Hi,
Just a little introduction. My name is Seob. I'm a Dutch videogame/computer collector. I signed up to this forum today because i read a thread on a other forum about the gx4000 multicart.
I bought a gx4000 a few years ago on a retrofair. It had a little beatup box, and only one controller, with broken cord. I shortend the cord and now the controller is working again.
But since i only have 1 game for the system, the packin burnin rubber, i hardly play it.
I knew it was difficult to get hold of the games, but i bought it because my first computer was a Schneider cpc464.
We bought that machine in 1986 i think, because one of my friends had one. We bought the version with a monochrome display.
He said i could borrow his games, but after getting the machine, his dad didn't agree. So i was stuck with 1 game, rick dangerous, and the games from listings in magazines.
Later i when i was in england to do a internship, i had a friend in England who had a Amstrad cpc464, that was in 1994, and i played often on his machine.
Later when we bought our first pc, the Schneider went to my cousin.
When i started to collect, i asked him if he had the Schneider, but he didn't remember where it went to.
Since the cpc464 didn't sell very well in the Netherlands, we bought our machine in Germany, it is very difficult to get hold on a new cpc464. Tried a few c64 with a other collector for a cpc464 but somehow that deal never took off.
Welcome Welcome. :)
So what kind of computers were more popular in Netherlands than CPC ?
Quote from: ZbyniuR on 01:46, 01 March 15
Welcome Welcome. :)
So what kind of computers were more popular in Netherlands than CPC ?
The Netherlands went mad for the MSX. Which means they know exactly what it's like to suffer from Speccy ports!
Oh yeah, Philips I guess. :)
I don't think suffer is right word, graphics in MSX is the same, plus hardware sprites and little bit other pallets, so ports from Speccy lose nothing. With CPC was much worse situation.
No the msx had the benefit of Konami games. They produced some of the best msx games.
It's one of my favorit 8 bit systems. 2 weeks ago i put a floppydisk emulator in one of my msx machines that had a broken diskdrive. Best 18 euro spent.
Quoteso ports from Speccy lose nothing.
it looses from the simple fact MSX1 or CPC have superior graphical capabilities that simply can't get exploited via straight speccy ports.
anyway...
If you want to find some 8bit Amstrad, search in France instead.
Northern France is not too far away from Netherland and our presidant is called Hollande (dead giveaway I guess).
You really should dig for a CPC6128 or a 6128PLUS perhaps...
they are the best items you can find from the range.
CPC6128 is actually the best model, no PLUS but can run tapes and Disks, get extra RAM and is the most standard model.
Quote from: ZbyniuR on 05:16, 01 March 15
Oh yeah, Philips I guess. :)
I don't think suffer is right word, graphics in MSX is the same, plus hardware sprites and little bit other pallets, so ports from Speccy lose nothing. With CPC was much worse situation.
Having now owned a Sony Hit Bit 75 for a month now I disagree. MSX suffers from some of the worst ports you can imagine. Not only are they slower than the Spectrum but some are so lazy they even leave in the Sinclair joystick options in the menu!
I reviewed Chiller on Youtube this week and in that case its a port from the CPC and uses the hardware sprites. Far better. But many ports completely ignore the hardware sprites and run slower (e.g. Milk Race). So exactly the same situation as the CPC as regards to under using the hardware and slower gameplay.
Hi Seob,
welcome to the forum. I own a Sony HB-75P, great computer (bought from a Dutch guy). Avoid the ports, there's some really great originals for the MSX, especially on cartridge.
Bryce.
MSX1 was quite a failure when it comes to horizontal scrollings, and many speccy ports would get into horizontal scrolling the speccyway... not sure it went as well a for CPCs.
Also, full 8x8 blocks attributes clashes ? on a MSX ?
On MSX1 yes.
Exactly the same resolution and attribute 8x8 clash colors like in ZX. 15 colors but more similar to C64 then ZX. And 32 hardware sprites 8x8 with 1 color. :)
MSX2 - It's complete different story. 512x212 in 16 colors (512 in palette), or 256x212/256. And colorful sprites. 128KB VRAM swaping screens. Hardware acceleration for copy, line, fill, etc. A vertical scroll register. Vertical and horizontal display offset register.
It's look better than Atari ST and of course CPC.
MSX - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSX#MSX_.28first_generation.29)
List of 8-bit computer hardware palettes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_8-bit_computer_hardware_palettes#Original_MSX)
MSX2 are technically superior, but I always found them to be hideously ugly. I'm pretty sure the case designer later went on to do this... http://best-carz.com/data_images/gallery/models/fiat-multipla/fiat-multipla-07.jpg (http://best-carz.com/data_images/gallery/models/fiat-multipla/fiat-multipla-07.jpg)
Bryce.
Quote from: Bryce on 09:38, 02 March 15
MSX2 are technically superior, but I always found them to be hideously ugly. I'm pretty sure the case designer later went on to do this... http://best-carz.com/data_images/gallery/models/fiat-multipla/fiat-multipla-07.jpg (http://best-carz.com/data_images/gallery/models/fiat-multipla/fiat-multipla-07.jpg)
Bryce.
HAHA :D
The link doesn't work but that is one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen. I've always thought it looks like someone lassoed it and made it bulge. Horrible!
Though I have to say there are a few good looking MSX2 models. The problem is they're more or less impossible to find. I've always kind of wanted an MSX2, but I don't think I'll ever see one for a reasonable price.
Strange, the link works fine for me, even the one in the quote of your post.
Bryce.
I prefer a schneider cpc464 since that was the model we had back then.
I have 3 different msx2 models, the philips vg8235, the philips nms 8245 and philips nms 8250.
The 8250 looks more like a desktop pc since the keyboard is seperate from the cpu unit. The nms 8245 the model i modded with a usb floppy emulator is a pretty looking unit i think. I don't like the looks on the vg8235.
Other systems too (Atari / Commodore) or is the collection limited to CPC and MSX?
Bryce.
Currently i don't own a cpc.
But i do own:
Msx1
Msx2
c128
C64
vic20
atari 130xe
apple macintosh lcii
ti99/4a
zx81
amiga 500
cdtv
commodore pc20
dos pc
Windows 95 pc
Consoles
Atari
2600
7800
Lynx
Jaguar
Colecovision
Intellivision
Philips
G7000
G7400
Cd-i 450
Cd-i 210
Cd-i 220
Cd-i 470
Commodore cd32
Vectrex
Microvision
Sega
Master system 1 and 2
Mega drive 1 and 2
Mega cd
Game gear
Saturn
Dreamcast
Nintendo
Nes
Snes
N64
Game cube
Wii
Super gameboy
Gameboy player
Gameboy
Gameboy color
Gameboy advanced
Gameboy advanced sp
Gameboy micro
Ds lite
Sony
Ps1
Ps2
Ps3
Psp
Supervision
Megaduck
Gx4000
Think i coverted them all.
Quote from: ZbyniuR on 01:53, 02 March 15
It's look better than Atari ST and of course CPC.
CPC looks better that MSX 1
And the 6128 Plus looks better than the MSX 2
:P
Nice collection. But it seriously lacks CPCs and later Spectrums :)
Bryce.
I think the design of the cases is a question of taste. When I saw an MSX TurboR for the first time I thought that it has quite an ugly design. One year later I just fell in love with it :)
From the technical side of course an MSX2 is much more powerful than a CPC Plus.
I would love to get my hands on an MSX Panasonic FS-A1WX. I like the chunky typewriter look of the machine and it has a wonderful spec sheet.
Quote from: Munchausen on 09:51, 02 March 15
Though I have to say there are a few good looking MSX2 models. The problem is they're more or less impossible to find. I've always kind of wanted an MSX2, but I don't think I'll ever see one for a reasonable price.
Have a look, here you will always find MSX2 models for good prices:
≥ Vind msx2 op Marktplaats.nl (http://www.marktplaats.nl/z.html?query=msx2&postcode=)
@sigh (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=104): Better watch out for a TurboR instead of an MSX2+. They have the same cases but where much more powerful. MSX2+ machines were mostly focused on catridge games, and so they only had 64KB of main memory.
Quote from: Prodatron on 23:47, 02 March 15
From the technical side of course an MSX2 is much more powerful than a CPC Plus.
That remains to be proven! [nb]from both sides[/nb]
I do not care what system has the better hardware, it's all about the games.
And for games i really like the msx, because of the konami games.
Of course... hardware is only as good as it gets used. ;)
Quote from: TFM on 20:22, 03 March 15That remains to be proven! [nb]from both sides[/nb]
ZbyniuR already posted some links, what's the problem about having a look at it?
The MSX2 is superiour in...
- screen resolution (e.g. 512x212x16 or 256x212x256) - a CPC(+) can only dream about it
- hardware blitter (copying/scrolling vram content, painting lines/rectangles, filling bitmaps, doing logical operations etc...)
- 128KB dedicated video ram with fast CPU access via VDP commands
- native realtime clock and proportional mouse support
- handling up to 4MB x 4 x ? RAM (in theory up to 64MB); the slot system allows to have 4x4 slots (each can include 4MB ram) in total
- powerful hardware expansion system ("slots") which already had a real working plug'n'play mechanism because every expansion included it's own driver in a rom; no need to install a driver after attaching a new hardware; it's fully working at once; that's still better than some modern systems...
- flexible memory banking with 4x16KB switching for the whole amount of ram (like the PCW; it's not limited like the banking of the CPC)
etc etc etc...
As told before... technology is nothing if software doesn't use it.
And btw... There is no problem in locking at some links, don't treat others as if they would be stupid. That suxx!
I may just not see something there better than the 6128 Plus. There is better stuff on the 6128 Plus recently shown in WIP versions.
The Plus has 4096 colors, the MSX can only dream about it!
I have 4 MB RAM on CPC and 2.5 MB Flash! Both internal, now show me that MSX! It can only dream about it (your words!) 8)
And if this (down there) is all the great MSX 2+ can do, sorry, not enough for the 6128 Plus.
Best MSX Konami Games (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59u11Xva1X0#ws)
Wow, now you you become angry about this stupid shit, which you started?
Quote from: TFM on 23:16, 02 March 15
And the 6128 Plus looks better than the MSX 2
Why did you start it when you have a problem with the result?
Not angry at all. I like the result: 6128 Plus wins! :P
Why not helping people install SymbOS (see German forum, they need you there!), instead of discussing a different taste. You like MSX colors, I like CPC colors. :)
It's stupid to claim, that a CPC+ is technically superiour to an MSX2. This is completely wrong and that's all I said, nothing else (wow! maybe 4096 cols instead of 512! sorry, but nothing else!). Regarding software - lol it seems that you don't know the MSX at all :D - When you built in 4MB (which isn't the standard) into your CPC, it's cool, no doubt. But there are so much 4MB memory expansions for the MSX (even MSX1) available, which ARE standard for this machine, that it isn't really impressive.
When talking to you, someone often get the feeling that in your opinion the CPC is always the master and god of all 8bit machine, and not thinking in this way is blasphemy, which appears quite stupid. Because of this it doesn't make fun to discuss with you about such stuff.
I am a CPC guy and will stay a CPC guy forever and I do everything primary on the CPC, but I know some facts about other machines, and I don't want to lie about it... ;)
How difficult it would be to convert the CPC to use a ramdisk as VRAM?
2 swapping Fullscreen in 6128 would be great, if it make this possible.
But how hard it can be?
Quote from: ZbyniuR on 00:15, 04 March 15
How difficult it would be to convert the CPC to use a ramdisk as VRAM?
2 swapping Fullscreen in 6128 would be great, if it make this possible.
But how hard it can be?
Are you speaking about loading a video stream from a harddisc or a ram disc?
No. None of these. I meant how to change hardware to display screen straight from ramdisk without copy this to main 64k RAM. What is possible in Spectrum 128k and Atari 130XE, but not in CPC. :(
Yes, unfortunately not. The CRTC can only access the first internal 64K of the CPCs main ram memory. Never heard about a mod which changes it.
Quote from: Prodatron on 11:14, 03 March 15
Have a look, here you will always find MSX2 models for good prices:
≥ Vind msx2 op Marktplaats.nl (http://www.marktplaats.nl/z.html?query=msx2&postcode=)
@sigh (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=104): Better watch out for a TurboR instead of an MSX2+. They have the same cases but where much more powerful. MSX2+ machines were mostly focused on catridge games, and so they only had 64KB of main memory.
That particular panasonic version has tape support which would give a more wider library of software. Unless there is someway to play cassette on the TurboR?
Quote from: Prodatron on 00:51, 04 March 15
Yes, unfortunately not. The CRTC can only access the first internal 64K of the CPCs main ram memory. Never heard about a mod which changes it.
You can map other ram banks into the lower 64k, though. Or are you explicitly excluding bank switching?
Edit: but I suppose you end up needing to switch the extra memory elsewhere into the lower 64k to write to it *anyway*, so you're not gaining anything over just flipping between &4000 and &c000.
Quote from: pelrun on 05:24, 04 March 15
You can map other ram banks into the lower 64k, though. Or are you explicitly excluding bank switching?
Edit: but I suppose you end up needing to switch the extra memory elsewhere into the lower 64k to write to it *anyway*, so you're not gaining anything over just flipping between &4000 and &c000.
CRTC ignores ram banking.
How did BANKMAN work, then? Or is the 6128's extra ram an exception?
Quote from: pelrun on 10:39, 04 March 15
How did BANKMAN work, then? Or is the 6128's extra ram an exception?
It used it as a data store. When it displayed a screen it copied it into the main ram.
Excuse me, I need to go to the hospital to have my palm removed from my face.
(http://i.imgur.com/cI3JoaA.png)
Quote from: sigh on 02:41, 04 March 15
That particular panasonic version has tape support which would give a more wider library of software. Unless there is someway to play cassette on the TurboR?
That's true, the TurboR doesn't have a cassette port anymore. Maybe there are tools which use the PCM sound chip for decoding the cassette signal, which would still make it possible to load data from tape. Nowadays most tape games are also available on disc, but you are right, not all. TBH with an MSX it probably feels very strange to load from tape, when you even don't work with discs anymore :) People usually have their whole stuff on harddiscs, SD and CF cards like on a PC.
Quote from: ZbyniuR on 00:40, 04 March 15
I meant how to change hardware to display screen straight from ramdisk without copy this to main 64k RAM. What is possible in Spectrum 128k and Atari 130XE, but not in CPC. :(
Are you sure about the Spectrum 128K? According to this document...
128K ZX Spectrum Technical Information (http://www.worldofspectrum.org/faq/reference/128kreference.htm)
...it's only possible to have the screen in Bank5 (standard) or Bank7 (shadow), but not somewhere else. This is the same for the +2A and +3.
Several computers had such limitations for the screen ram:
- CPC: only first 64K
- PCW: only first 128K
- Enterprise: only last 64K
- Amiga (first models): only chip ram, first 512K
Quote from: Prodatron on 00:51, 04 March 15
Yes, unfortunately not. The CRTC can only access the first internal 64K of the CPCs main ram memory. Never heard about a mod which changes it.
There is one... RAM expansion of the 6128 (see c t). It replaces the 8 KB chips by 32 KB chips on the main board. So you can use exactly 512 KB of RAM and ... all usable by the CRTC too. Check wiki for details. :)
Quote from: Prodatron on 23:48, 03 March 15
It's stupid to claim, that a CPC+ is technically superiour to an MSX2.
People who need to insult others are usually wrong. :P
Now show me something better than this on your MSX2: 8)
Beast+ Preview (unfinished) coded for Amstrad Plus by Ast/iMPACT. Gfx done by Ced/Condense. 13.08.10 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyR6d6sAH4I#ws)
Indeed, very impressive! :)
I was speaking about the technical features, which I listed here (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/off-topic-24/introducing-myself-10264/msg94665/#msg94665). Ignoring it doesn't help.
Talking about which systems has the greater games always ends in neverending discussions as we all know, we had this 1000times before with all kind of retro computers ;D This is another topic and not what I said.
Quote from: TFM on 17:11, 05 March 15
Now show me something better than this on your MSX2: 8)
Beast+ Preview (unfinished) coded for Amstrad Plus by Ast/iMPACT. Gfx done by Ced/Condense. 13.08.10 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyR6d6sAH4I#ws)
[insult_mode_on] I (for myself) am sure, it would look more detailled on a MSX2 ;) [/insult_mode_off]
For true: What are 4096 colours good for, when the graphics environment can only show 17 colours maximal, (+ hw sprites: 32 colours) in a screen resolution of MODE 0, when a MSX2 can show up to 256 colours?
Both computers have their pro's and con's. Thats a fact...
We (normal people) grew up with the CPC and thats logically, that we justify the CPC as best machine.
But the technical facts often speak a different language here.
Result: CPC is the best, all other computers are shit ;) (Not regarding the technical aspects, but our personal thoughts)
Edit: Also the Youtube video is much blurred... We should wait for a release ;)
MSX2, NEC 88, Sharp X1, Fujitsu FM7 and even CPC+ with no doubt are better 8bit, but still old 6128 is my favourite. :)
Consoles NES and SMS have great graphics too, no clash colors no wide pixels, look better than British or American 8bit computers, better than ST and EGA, almost like Amiga, but no keyboard no Basic, it's sucks. CPC is better. :D
Quote from: Prodatron on 18:37, 05 March 15
I was speaking about the technical features, which I listed here (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/off-topic-24/introducing-myself-10264/msg94665/#msg94665). Ignoring it doesn't help.
*Ignoring* is the word! As long as programmers ignore all these great features, they just don't matter at all. Slowly I feel like a prayer mill, repeating that all again. :-\
Seriously guys, a new member does us the honor of telling us a bit about himself (Welcome mate!!!) and we turn this into a flame?
Splitting incoming...
Welcome Seob :) I'm new here too, think you'll enjoy it here, I am. ;)
Hi!
I didn't want to start a new post only to introduce myself.
I am from Spain and I am a proud owner of a 464 and a 6128. :)
Regards.
Hola y Welcome to the forum and CPCWiki. Hope you like it here. :)
Welcome back, its great that our little CPC family is growing. ;D
Da dies ja alles im Deutschen Forum geschrieben wurde, heisse ich Euch natürlich sehr Herzlich Willkommen hier ;)
Ja stimmt, da hab ich gar nicht aufgepasst. Also Servus beiernand! Naja Deutschland ist ja bei der UNO jetzt auch als Germany mit Amtssprache Englisch eingetragen, also was solls.
Viel Spass hier im Forum! :)
Welcome then, @AmstradGamer (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1327) ! :)
welcome,although im new to this site i do have a couple of cpc's and really enjoy using them.
i dont bother comparing them to other machines of the era as i like them all.... mostly. :laugh: