Recent posts

#1

C

Games / Challenge my Bluff, the 1984 q...

Last post by cwpab - Today at 19:41

CPC Game Reviews just gave an unexpected 7/10 to a 1984 quiz game that can be played by up to 6 players.

I'm tempted to try this one...

This is the link to the review, but I warn you: don't read the last sentence as nich spoils the answer to the question of the screenshot!

#2

Games / Re: Converted GX4000 .cpr - Th...

Last post by iXien - Today at 19:05

Oh that's brilliant! Thank you!! <3 

(By the way, I was getting my list and checking from the CPC Wiki page as per the 1st post on this thread - https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Converted_GX4000_Software - it's not listed there so I guess the list isn't maintained regularly)

Yes, the list is updated regularly, once a year . The last update was on March 11, just after the Time Scanner patch. That's why you can't find the games patched after this day for now.

We will see what we can do with your 2 other requests 

#3

Technical support - Hardware related / Re: Why are 3" floppies so exp...

Last post by Bryce - Today at 18:52

Well, mostly true but not for 5 1/4 discs, all my 5 1/4 discs still work perfectly. They are super reliable.

I totally agree. My family's Amstrad PC 1512's 5" 1/4 floppies were never failed us back in the day. We used to take daily backups on same floppies for years and they always hold intact. I can hardly say the same for my 3" discs. It's the format or the drive itself, not sure. But they keep having bad sectors nonstop.

Like most things, companies always start "optimising" technologies over time. I'd guess that the quality (layer thickness, materials, chemicals, etc) of the magnetic carrier were reduced to a minimum over time to save money / increase profit. So I would expect 8in / 5.25in disks to be more reliable than the later products.
If you look at the very first CD's that came out, they were almost twice as thick and twice the weight of the CD's at the end of the CD era. The plastic used changed (If you bend them, the old ones splinter and later ones just bend with fracture lines) and the thickness of the aluminium layer was halved. Later CD's have much more read errors compared to the older ones.

Bryce.

#4

Technical support - Hardware related / Re: Missing Right Half of Char...

Last post by Bryce - Today at 18:37

No multiplexer can swap bits.

1111 0000
To
0000 0000

And

0000 1111
To
1111 0000

I fully agree, but floating bits can cause all sorts of craziness. I used to think that floating bits would always produce random results, but I've since seen systems that gave a repeatable result due to floating inputs. That's why I suggested checking the resistors first, and taking a really close look at the PCB is never a bad thing and sometimes even reveals something completely unexpected.

Bryce.

#5

Games / Re: Converted GX4000 .cpr - Th...

Last post by Xyphoe - Today at 17:58

OH yes, I did hear about that.

Sorry, I meant to say - the original CPC colours (no offence to Cyrille, but I prefer the look there) and if possible the UK / English language version? I can make do though for a while, I'll completely understand if there's no rush to do this version. Thank you for your reply

No problem @Xyphoe , Cyrille just recolored our patched version. You can find our original patch with standard colours here (and it is the English version) : https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?msg=249597

Oh that's brilliant! Thank you!! <3 

(By the way, I was getting my list and checking from the CPC Wiki page as per the 1st post on this thread - https://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Converted_GX4000_Software - it's not listed there so I guess the list isn't maintained regularly)

#6

Technical support - Hardware related / Re: Why are 3" floppies so exp...

Last post by dodogildo - Today at 17:13

Well, mostly true but not for 5 1/4 discs, all my 5 1/4 discs still work perfectly. They are super reliable.

I totally agree. My family's Amstrad PC 1512's 5" 1/4 floppies were never failed us back in the day. We used to take daily backups on same floppies for years and they always hold intact. I can hardly say the same for my 3" discs. It's the format or the drive itself, not sure. But they keep having bad sectors nonstop.

#7

Applications (CPC and CPC-related) / Orgams Gloire Glup

Last post by m_dr_m - Today at 16:56

Guten Tag!
After 10 years of hard work, Orgams Gloire Glup is already here. Enjoy!
http://orgams.wikidot.com/

#8

Technical support - Hardware related / Re: Why are 3" floppies so exp...

Last post by Prodatron - Today at 16:33

it's similar to tapes [...] I still own a few disks and tapes only for that specific reason, but I expect read failures on them.

Earlier this year, I tried out a 464 for the first time (because I wanted to test a new app), which I'd gotten from a friend in the late 90s. It still had a tape in it (from 30 years ago), and I was able to load and play Cauldron from it 

The same goes for all the 3" discs I've tried. They work perfectly.


It's a big difference with 3,5" discs and burned DVDs, many of them are scrap today.

#9

Technical support - Hardware related / Re: Why are 3" floppies so exp...

Last post by eto - Today at 16:28

I still own a few disks and tapes only for that specific reason, but I expect read failures on them.

I understand easily why people still try to buy them.

That's the point. Most people probably don't need disks but having at least a few ones to enjoy the feel and sound is part of the magic. 

#10

Technical support - Hardware related / Re: Why are 3" floppies so exp...

Last post by abalore - Today at 16:00

Imagine you have just gotten a brand new box of 3" floppy disks.

Would you really trust them to store "important" data?

IMO These days, relying on 3" floppy disks seems far too risky (and the same goes for any type of floppy disk, actually).

Well, mostly true but not for 5 1/4 discs, all my 5 1/4 discs still work perfectly. They are super reliable.