have been released in the past several years - your younger self (and cousin) would have been soooo surprised!

Did you have a computer back in the day?

[Nomad]

Welcome anew then! Bet you'll enjoy it...

Thanks! 

Of course a 464 does limit you somewhat, much as I love it; you'd be better off getting a mass storage device of a floppy emulator (and the interface), then trying all the new games that have been released in the past several years - your younger self (and cousin) would have been soooo surprised!

As it goes, he and I live on the same the street, I could call him over to have a look. 

What you do recommend storage wise, something along the lines of a Gotek?

Did you have a computer back in the day?

I did indeed.  A childhood friend had the Tandy CoCo 2 and I spent ages pouring over the user manual and trying out Extended Color Basic. I loved typing in the programs that were widely printed in computing magazines and books. A year later, I received a C64 - which was a nice machine but the onboard BASIC was woeful, especially when compared with what was available on other computers like the BBC Micro and the ZX Spectrum. Later, I bought an Electron: technically inferior in many ways but with that I was able to really delve into programming using Acorn BASIC. My next major computer for most of the 90s was the Amiga - which I very reluctantly switched from after its demise.

[Gryzor]

Boy that was quite a journey - must have been like day and night going from the Tandy to the c64, and it's interesting you then went on to an Electron! And then onto the Amiga - oof

As for what I'd recommend... there are quite a few lovely solutions nowadays You can use a Gotek, but you'll need a drive interface since the 464 has none. Still, it's more than worth it.

Other favourites of mine:
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/news-events/x-mem-a-new-memory-expansion-for-all-cpc/
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/news-events/x-mass-a-mass-storage-expansion-for-all-cpc/
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/amstrad-cpc-wifi/
http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/M4_Board

[Skunkfish]

Zaxon's DDI-5 is a great all-in-one solution for 464 users: Drive interface, floppy emu and 512KB RAM!
https://www.sellmyretro.com/offer/details/36061
Or Duke's M4 board is SUPERB - it will enable you to do things you never thought possible

[Gryzor]

Oh yes of course the DDI-5!

[Nomad]

I'm leaning very heavily towards the DDI-5! Am I correct in assuming that with this add-on, you can run programs, DISK files etc that have been copied onto a USB stick?

[Skunkfish]

It will read the disk images in either .DSK/.HFE format and act as if they were inserted into an actual disk drive.
Also, the interface has a connector for a real disk drive if required!

[GUNHED]

Hey everyone!

I signed up at the beginning of this year because I was keen to explore the PCW and CPC world and it looks like this is finally going to happen because I'm about to land a 464, so I thought it was time to bring the lurking to an end and introduce myself.
If you have any recommendations for games and accessories, please let me know! 

Welcome!

Suggestions? Sure, here we go:
- CPC6128
- Hxc or Gotek
- RAM and ROM expansion
- FutureOS

However, it all depends on what you like. Games or Apps? Both?
Good luck anyway and welcome again! 

[Gryzor]

I doubt a 6128 is a 464 accessory...

[GUNHED]

I doubt a 6128 is a 464 accessory...

No, it's not. But the best replacement you can get.

[Nomad]

i now own a 464 and best of all, it didn't cost me a penny!    Yep, it was completely free - courtesy of a donator who was glad to see the computer go to someone who'd make use of it. During a brief chat, they told me that it had been their childhood gaming platform. Both the monitor and the 464 were filthy, so I spent a good while giving them both a thorough clean but I'll need to disassemble the computer at some stage because there's still a few debris surrounding the keyboard that's beneath my reach. Ah well, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, right?


At least it looks presentable and hygienic now! Check out my handiwork:

https://i.imgur.com/GSH5H4D.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iFAJLHR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xsVzDWn.jpg


It came with a number of games and the manual:

https://i.imgur.com/tpQgKxv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gj9ek4P.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7gFfpuk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nYFeD0h.jpg


The donator had warned me that the monitor no longer displayed a stable image but some twiddling of the vertical sync knob at the side of the 644 soon corrected that. 

https://i.imgur.com/Nf03arg.jpg


My cameraphone unfortunately often fails to reproduce the 644's picture quality - the colours are far more vibrant and rich than what's shown in some of the photos. It's been decades since I've used compact cassettes to load programs into a computer but the CPC makes the process almost idiot proof and it was a pleasant surprise to see that the first title I chose from the pile actually worked on the first attempt, especially considering that it's over 30 years old. 

https://i.imgur.com/YM37eL9.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/kVP82FP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/G4cz87o.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jye990o.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/cBDpmrc.jpg


I'm going to treat myself to a DDI-5 very soon but in the meanwhile, I'll pick up one of those car cassette adapters so that I can load stuff onto the 464 from my Android phone with the TapDancer app. The new Scramble conversion with a MAME style front-screen is at the top of the my list.

However, it all depends on what you like. Games or Apps? Both?

Definitely both. 

Good luck anyway and welcome again! 

Thanks! 

[Gryzor]

Boy it must feel like Christmas

[Nomad]

Boy it must feel like Christmas

A happy Christmas, that's free from any fighting or ill will. 

As a stopgap till I buy a DDI-5, I'm using a car cassette adapter that I purchased for a couple of quid, enabling me to load software onto the 464 from my Android phone with the TapDancer app and it works flawlessly!

https://i.imgur.com/KTFC4nu.jpg

Let the fun begin!

At the top of my list was the new Scramble conversion by PuzCPC and it didn't disappoint. This is a masterpiece of programming and also incredibly enjoyable and it was provided to us absolutely for free, which is even more amazing. I can see myself playing it for a long time to come and it makes me very excited at the prospect of future projects.

Here's some other titles that I checked out courtesy of TapDancer - some were out of nostalgia and others were from recommendations on YouTube:

https://i.imgur.com/W7ZJg7n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/n8E6ppE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/0LKdOIP.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ok3xfIv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Tg3nb91.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ab8JLkc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qRwiqlq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IM8WLeE.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bT99kh7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6pDgPI7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W7ggzko.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/R1RZJXF.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qKw18Zr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NqGoaIr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9YX1H57.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HpCsFBq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OGpvn1F.jpg

All in all, I'm enjoying my time in CPC Land and I'm definitely glad that I added the 464 to my tech collection.
Time for a few more rounds of Scramble!

[Gryzor]

Ahhh Scramble, I have this big urge to play this now

There's something really unique about re-discovering an old machine and going through some titles for the first time in decades... Wish I could do that again