System 7 Reset Switch

Crash

Simon N Goodwin

(Simon N Goodwin owns the copyright to this review. Please visit http://simon.mooli.org.uk to find original articles and updates, much new material and his contact details.) BOX OF TRICKS If you've always been a bit niggled about the Spectrum's lack of 'frills' - no power switch, no indicator light, and no reset button on early machines - SYSTEM 7 ELECTRONICS ([redacted]) have a low-priced widget that might cheer you up. Their imaginatively-titled 'Reset box' will not send a thrill down any techie's spine, but at £5.50 hardly a rip-off and may appeal to some people. The box measures about 50mm by 75mm, and is about 25mm deep, not counting the bits that stick out of the top. Your Spectrum power lead plugs into one end, and a 50mm cable from the other end goes into the computer's power socket. On the top of the box there's a red power light, an on/off switch and a reset pushbutton. It's neatly and solidly put together, but the on/off switch on my unit did collapse - reasonably enough, when I was stupid enough to put it at the bottom of a holdall filled with CRASH post, and drag the lot around with me for a few days.

SYSTEM 7's handy little reset box in all its glory...

Your Sinclair

Max Phillips

HARDWARE BONANZA Yeeeehaah! Max Phillips rounds up all the latest Speccy add-ons and pens them up... System 7 Reset Unit System 7 £5 Reviewer: Max Phillips This is no ordinary on/off switch... Just stand in the street, point it at the sky and make model airplane noises. Utterly believable, guaranteed to amaze your friends. The on/off bit is brill, complete with working LED, but the 'reset'switch just chops the power for a moment. Not nice for the Speccy, particularly if it's as dodgy as the one we tried.

Sinclair User

John Lambert

REDUCE WEAR ON SOCKETS Old favourites never die, they simply get reviewed in Sinclair User. System 7 has released a Load/Save switch and reset switch in one. This little unit combines two very useful features at the modest sum of £7.70 inc. For those who have never heard of a Load/Save switch, it merely allows you to Load and Save without having to pull one of the plugs out of the Spectrum,. Similarly, the reset switch can reset the computer without having to pull the power lead out. As the Spectrum sockets tend to wear quite quickly this is a definite advantage. A worthwhile unit at the price. System 7 Electronics, [redacted].

Sinclair User

NOT ANOTHER RESET SWITCH! Users who still have a rubber Spectrum, or have upgraded to a Plus keyboard and have not wired up the reset switch, could benefit from the newly released reset/on/off switch from System 7 Electronics. Repeatedly pulling out the power plug on the Spectrum to reset it can weaken the socket - which in turn can lead to reliability problems - and so a switch is a great help. The little black box fits beween the power supply and the Spectrum. Next to the on/off switch is an LED to show when it is on, and it has a small push button which cuts the power when pushed. Although well made, this button - and all the others I've seen - is no substitute for a mains switch. However, it is more convenient than scrabbling for the wall socket to reset the Spectrum. As combined reset/on/off switches go, this one is well priced at £5.00 inc p&p and could provide a useful stocking filler. System 7 Electronics, [redacted].