Ricoll RIKB1 Keyboard

ZX Computing

THE KEY TO SUCCESS I guess that phrases like 'up market' and 'down market' are still around. A certain sort of person used to label a certain kind of commodity this way. As so often with such expressions, they merely indicate a boringly obvious fact. Namely that given any sort of product, you will find examples which are on the one hand little more than functional. That is they do what is required of them without glamour or glitter. And on the other hand examples which have been given the luxury touch, or the executive touch, the super deluxe... and needless to say these are the most expensive. In between there is always something to suit everybody. The keyboard which RICOLL ELECTRONICS have brought out for the Spectrum is a no nonsense steel housing which will put any office dweller in mind of filing cabinets and other office equipment with respect to appearances but not of course to size. Colour is similar too. Solid, sturdy and reliable, there are no trimmings, no smooth finish, indeed the finish is rough to the touch. The space bar and keys follow the traditional typewriter pattern and transferring from the typewriter to this keyboard holds no problems. Nothing could be simpler or more straightforward. It's a keyboard. No more no less. I've hinted that this is a functional piece of equipment, the lettering and information on the keys in fact consists of transfers or stick on. They look vulnerable but do not come unstuck. They do collect marks around the edges however. I've been using mine non stop now for several months and I can vouch for it's reliability and ease of use. Personally I find the keys positive and responsive and can use them for hours when writing without frustration or tiredness. When using it for programming the small size lettering will prove a problem to those not already familiar with the Spectrum keyboard. It's quite a heavy piece of equipment and obviously designed for heavy use. Well I've certainly given it that. And when I haven't been using it my sons have and they are no respectors of fragile technology. In short the keyboard has taken a fair old 'hammering' and still going strong. It measures approximately 280mm x 210mm x 55mm and is mounted firmly on four solid rubber cushions. Installation is no problem provided the Spectrum is handled with the care and respect it deserves in it's exposed state while being transferred from one home to another. It stands to reason that disconnecting and reconnecting the ribbon cable PCBs, and fixing the board into the new housing must be done carefully. Even so it is not a task which requires much time, or expertise for the serious Spectrum User. If looks are not important but solid hard wearing efficiency is, then many people will be more than satisfied with this keyboard.

Your Spectrum

Henry Budgett

GOING OVER BOARDS Feeling out of touch with your Spectrum? Then join Henry Budgett as he fingers his way through five replacement 'boards - all out to prove that pressing keys doesn't have to be a rubbery experience. Ask a hundred owners of the Spectrum to point out their least favourite aspect of the machine and it's odds on that 99 per cent will plump for the keyboard as the prime culprit - which is hardly surprising, considering it feels not unlike a hunk of dead meat! Added to the peculiarities of its india-rubber action are the allied quirks of a non-standard spacing, a fiendishly complicated system of Shifts and Symbol Shifts to access the various keywords, and punctuation symbols littered everywhere. While Sinclair Research's revolutionary keyword and syntax checking system works well enough for the beginner, it tends to stifle the familiarity that occurs on a more regular kind of computer keyboard. Remember, however much fast typing is simply not possible on a squidgy membrane, still there are several word-processing programs available! Obviously, many of the major objections could be alleviated by the simple bolting-on of a full QWERTY keyboard that uses full-travel keys; this, however, is surely not the ideal answer. Many of the difficulties experienced by users trying to cope with the idiosyncratic shifting system could be solved through the addition of extra keys to handle the more commonly occurring characters - such as the punctuation and mathematical symbols, and the Delete key. While carrying out such reorganisation, an astute designer can also build-in switches to control the power and isolate the EAR lead while recording. And further enhancements could include a case big enough to hold various components of the system... such as the power supply, Microdrive, Interface 1 and other add-ons. All these possible options have been considered while judging the five keyboards under test. So, the question we're going to be asking ourselves is: just how far have the manufacturers gone towards creating the 'ideal' replacement? But there's a sting in the tail. Add a keyboard to your Spectrum and, although you're going to be enhancing its usefulness, you're going to raise its overall price to a level where you're justified in expecting something very special indeed. That's the high level of criteria to which the five units here have been subjected. CONCLUSION Just one of the keyboards on test comes close to meeting the exacting criteria I initially laid down for a replacement unit, and that's the Fuller FDS; even here the finishing touches let it down a bit. From a manufacture point of view, the best made by far was the product from Ricoll; given a set of decently engraved keytops, this would rate very highly as a direct replacement system - and it's also quite attractively priced. Of the rest, the Lo>>Profile had most to offer but lacked the extra function keys of the Fuller model and could also do with more support for its keyboard. The Dk'Tronics unit needs to be supplied with the keys engraved or moulded - stick-on labels that the customer has to apply are not really sufficient. Otherwise it's a substantial add-on. The Transform device seems to be a little over-priced for the facilities it has to offer over its cheaper rivals. Despite that it's recently been rated "top keyboard at the moment" by one of our magazine rivals; maybe you should check it out to see if I've missed an endearing quality or two. On a final note, now that Sinclair Research has perfected the newer type of membrane - as used on the QL - it would be interesting to speculate whether the add-on companies are likely to make the switch too. It could be the key to success! LO>>PROFILE KEYBOARD Price: £49.95 Supplier: Advanced Memory Systems, [redacted] The description 'Big, Black but Slim' might easily be misconstrued by some, but as dedicated readers of a computer magazine I'm sure you'll realise at once that I'm talking about the Lo>>Profile keyboard. Internally, the keyboard can only accept the ZX Spectrum's main PCB - the various connectors hang out the back through slots, allowing you to add whatever's necessary. It comes supplied with a photocopy of an advertisement for the device - presumably to pass on to a friend - and a single sheet of instructions showing you how to fit it all together. Using logic, it's easy enough to assemble but nowhere does it mention that you've got to unplug the old keyboard, or that the Spectrum's PCB must go in the right way round. Once fitted, at first sight it looks really nice, with a decent set of keys all properly laid out and a numeric pad set off to the right. All the legends are printed clearly on the keytops in the same colours as the original; the only one missing is Break - which ought to be on the Space bar, but isn't. The cursor keys are repeated on the numeric keyboard that features its own Caps Shift and V keys as well. The casing is much wider than it needs to be - presumably designed on the premise that bigger looks better - and although the top is made of a substantial plastic, the base isn't and tends to 'give' under pressure. The keyboard surround is also rather flexible; it has provision for 11 mounting plates but only six were fitted. Overall, the unit worked very well, but the initial feeling that it looked smart slowly evaporated once it had sat on the desk for an hour or two. But for those who hold great stead by personal appearances, the Lo>>Profile is definitely a 'looker'. FDS KEYBOARD Price: £49.95 Supplier: Fuller Micro Systems, [redacted]. A sleek, black plastic casing surrounds a contender that's really rather pleasant to look at. But the first obvious problem was a complete lack of any instructions - such is a reviewer's lot. Still, inside the case I found two sets of possible mountings for the Spectrum's PCB - and as only one clears the keyboard, that was easy to solve. Unfortunately, only two of the four posts lined up with corresponding holes on the PCB - which is hardly good news from the mounting point of view. The power lead from the transformer has to go to the keyboard first, and a short lead from here connects to the PCB. There appear to be mountings for the transformer but I suspect these might be best ignored for safety reasons. One of the two ribbon cables was damaged, a wire having broken off at the joint between the cable and the plug; both were rather short, making installation harder than it should have been. The standard set of Spectrum keys have been added-to in an intelligent way, with a cluster of cursor keys, a full-size Space bar and a Shift key on each side of the keyboard. Also included are keys designated Rubout, f1, f2 and Sym - all labelled in bright red; the remainder are grey or black. Once in operation I discovered the extra keys, f1 and f2, select the lower and upper keywords printed on the keytops - a neat idea and one which saves playing octaves across the keys to reach both Shift and Symbol Shift. The legends are screen-printed - which is one better than stickon labels, but so badly done in some cases that it's a toss-up which is the least desirable method. Overall, but for the quality of the finishing touches, I'd have to proclaim the FDS a pretty decent unit. Better keytop printing is a must and the installation of the PCB needs to be made much more secure. And, as usual, I still have serious reservations about installing the power supply unit inside the box. TRANSFORM KEYBOARD Price: £69.95 Supplier: Transform Ltd, [redacted]. This case has obviously been designed to look nice, and it certainly does - for almost £70, you'd have every right to expect something special. Constructed from metal, the unit obviously presented its designers with the problem of isolating the Spectrum's PCB from its new case. Their solution was to request that you leave the bottom half of the computer's casing attached to the PCB - hardly the neatest of ways around the difficulty, but it does solve the problem. The power supply goes in too, and the whole thing (plus case) is stuck down with one of those double-sided pads. Both a power switch and LED are provided but you'll have to be adept with a soldering iron to fit them; the instructions for fitting these extras are not at all clear. Another source of worry is the fact that the case isn't earthed; once again, you've got mains voltages hanging around, just waiting to bite you. While the Ricoll unit is built of solid metal that's formed into a proper box, the Transform keyboard is flimsy by comparison. Littered with sharp-angled corners, it feels as if the slightest pressure could collapse it; with such little support. the board is prone to excessive flexing. There are extra keyboard facilities on-board which include both Delete and Edit keys, as well as a full numeric keypad; once again, however, the Break function isn't labelled - but I'm sure you'll find it. DK'TRONICS CASE KEYBOARD Price: 45 Supplier: Dk'Tronics, [redacted] Definitely one for the DIY fanatic here! A really solid, black plastic case with a real key copy of the Spectrum's existing keyboard on the left and a 12-key numeric/editing keypad on the right. The Spectrum's PCB fixes on to four plastic pillars, and for that you're expected to use the screws that came out of the computer - so don't lose any of them! The power supply will also fit inside the case, although it has to be removed from its casing before you can install it. That means there's a healthy 240 volts floating just an inch or so away from the Spectrum PCB and keyboard. The manual points out that mains can kill - but even if nothing untoward happens, the mains hum will probably affect the picture quality. The DIY element comes in when you find the sheet of self-adhesive stickers, to be used for labelling the blank keytops! The result is cheap, messy and unlikely to last as long as the legends painted on Uncle Sir Clive's original rubber squares. Insufficient support is provided for both the keyboard and keypad (which sag under pressure) but the key actions are quite nice. That apart, if the keyboard came supplied with the keytops engraved or moulded, then I'd have to vote it a very reasonable product. RICOLL ELECTRONICS RIKB1 Price: £37.95 Supplier; Ricoll Electronics, [redacted] If you see sheer weight as a good judge of a product's quality, you're certain to be pleased with this one! Tipping the scales at a good old 1.5kg, this metal-cased keyboard seemed at first to be a solid prospect. The system keyboard support proves better than that offered by many a rival and the main board stays firmly locked on to four metal studs mounted on the base. The 'manual' consists of two photocopied sheets, plus an extra note slipped in; this warns that one of the leads to the keyboard - must be twisted, and that the user should beware of long component leads from the Spectrum's PCB shorting out on the metal base. Shudder! Unfortunately, apart from its full-size Space bar, the device is once again a real key copy of the original. But with no numeric keyboard added the unit is certainly compact and, being built of heavy gauge metal, it's virtually guaranteed to last. The same, however, cannot be said of the keyboard itself - it uses nasty little keytops that feature stick-on legends. Oh well, at least they've been stuck on for you! This could have been a winner, had the quality of the keyboard matched up to that of the casing. As it is it's still a whole lot better than the Spectrum's rubber pads and very reasonable at the price.

Apart from the full-sized Space bar, the keyboard is an exact replica of the Spectrum original.

The easy way down a stairs, JUMP!

LO-PROFILE Keyboard Type: Mechanical Action: Excellent Total Keys: 53 Numeric Keypad: Yes Cursor Keypad: Yes Function Keys: No Extra Shift Keys: Yes Full Space Bar: Yes Size (mm): 436 x 218 x 50 Weight (kg): 0.85 Case Material: Plastic Label Method: Screenprint MIC Switch: No Power Unit Inside: No Power Switch: No TRANSFORM Keyboard Type: Mechanical Action: Good Total Keys: 60 Numeric Keypad: Yes Cursor Keypad: Yes Function Keys: Yes Extra Shift Keys: Yes Full Space Bar: Yes Size (mm): 407 x 220 x 75 Weight (kg): 1.3 Case Material: Metal Label Method: Screenprint MIC Switch: No Power Unit Inside: Yes Power Switch: Yes DK'TRONICS Keyboard Type: Mechanical Action: Good Total Keys: 52 Numeric Keypad: Yes Cursor Keypad: Yes Function Keys: No Extra Shift Keys: Yes Full Space Bar: No Size (mm): 350 x 250 x 70 Weight (kg): 1.1 Case Material: Plastic Label Method: Stick-on MIC Switch: No Power Unit Inside: Yes Power Switch: No FULLER FDS Keyboard Type: Mechanical Action: Good Total Keys: 51 Numeric Keypad: No Cursor Keypad: Yes Function Keys: Yes Extra Shift Keys: Yes Full Space Bar: Yes Size (mm): 340 x 225 x 70 Weight (kg): 1.0 Case Material: Plastic Label Method: Screenprint MIC Switch: No Power Unit Inside: Yes Power Switch: No RICOLL Keyboard Type: Mechanical Action: Fair Total Keys: 42 Numeric Keypad: No Cursor Keypad: No Function Keys: No Extra Shift Keys: Yes Full Space Bar: Yes Size (mm): 285 x 205 x 60 Weight (kg): 1.5 Case Material: Metal Label Method: Sticck-on MIC Switch: No Power Unit Inside: No Power Switch: No

Your Spectrum

Ron Smith

THREE FROM RICOLL It's said that three new add-on products from Ricoll Electronics have proved so successful that supply is only now returning to normal. The first is the company's professional-standard keyboard. Housed in a coffee-coloured case, its cream keys are guaranteed for 50x 10^6 (50 million) operations - a pretty high degree of reliability. It also features a proper space bar, with an extra Shift key on the right. Supply has reportedly improved drastically, with an order to delivery time of two to three weeks. Sound boards are obviously very useful when it comes to improving the 'playability' of computer games and Ricoll's does more than most. It'll produce the kind of music and sound effects normally to be found only on full-size monophonic synthesisers. The gadget includes three oscillators (programmable from 0.01 Hz to 62KHz) and gives a square wave ouput. Other notable features include a noise generator, envelope shaper, three audio channels with programmable volume, internal audio amplifier and a 16-bit I/O port. Combine all this lot with the programmable filter and you'll be synthesising many sounds that rival units will be unable to generate. On the subject of sound 'extras', there's Ricoll's Action Replay box which plugs into the Spectrum's expansion port. It's not actually a sound synthesiser, and is used more for 'real' sound effects. Using a microphone, a sound can be input and sampled, sorted in memory and then replayed at any pitch. The most interesting feature is the device's ability to create glitch-free tape loops for producing the most amazing sound effects. The keyboard costs £37.95 plus £2.00 p&p, while the sound generator is £39.95 plus 70p p&p. The Action Replay box which still has an order to delivery time of six to seven weeks, is expected to sell for just under £100. All equipment is available from Ricoll Electronics Ltd, [redacted]. For more info, telephone them on [redacted].