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Hello from a Gen-X noob

Started by iamkl00t, 12:23, 02 May 22

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iamkl00t

Hi all,

I'm a dyed in the wool Spectrum user. Grew up loving my speccy and between me and my mates it was Spectrums and Commodore 64s (I was always envious of the kids who had a Commodore 64 but my family couldn't afford one!).

Anyway, I literally had never even heard of the Amstrad CPC until a couple of months ago. I'm living my second childhood and have been restoring Spectrums, Commodores, Nintendos for years and I was on the lookout for the next project. I was interested getting an Oric but not knowing much about them I looked at a list of the best games on YouTube. The games seemed very primitive and reminded me of very early Spectrum games. I wasn't inspired. Anyway, I looked at the Amstrad CPC and was absolutely blown away by some of the games in the catalogue! I can't believe I'd never heard of this system until now! Anyway, needless to say I've now bought one and am waiting for it to arrive! Can't wait to try out some of the games. I've downloaded the catalogue from archive.org and was really pleased to see that CDT files are basically TZX format and even work with the ZX Tape Player app!

Gryzor

Great to have you here! I'm genuinely surprised you hadn't heard of the CPC before, to be honest, can't imagine how this could happen. But, it's never too late, it's always nice to discover a new system to toy with, and thanks for joining🙂

iamkl00t

I know I'm amazed as well! I was born in 1979 so you would have thought I would have heard of it... me and my mates were obsessed with our computers and always talking about them.... don't remember anyone having an Amstrad and don't even remember talking to anyone about one. Now I come to think of it, I do remember screenshots on the back of some spectrum games showing Atari but I never questioned it! By about 1991 I'd moved onto my Amiga so that was my focus then... 

Gryzor

Well, sure, later on it'd have been more difficult (although after a while mentions started popping up on many online publications). But even when I got my ST, ca. '91,I think, I remember reading about the possibility of Amstrad emulation on it.

And yes! What about those screenshots? There must have been Amstrad ones as well! Or the magazine ads? Speccy 8.99, Amstrad tape 9.99, Amstrad disk 14.99? Or when Sugar bought Sinclair?

I guess you had seen it, it's just that it didn't register because you didn't know of anyone with one 🙂

WiltshireWizard

#4
mnm

iamkl00t

Quote from: WiltshireWizard on 12:49, 10 May 22
Quote from: iamkl00t on 12:23, 02 May 22Hi all,

...

Anyway, I literally had never even heard of the Amstrad CPC until a couple of months ago.

...

Where do you live? Not being funny, serious question, as I am completely bemused as to how you could be unaware of what is widely regarded as the 'Big Three' back then - Amstrad, Spectrum, Commodore etc.
Quote from: WiltshireWizard on 12:49, 10 May 22
Quote from: iamkl00t on 12:23, 02 May 22Hi all,

...

Anyway, I literally had never even heard of the Amstrad CPC until a couple of months ago.

...

Where do you live? Not being funny, serious question, as I am completely bemused as to how you could be unaware of what is widely regarded as the 'Big Three' back then - Amstrad, Spectrum, Commodore etc.
Sheffield... Not sure why but it's just that none of my mates had them 🤷🏻�♂️ 

dthrone

Quote from: iamkl00t on 23:00, 10 May 22
Quote from: WiltshireWizard on 12:49, 10 May 22
Quote from: iamkl00t on 12:23, 02 May 22Hi all,

...

Anyway, I literally had never even heard of the Amstrad CPC until a couple of months ago.

...

Where do you live? Not being funny, serious question, as I am completely bemused as to how you could be unaware of what is widely regarded as the 'Big Three' back then - Amstrad, Spectrum, Commodore etc.
Quote from: WiltshireWizard on 12:49, 10 May 22
Quote from: iamkl00t on 12:23, 02 May 22Hi all,

...

Anyway, I literally had never even heard of the Amstrad CPC until a couple of months ago.

...

Where do you live? Not being funny, serious question, as I am completely bemused as to how you could be unaware of what is widely regarded as the 'Big Three' back then - Amstrad, Spectrum, Commodore etc.
Sheffield... Not sure why but it's just that none of my mates had them 🤷🏻�♂️
I happened to be in Kiveton last Sat and can confirm I came across no CPCs in the area ;)


Gryzor

Quote from: dthrone on 00:39, 11 May 22
Quote from: iamkl00t on 23:00, 10 May 22
Quote from: WiltshireWizard on 12:49, 10 May 22
Quote from: iamkl00t on 12:23, 02 May 22Hi all,

...

Anyway, I literally had never even heard of the Amstrad CPC until a couple of months ago.

...

Where do you live? Not being funny, serious question, as I am completely bemused as to how you could be unaware of what is widely regarded as the 'Big Three' back then - Amstrad, Spectrum, Commodore etc.







But surely you were aware of it? 

WiltshireWizard

#8
lol

WiltshireWizard

#9
lol

eto

The difference between never heard and can't remember is a fine line. If you are not interested into something, especially at that age, such stuff vanishes easily from your memories. You might have heard of the CPC at that age, but you didn't care and forgot.

I am pretty sure I saw many systems, maybe even sat in front of them, but unless something happened that fascinated me, I would not be able to say today "I remember". I would say I didn't know about the Apple II until vintage computing became a thing and it was mentioned in magazines. But I am pretty sure that it was present during my youth - I just didn't care about that system.

I remember the ZX81 well as I learned BASIC on it but I would not remember the Spectrum, if it wouldn't have been for a single situation where someone (I otherwise respected a lot), showed me his Spectrum and microdrives, which I found hilarious. Honestly, I would have even forgotten that situation, if it wouldn't have been for those funny microdrives

It's different for all the Commodore and Atari machines. Even PCs because of their presence in some areas, like a museum I regularly visited. Or the Enterprise 128. A friend owned one, we once played games on it and I remember it, because it had some unique aspects that were fascinating.

Animalgril987

Before I got my first 464, you would have had trouble getting me out of Dixon's! Or another shop we had in Worcester was David Waring's, which was primarily  a camera and optics shop, but was also the only place I know of that sold the Camputers Lynx.

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