Giving the ZX Spectrum a Fair Shake
2 days ago
- #BASIC Programming
- #Retro Computing
- #ZX Spectrum
- The ZX Spectrum celebrated its 44th birthday, with the author reflecting on its significance as their go-to system for Z80 code prototyping.
- A BASIC tour of the 16K and 48K Spectrums covers capabilities, including text modes, color controls, user-defined graphics, and full bitmapped graphics.
- The Spectrum features a unique keyboard with multiple modes: Keyword, Letter, Caps, Extended, and Graphics, affecting input and command entry.
- Color control is managed via commands like PAPER, INK, BRIGHT, FLASH, and INVERSE, allowing independent foreground/background colors per character cell.
- User-defined graphics can be created by redefining characters via POKE into memory addresses returned by the USR function.
- Inline controls in PRINT statements allow cursor positioning and color changes, enabling complex text displays without separate commands.
- Full graphics capabilities include PLOT, DRAW, and CIRCLE for pixel-level drawing, with color attributes applied at the character cell level.
- Sound on the 16K/48K Spectrums uses a 1-bit speaker via the BEEP command, while the 128K model adds an AY-3-8910 chip with the PLAY command for richer audio.
- Keyboard and joystick input can be read via INKEY$, direct port access with IN, and support for protocols like Kempston and Sinclair 2 joysticks.
- The 128K Spectrum introduces a boot menu, full-screen editor, RAM disk, and enhanced BASIC compatibility, with minor differences from the 48K version.