Which computer was so badly designed that this was considered a big upgrade?
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What a cheap construction. The key sensation is actually pretty good, but the case it the worst I've ever seen, cut by hand, made out of a flimsy, soft plastic.
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Even the connector is the silliest I've ever seen.
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It sold for 50 GBP, which AFAIK was half the price of the entire computer set up.
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Ah yes, the answer to the original question:
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Really, this looks way worse than any Russian-made clone I've ever seen, it's something coming out of a post-nuclear tech lab...
The PCB is hand etched. That's a hobby build, not commercial.
Bryce.
And yet, it's not. It was a commercial run, even if done by hand. I did find some stuff on it -not much-, like the aforementioned price.
Quote from: Gryzor on 08:44, 14 May 12
Really, this looks way worse than any Russian-made clone I've ever seen, it's something coming out of a post-nuclear tech lab...
It may not look like much, but I bet this one can work at -50 degrees Celsius. :D
I guess stuff coming out of a nuclear winter tech lab should be able to do that :D
QuoteAh yes, the answer to the original question:
was obvious. :laugh:
well, I knew speccy had this kind of upgrade but never saw it.
Still no proper spacebar though... and yes, finition is not that good.
But you got to remember that if peoples had to buy a speccy they had no money to get rich finition keyboard and casing.
Which even didn't really exist for cheap in 1981.
Remember the price of a proper IBM5150 at launch?
And this would be considered a pile of junk by nowaday's standards, considering it's price at the time.
Todays, a computer with the same price would be gold plated...
(but it's true they actually put a lot of gold and prrrrecioussss metals into their chips at this time...)
Quote from: MacDeath on 20:50, 14 May 12
(but it's true they actually put a lot of gold and prrrrecioussss metals into their chips at this time...)
They still do. A modern PC is stuffed full of gold parts, otherwise they'd never achieve the speeds that they do.
Bryce.
Quote from: MacDeath on 20:50, 14 May 12
Still no proper spacebar though... and yes, finition is not that good.
But you got to remember that if peoples had to buy a speccy they had no money to get rich finition keyboard and casing.
Which even didn't really exist for cheap in 1981.
Maybe not that cheap, that's for sure, but a look at the 1981 page of old-computers (http://www.old-computers.com/museum/year.asp?st=1&y=1981) does show several not that out of reach. The fact that lots of replacements for the ZX81's keyboard existed[nb]the ones I had seen were case replacements actually. The one I posted here is the first "expansion" keyboard I've seen[/nb] seems to show that the need for something better was there. I wonder how much more it would have cost to provide a better, but still basic keyboard. 10 pounds more? Who knows...
I think people forget that Russia, or the Soviet Union as it was back then, is nowhere near as cushy to live in as the west is. Its a different, tougher way of life over there.
I soviet Russia, colour clashes has computers. :P
But I don't think the KAYDE keyboard was USSR-made. I think it was a British kludge.