ZX Spectrum +2 Action Pack

Your Computer

Francis Jago

SPECTRUM 128 - THE AMSTRAD PLUS The 48K Spectrum is the top selling games machine in the U.K. In this, its latest guise, Amstrad hope to continue to maintain its success. Francis Jago investigates the latest addition to the Sinclair stable. When Amstrad paid £5 million for Sinclair Research, Sinclair had completely lost its way in the computer industry. The two previous Sinclair releases, the Spectrum+, and the Spectrum 128, had both failed to fill the obvious gap for the upgrading Spectrum owner. It was no surprise therefore when rumours spread that Amstrad was planning to release a new Spectrum. As with all new launches, there was a great deal of speculation as to what the machine would be like. There was even talk of a GEM-like environment, the first for a true home computer. What was a surprise was the arrival of the Spectrum 128+2. Similar cosmetically to any of the cassette-based Amstrads, rather than the more cluttered Sinclair, its name alone suggested that Amstrad had not wasted a great deal of money in advancing the specification of the Spectrum 128. On inspection, it becomes apparent that what Amstrad has done is to upgrade a Spectrum 128 into a computer which can compete with the likes of the Amstrad 464, although why it would want to do that is a mystery. A full-travel QWERTY keyboard is the first improvement, along with a more attractive grey colour scheme. By including an internal tape recorder, many of the notorious loading problems should also be over. Underneath the new facade lies the same 128 which received such strong criticism from software houses for its incompatibility problems. Thankfully Amstrad has removed the dictionary usually engraved on the Spectrum keyboard but all the functions are still there for use in 48K mode, while the manual lists them all very clearly. On power-up, users of the Spectrum 128 will recognise the four choices, although not surprisingly there is no tape test. Those options - Tape loader, 128 Basic, Calculator and 48 Basic - are obtained by moving the bar over one and pressing return. Tape loader allows any 128 games to be loaded directly and in use with official 128 games there were no difficulties. Calculator allows the computer to be used in best Casio style and both Basics act as would be expected. For port the 128+2 is almost identical to the original 128, apart from two important additions, joystick ports. Placed neatly on the left-hand side of the machine, it seems that Amstrad has paid some attention to critics who pointed out that the 128 could never be taken seriously as a games machine without some standard 9-pin ports. Unfortunately, the non-standard telephone socket Midi output is still the same. Using the 128+ with 48K games, the sound is now wired through the television and, using filters, even the humble BEEP becomes something to notice. In use, the keyboard will be a real bonus to anyone who has survived through the original 'dead flesh' and the newer QL-style keyboards. It is positive, without being too firm, and is spaced sufficiently so that even the most fussy typist would approve. Again, as with the 128, there is a port at the back for a numeric keypad, although Amstrad, too, has decided that addition is not worth including. 5,000 GAMES Unlike many previous Sinclair computers, Amstrad has made the 128+2 look and in use, feel like a well-made and well-assembled computer. No longer can you make all the keys drop off by holding the computer upside down and tapping it. With a software base of considerably more than 5,000 games and utilities, it must be accepted that many people will buy the 128+2 purely as a 48K Spectrum with a few extras. So it was a surprise that the new 128 still seemed to have the compatibility problems of its predecessor. When loading the games which caused the problems in the first place, it was obvious that Amstrad saw the problem as the responsibility of programmers rather than its own. In an effort to ensure that programs released henceforward do not share those problems, Amstrad has initiated the Sinclair Quality Control system of checking. Unlike other companies. Amstrad seems to recognise the importance of software houses. One of the first games to have been stamped with the Quality Control seal of approval is Moonlight Madness from Bubble Bus and, sure enough, it worked perfectly, loading either directly from the first options screen or by first going into 48K Basic and the entering LOAD "". Commenting on that, Bubble Bus remarked on how simple the procedure is, and that bodes well for the future. For people unfamiliar with the improvements the original 128 provided, the 128+2 will stand out as having involved a great deal of thought. One of the most impressive new features of the machine is the sound. It uses a port designed specifically for sound output and a powerful new sound chip, the AY-3-8912. To make the most of the chip, a new command has been included, PLAY. As the chip is the same as in the Amstrad range of micros, on which a great deal of good music has been written, and the 128+2 has a far superior means of amplification, any programs used to exploit it could give the Commodore 64 a run for its money. For anyone considering the first-time purchase of a computer, the Spectrum 128+2 will be one of the main contenders. It provides neither the monitor nor graphics of the Amstrad 464 but instead it has a library of programs which runs into thousands, even if only a few exploit the full capabilities of the machine. Priced very competitively at £149.95, it must represent an excellent purchase, especially for people who consider monitors an unnecessary piece of equipment. There are criticisms of the machine but few, if any, can be levelled at Amstrad. which has done an excellent job of repackaging a computer which had begun to look distinctly staid. Whether the 128+2 will be seen by 48K Spectrum owners as a perfect route for upgrading is another matter, depending mainly on how willing they would be to throw away some of the programs which refuse to run on the new machine.

An insider's view.

Spectrum style - the new Amstrad packaging.

The Spectrum 128K +2 on edge.