ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 Kickstarter

[Amiga Forever]

Click above if you want see what is on offer.

They say

More Than Retro: The Power of the Next​

The ZX Spectrum Next is what the original might have evolved into if Sinclair had kept going: a machine to rival the likes of the Amiga or Atari ST, with a full spectrum (pun intended!) of improvements:

• Hundreds of new games and apps, most in boxed releases for collection
• Improved graphics: 256 colour modes, copper effects, tilemaps and hardware sprites
• Enhanced sound: 9-channel stereo audio + dual stereo DACs
• Built-in networking, faster storage, and modern ports such as HDMI
• Fully compatible with classic ZX Spectrum hardware and software, no emulation in sight

They have made another one, Would you backed it?

 

[Watson]

The newer games do look pretty good but, I'm not sure about the idea of having a combined c64

 

[Amiga Forever]

It's really odds playing C64 Game on ZX Spectrum Next

It is chance for people own 8bit computer today to experience it if they never played it before.

Clive Sinclair would be looking down and Smile that ZX Speccy live on.​

 

[YouKnowWho]

The newer games do look pretty good but, I'm not sure about the idea of having a combined c64

FPGA, so it can do it all. My MISTer DE-10 Nano is as they say "The Works" all in one. Didn't we really like having our Amiga run PC-Task and Shapeshifter?

Respect to this project for being transparent and telling us the specifics of the FPGA chip they are using - Artix A7 XC7A35T with 33,280 logic cells. Little thin in my view for future FPGA core upgrades, but FPGA will do what FPGA does - whatever you want it to within the limit of logic cell capability. That New Commodore 64 may eventually be able to do all these Spectrum cores, since it is using a Atrix A7 but with 52,160 logic cells...so...Spectrum inside a C64.

 

[Amiga Forever]

Sold nearly £1m and not done yet! 29 Days to go!

 

[YouKnowWho]

Sold nearly £1m and not done yet! 29 Days to go!

Shows the power of nostalgia, doesn't it? But at the same time, by tech standards, is this the most attractive FPGA solution?

I think the new C64 and this shows the power of sexy retro packaging - the wrapping around the actual hardware. In the end the FPGA solutions inside are not that special and I still feel that the MISTer is the best FPGA solution out there. My biggest objection against it was that it wasn't packaged in a sexy retro way, but that board that allowed clean placement in an Amiga 1200 case ended that issue for me at least. There is no denying that the way I feel about wrapping an Amiga around a MISTer is how people feel about wrapping a C64 or Spectrum around an FPGA. These were hugely popular machines after all. Hence, their success doesn't surprise me at all, even if I personally prefer a different FPGA hardware solution. There is plenty of different preferences, and how strong is the retro scene that these preferences are catered to with actual delivered hardware? Just awesome time for retro.

 

[Amiga Forever]

Amiga kit should done their Kickstarter for their 1200NG(if they can supply demand it) and how many would they have sold? or maybe they didnt fancy doing it due pressure demand.

 

[Bladejack]

isnt the 1200NG just an Orange Pi like the 600GS ? (with the extra ports ofc)

Does anyone know if the 600GS will get the "accelerator upgrade option" ?

 

[YouKnowWho]

Amiga kit should done their Kickstarter for their 1200NG(if they can supply demand it) and how many would they have sold? or maybe they didnt fancy doing it due pressure demand.

Wasn't the A500 Mini basically this? Quite decently successful too. I don't want my Amiga running on an ARM cpu. In my mind somehow, the chips and 68K CPU are brought to existance inside an FPGA chip. They perform more accuratley without latency, so it is more real to me somehow. It's like loading a reality Amiga program into a holodeck.

Amiga (Minimig) was one of the first FPGA implementations to reproduce non-existent hardware. It is funny to think about the fact that Amiga was a game changer when it was introduced in 1985, and it happened again when Amiga ushered in the FPGA retro era, down to Vampire being possible because of that Minimig effort.

I want FPGA. I want all my 'new' retro hardware on FPGA - the end. That's my preference.

I will say, I do admire very much the cartridge and old hardware compatiblity on these new C64 and Spectrum FPGA machines. I wish the MISTer DE-10 Nano could handle a real Amiga floppy drives. Rob Smith I think is working on it, so perhaps one day soon.

 

[Amiga Forever]

What is the different between ZX Speccy Next Issue 2 Vs ZX Speccy Next Issue 3?

More power CPU, Better sound, Graphics mode seem to be same and is that right?

 

[YouKnowWho]

If you look at the Kickstarter for the 2, it looks like it had a lesser FPGA - Spartan 6 XC6SLX16, which has 14,579 logic cells - that's thin vs MISTer DE-10 Nano's 110,000. The new Spectrum as noted on the page says Artix A7 XC7A35T, which is 33,380 logic cells. Less than the new C64 XC7A50T, with 52,160 logic cells. In terms of FPGA capability the old Spectrum is very weak, new one, much better but new C64 rules the three machines. Of course as noted, MISTer 110,000...well, that's why you can do Amiga AGA 020 at about 80mhz with RTG or an 486SX 100mhz with SVGA and SB16 on it.

What does this new larger FPGA on the Issue 3 let you do that the Issue 2 could not?

From https://www.specnext.com/the-sincla...sue-3-is-coming-to-kickstarter-this-saturday/

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 is our most powerful Speccy yet, and now includes new fully licensed cores for the Sinclair QL and… The Commodore 64. Yep, you read that right, the Next Issue 3 can run all the software for the Sinclair QL and the C64 straight out of the box. We don’t even know how many thousands of games and apps that amount to, but it’s a lot.

Because this is our third campaign and the #3 on the Speccy keyboard is Magenta, we’re celebrating with an exclusive translucent magenta case for anyone keen to mod their Sinclair Spectrum Next with some wires and LEDs under the hood – or just want a Next that looks, well, pretty unique!

 

[Rayek]

My biggest objection against it was that it wasn't packaged in a sexy retro way, but that board that allowed clean placement in an Amiga 1200 case ended that issue for me at least. There is no denying that the way I feel about wrapping an Amiga around a MISTer is how people feel about wrapping a C64 or Spectrum around an FPGA.

In my mind, the core reason --and historic link to the original ZX Spectrums-- for myself to get the ZX Spectrum Next is basically that the exterior design was designed by the original award-winning industrial designer behind the ZX81, ZX Spectrum 16K/48K, Plus, 128, and QL: Rick Dickinson.

That makes all the difference to me - I perceive the Next as a 'true' successor to that line of machines. It's the final addition to the line of ZX Spectrum machines (Rick passed away a few years ago) - as it might have been released if Sinclair had survived as a company. I am a fan of Rick's design thinking.

Read up on Rick here: https://www.eurogamer.net/obituary-rick-dickinson-industrial-designer-of-the-zx-spectrum

I pledged for one, as well as the board only, to put in an empty original ZX Spectrum + case.

 

[Rayek]

Clive Sinclair would be looking down and Smile that ZX Speccy live on.​

 

[YouKnowWho]

In my mind, the core reason --and historic link to the original ZX Spectrums-- for myself to get the ZX Spectrum Next is basically that the exterior design was designed by the original award-winning industrial designer behind the ZX81, ZX Spectrum 16K/48K, Plus, 128, and QL: Rick Dickinson.

Totally get your view and fully understand that there is plenty of weight in the execution of the plastics wrap around these FPGAs. Why do you think I'm so satisfied with my technically amazing MISter DE-10 Nano? Because it is in a lovely black Amiga 1200 case with black keycaps. It's the future, in exactly the beautiful Amiga form factor we all know and love.

 

[Amiga Forever]

I may buy it one day if someone wish sell it