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How long have you owned your CPC?

Started by nicf82, 12:10, 30 November 22

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How long have you owned your CPC?

> 35 years
20 (48.8%)
25 - 35 years
11 (26.8%)
15 - 25 years
3 (7.3%)
5 - 15 years
5 (12.2%)
< 5 years
2 (4.9%)

Total Members Voted: 41

Voting closed: 12:10, 14 December 22

Nich

Quote from: ComSoft6128 on 12:59, 30 November 221987
That one lasted a year or 18 months before I smashed the keyboard up in a blind rage.
The replacement I still have.
Wow. That really must have been some tantrum. :o My younger brother was capable of some fierce keyboard-bashing tantrums when a game wasn't going well for him, but he never managed to destroy any CPC keyboards.

Axelay

The image in my head when I read about people chucking their CPC in the bin.  ;)


ComSoft6128

It was those f**King edge connectors >:(

6128 with Rombox & VIDI fine.
6128 with Rombox, VIDI & another peripheral (Teletext adaptor or RS232) sometimes was OK, sometimes not.
Solution - swap peripherals when required.
But over time this led to another problem - wear & tear on the edge connector on the 6128, eventually I could only get one peripheral at a time to work.
That particular day even that was problematic - the display kept rolling.
So after an hour (longer?) of moving the female connector "a wee bit this way and a wee bit that way" the Red Mist came down and I removed the 6128 from the desk, placed it on a table and smashed it with my fists until it was junk.
Not a solution to the problem but I felt calm afterwards.
I did the same to my bicycle one time and went full "Basil Fawlty" on that.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv0onXhyLlE

tjohnson

I got my 6128 which is the oldest one in my collection in April 17.  Won it on eBay for 60 quid with a monitor and some games.  I remember collecting it and the husband didn't seem best pleased his wife had sold it.  I have since sold the monitor as it takes up too much space.  I also have a gx4000, 464 plus I've converted to 6128 plus and a 6128 plus.  Along with a pcw8512.  Tbh I haven't used them much recently due to other commitments.  Originally my dad bought a 464 in 1984 or maybe it was 1985 later the 6128 was purchased by him.  They were all sold in about 1991, my brother had moved on to a Amiga, my dad has bought a pc by then and I bought a PC 386. My mum gave away my gx4000 I bought new in 1990 about 2000, I'd left it in the loft after moving out and she gave it to a work colleague, I wasn't best pleased when I found out but my fault for leaving it there.

McArti0

1992 to 1999, 2022-now

First view in 1988, when smuggled CPC 6128 with green monitor cost PLN 750,000 and not for purchase (my father was earning PLN 33,000 per month  at that time)
In 1992 we bought CPC for PLN 2 million (my father earned PLN 10 million at the time) (big inflation)
In 1999 I sold it for PLN 200 (after denomination PLN 10,000 to 1)
In 2022 i bought it for 1500 PLN.  ;D
CPC 6128, Whole 6128 and Only 6128, with .....
NewPAL v3 for use all 128kB RAM by CRTC as VRAM
TYPICAL :) TV Funai 22FL532/10 with VGA-RGB-in.

robcfg

32-33 years if memory serves my well.

My first computer was an Atari 800XL which I got when I was 9. Then at the school we had CPC6128s with color monitors, and as much as I love the Atari and I know understand it much better, the old Basic dialect was not as good as Locomotive's and it was very difficult to get software for it in Spain.

So, I asked my parents and got a CPC464 with green monitor, which made my happy for many years, and it still does.  8) Both of them, actually!

ajcasado

My 664 got into my home in 1985, and is mine since 1988 when my father got his 386.
Sadly the CTM644 and the tapes were thrown away while I was at the university. Anyway very grateful to have kept the 664 and a lot of 3" discs.
CPC 664

Empiezas a envejecer cuando dejas de aprender.
You start to get old when you stop learning.

martin464

Christmas 1986, the 464 arrived and I learned to code
I've been a programmer since 1993 that is my day job ever since

CPC 464 - 212387 K31-4Z

"One essential object is to choose that arrangement which shall tend to reduce to a minimum the time necessary for completing the calculation." Ada Lovelace

Anthony Flack

A green screen 464 in 1985. Then a few years later, I bought a colour screen 6128 from a richer friend who was upgrading to an Amiga, and sold the 464 to a poorer friend who had no computer.

And I had fun with that for years, but then one day my cousin spilled a whole glass of orange juice into my box of programming disks and destroyed all that. And soon after that the disk drive stopped working and I didn't know about the drive belt thing either. I had bought a second-hand Amiga by then and I was moving away to university so I gave the CPC to a friend who was into electronics and repairing stuff. But he probably just threw it away in the end I guess.

So then 20 years later here's me spending a pile of money and getting another one shipped over from the other side of the world. 

Shaun M. Neary

Got my CPC464 just before Christmas 1986, and cue the disappointment that it wasn't a Vic 20! Basically earlier that summer I was in the UK and I couldn't get off the uncle's Vic 20. Played Pharohs Curse until my eyes went blurry! Of course, 10 year old me had no idea of the shelf life of a machine and how progress worked.

Then made the mistake of waiting what felt like an eternity loading Sultan's Maze. I love mazes but this is fucking terrible, I'm sorry! Oh Mummy, Harrier Attack and Galactic Plague started to rapidly make me come around. Before I knew it, I discovered other games that weren't Amsoft that really blew me away at the time. Wait a second... arcade conversions at home? I'm in! Ghosts N Goblins, Donkey Kong, Buggy Boy... countless hours burned.

By 1989 between tape duplicating and the stuff I had bought, mostly compilations, I had amassed a collection of over 500 games. So much choice but I was never sitting around wondering what to play next. By 1990, the plus range was coming out. I'm 14 at this point but I just got the feeling that the end was nearing. Sega's Master System had been around a couple of years and now the NES was starting to hit the shelves, so the Speccy and Amstrad shelves in the shops were starting to gradually shrink to make more room for the consoles. 

By 1991, I'm hardly home. I'm 15, I quit school early and I'm hitting the rock and metal clubs and my trusty Amstrad is getting less and less use but by 1994, I'm burnt out by the bars and I just want to stay at home. Found a copy of AA with Turbo The Tortoise on the cover and at this point, I had bought a DDI-1 interface and drive from someone I knew who was willing to sell it. Of course, by then... good luck finding discs for the bloody thing! But I was able to source some and started transferring BASIC loader tape titles (Hello Elite Systems!) over to discs and enjoying fast loading. 

This kept going up until around 1998 when I got my first PC and figured, I can emulate. I'd never use my real hardware again (Here's where 2017 Neary wants to go and absolutely strangle 1998 Neary with his own pubic hair!). I moved out of my old place in 2006 and left a couple of different Amstrads, 2 big boxes of discs and a Multiface II in the attic.

2017 comes along and a friend gives me his old 6128+ and it all comes back to me. I start collecting machines again like it's going out of fashion as the prices are slowly rising. I regret nothing at that point given the prices of some of the machines are going for, the Plus machines in particular. My list is below. And here we are in 2023 and I'm still loading games from tape on my trusty CPC464. :) 
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

BSC

#35
Quick update: My 464 is alive and kicking. I was able to load games (Boulder Dash, World Series Baseball and some others) from tape without any troubles. Eat this, 6128!
** My SID player/tracker AYAY Kaeppttn! on github **  Some CPC music and experiments ** Other music ** More music on scenestream (former nectarine) ** Some shaders ** Some Soundtrakker tunes ** Some tunes in Javascript

My hardware: ** Schneider CPC 464 with colour screen, 64k extension, 3" and 5,25 drives and more ** Amstrad CPC 6128 with M4 board, GreaseWeazle.

Gryzor

(I understood the op to mean how long you've had your current CPC, not when you first got one? But I don't complain)

GUNHED

Quote from: Gryzor on 19:16, 02 February 23(I understood the op to mean how long you've had your current CPC, not when you first got one? But I don't complain)
But... shouldn't that be the same?  :laugh:
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http://futureos.cpc-live.com/files/LambdaSpeak_RSX_by_TFM.zip --> Get the RSX-ROM for LambdaSpeak :-) (Updated: 2021.12.26)

Shaun M. Neary

Quote from: BSC on 19:09, 02 February 23Quick update: My 464 is alive and kicking. I was able to load games (Boulder Dash, World Series Baseball and some others) from tape without any troubles. Eat this, 6128!
All you need now is an external Gotek and a RAM expansion and enjoy the fun! :D
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

Shaun M. Neary

Quote from: Gryzor on 19:16, 02 February 23(I understood the op to mean how long you've had your current CPC, not when you first got one? But I don't complain)
Given that it wasn't specified, I figured my CPC history would check all the boxes. If it adds to the discussion, it can't be that harmful after all.  :)
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

Gryzor

Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 10:12, 03 February 23
Quote from: Gryzor on 19:16, 02 February 23(I understood the op to mean how long you've had your current CPC, not when you first got one? But I don't complain)
Given that it wasn't specified, I figured my CPC history would check all the boxes. If it adds to the discussion, it can't be that harmful after all.  :)
Nope, not harmful, but interesting and entertaining. The title *does* specify that: "How long have you owned your CPC", not "what is your history with the CPC", but no biggie.

Shaun M. Neary

Quote from: Gryzor on 10:14, 03 February 23
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 10:12, 03 February 23
Quote from: Gryzor on 19:16, 02 February 23(I understood the op to mean how long you've had your current CPC, not when you first got one? But I don't complain)
Given that it wasn't specified, I figured my CPC history would check all the boxes. If it adds to the discussion, it can't be that harmful after all.  :)
Nope, not harmful, but interesting and entertaining. The title *does* specify that: "How long have you owned your CPC", not "what is your history with the CPC", but no biggie.
True but which CPC? Your first, your second, your third? ;) 
Then does that disqualify Plus machines? Seeing as they're not actually CPC's despite the deluded believing there's such a thing as a "CPC Plus".
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

eto

Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 10:17, 03 February 23True but which CPC? Your first, your second, your third? ;)

At least for the poll, I think the question is: From all the CPC related machines you currently own, please choose the one which is longest (and without major interruptions) in your possession. If a Plus is the one you have longest, then choose the Plus to answer the poll.

However, I'm not sure if this is, what everyone understood or what was meant by nicf82. The results would mean, almost half of us kept their CPC since their childhood. But of course it's possible.

And now the personal stories become interesting: When did you get your first CPC? What do you remember most? Did you ever get rid of it? When did you come back and why is a CPC still fascinating >35 years later? I would love to read more of these personal stories...




Shaun M. Neary


Quote from: eto on 10:56, 03 February 23
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 10:17, 03 February 23True but which CPC? Your first, your second, your third? ;)
And now the personal stories become interesting: When did you get your first CPC? What do you remember most? Did you ever get rid of it? When did you come back and why is a CPC still fascinating >35 years later? I would love to read more of these personal stories...
I'll bite.

When did I come back? I don't think I ever really left. During the 90s, I would write games reviews for Kev Thacker's old site and then when he redid his site to make it more technical, David Wykes hosted the reviews and then I would continue reviewing for T.A.C.G.R right up until about 2002. I was still hooked on CPC games throughout the 2000s and the 2010s, and there would always be an emulator on all my machines. I would play some of the games while travelling, or on break from work etc.

I think around 2016, all the talk around here of people modding and recreating new boards gave me the itch to find an actual machine again. I didn't really see the point in getting real hardware initially because where am I going to get a RAM upgrade? Where am I going to get a Multiface? I sure as shit aren't going to find 3 inch disks anywhere, and could barely source blank tapes. Then the likes of @TotO for the Mother X4 and the Z Mem, and @talrek and his MFII clone. It got me to thinking, I can actually use the stuff I used to, which is pretty cool! Then you have Goteks, TZXDuinos, M4's, C4CPC's

In 2017, I met @CraigsBar when he had a bunch of spare 3 inch disks to spare. When he dropped them over to my place, we just got along and before I knew it, he was repairing a Speccy I had which was giving all sort of problems and I was crashing in his after a lot of gaming, repairs and drinking! How the poor guy still puts up with me but upon seeing his collection of machines, it was a big inspiration for me collecting the machines I have now. The Amstrad ones are listed below, but I also have Atari's, a Speccy, a C64 and other consoles too.

I've been using real hardware since.
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

Anthony Flack

I couldn't just say that I've had my CPC for a couple of years. That wouldn't be the full picture...

00WReX

I've had my original CPC464 with CTM640 since around October 1985.
Never had an issue at all, both CPC and CTM are still going strong, and especially the CPC is in 'as new' condition.
The CPC in Australia...
Awa - CPCWiki

BSC

#46
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 10:11, 03 February 23
Quote from: BSC on 19:09, 02 February 23Quick update: My 464 is alive and kicking. I was able to load games (Boulder Dash, World Series Baseball and some others) from tape without any troubles. Eat this, 6128!
All you need now is an external Gotek and a RAM expansion and enjoy the fun!

Actually I do own a dk'tronics 64k expansion since the 80s which served me fine during my real-hardware-era (from 1985 to 1994).

After going virtual in the 2000s, there was no need for that until I got my CPC 6128 around 10 years ago. I purchased an M4 at one point (awesome device!) which was very useful for cross-dev and have also recently bought a GreseWeazle which is of no use because I forgot to order the right cables (believing I already had them), even though I am wanting to transfer my old source codes from disk to .dsk for years. It feels kind of funny that with the never-ending supply of new hardware for the CPC, I am still unable to just turn those damn disks into images (rant-mode off)
** My SID player/tracker AYAY Kaeppttn! on github **  Some CPC music and experiments ** Other music ** More music on scenestream (former nectarine) ** Some shaders ** Some Soundtrakker tunes ** Some tunes in Javascript

My hardware: ** Schneider CPC 464 with colour screen, 64k extension, 3" and 5,25 drives and more ** Amstrad CPC 6128 with M4 board, GreaseWeazle.

Shaun M. Neary

Quote from: BSC on 11:52, 04 February 23
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 10:11, 03 February 23
Quote from: BSC on 19:09, 02 February 23Quick update: My 464 is alive and kicking. I was able to load games (Boulder Dash, World Series Baseball and some others) from tape without any troubles. Eat this, 6128!
All you need now is an external Gotek and a RAM expansion and enjoy the fun!

Actually I do own a dk'tronics 64k expansion since the 80s which served me fine during my real-hardware-era (from 1985 to 1994).

After going virtual in the 2000s, there was no need for that until I got my CPC 6128 around 10 years ago. I purchased an M4 at one point (awesome device!) which was very useful for cross-dev and have also recently bought a GreseWeazle which is of no use because I forgot to order the right cables (believing I already had them), even though I am wanting to transfer my old source codes from disk to .dsk for years. It feels kind of funny that with the never-ending supply of new hardware for the CPC, I am still unable to just turn those damn disks into images (rant-mode off)
I got a DDI-5 from Zaxon a few years back and hook a Gotek to my 464 for anything to almost replace my original 1993 setup only that was a DDI-1. I'm always chopping and changing ways to load games. Some days it's a Dandanator, other days it's an M4, others it's a Gotek and other days it's a TZXDuino to load CDT's (I've tape input mods in both my 464's for it).

Some days I'll even load the original tapes. I bought a load of games over the last few years before the prices went insane. I also have a box of my original tapes which still work surprisingly!
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

Gryzor

Always love the opportunity to load a tape... And I'm grateful people nowadays release their stuff on cdt as well! 

Shaun M. Neary

Quote from: Gryzor on 13:58, 04 February 23Always love the opportunity to load a tape... And I'm grateful people nowadays release their stuff on cdt as well!
Fun fact - Some of the first cdts to surface have me credited.

You'll find 720 degrees and Bruce Lee CDT's have my name on them on CPC-Power! I created the wav's from my tapes for A.D.A.T.E back in the day. (Think that stands for Amstrad Disk And Tape Emporium or something like that).
Currently playing on: 2xCPC464, 1xCPC6128, 1x464Plus, 1x6128Plus, 2xGX4000. M4 board, ZMem 1MB and still forever playing Bruce Lee.
No cheats, snapshots or emulation. I play my games as they're intended to be played. What about you?

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