... io ne ho preso uno! Yay! :)
Speriamo che almeno questo arrivi... la speranza c'e'!! :D
Ciao,
Giacomo
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Henrique Olifiers <info@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 23 April 2017 at 10:48
Subject: The ZX Spectrum Next update you were looking for!
To: detonazione@xxxxxxxxx
ZX Spectrum Next Kickstarter is live - Blimey!
View this email in your browser
<http://mailchi.mp/62264d19779b/the-zx-spectrum-next-update-you-were-looking-for?e=9d92709fca>
Hello there, fellow Speccy fan. We've been silent for a while, working
tirelessly to bring the ZX Spectrum Next to life, and didn't want to bother
you with half-news pilling up your inbox until such time we had quite a bit
of substantial info to share. So here we are:* the Kickstarter is now live!
*Go forth and get your Spectrum Next:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1835143999/zx-spectrum-next
<http://specnext.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78748490e13f794ce8c41e1ef&id=0dba751c3e&e=9d92709fca>
In other news:
*Facebook group*
A lot of action is taking place daily on the Facebook Next group, with more
than 3,000 members and counting. Join in if you fancy more granular updates
or mingling with like-minded people: https://www.facebook.
com/groups/specnext/
<http://specnext.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78748490e13f794ce8c41e1ef&id=7bc3bdd611&e=9d92709fca>
*tl;dr:*
- Next Issue 1 has been fully tested. It means we can move to the final
production version now.
- The specs have been expanded, the Next is now a slicker and more capable
machine.
- Latest firmware is fool-proof, and 100% compatible with legacy software.
- V1.08 of the firmware will support new video modes requested by
developers.
- There are already some Next games being made!
- Next portal in production to aggregate all info, tools and downloads in
one place.
*Where we are at now?*
We fully tested the Issue 0 and Issue 1 Next boards, manufactured in the UK
at SMS Electronics. The designs have been a resounding success, with only
two small modifications required to work as intended. We're now ready to
move to v1a, the final production version that will ship with a successful
Kickstarter campaign.
*Have the specs changed?*
Quite a bit, but for the better. We have shipped development kits versions
of the Next to some very special developers like Jim Bagley and Jas Austin,
who have been giving us feedback and requesting features. For instance, Jim
and Victor redesigned the entire graphical pipeline to include new video
modes, sprites support etc. All these changes are making the Next slicker,
and it wouldn't happen without the help of the community we're creating the
machine for.
Other changes are the addition of a Real Time Clock to better support
ESXDOS (thanks Miguel Guerreiro!), Wi-Fi board, memory expansion up to
1.5Mb, HDMI output straight from the Next (thanks Jim!) instead of the
accelerator board's output and an optional internal speaker.
Bottom line, the Next is today a better and more capable machine than it
was when we started.
*How is the firmware coming along?*
We're now at version 1.08, which is brick-proof (if a problem happens
during update, the Next features a rescue mode), and we reached full
compatibility with all legacy Speccy software, including Timex 8x1 and
Expanded Palette modes -- even the most exotic demos we could find run
flawlessly. All hardware timings are perfect, ensuring even border effects
run as they were meant to in the original hardware.
v1.08 also sees Jim Bagley's video modes rolled out, and support for the
HDMI output that migrated from the accelerator board into the main Next
board to achieve the same level of compatibility with all back catalogue
software and support Jim's great ideas: video modes that eliminate colour
clash, possibility of many more colours, sprites and... Well, there's a lot
going on!
The new version of the firmware also freed the accelerator to do more,
since it doesn't have to deal with the HDMI output any longer. Now both the
GPU and co-CPU are fully dedicated to do the Z80's bidding (ie.: more
awesome stuff!)
*Next-exclusive games*
Yes, these are already shaping up. Jonathan Cauldwell released a version of
Centipede
<http://specnext.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78748490e13f794ce8c41e1ef&id=7cf492e982&e=9d92709fca>,
and Jas Austin ported his 'Next Life
<http://specnext.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78748490e13f794ce8c41e1ef&id=795e792c83&e=9d92709fca>'
simulation to the Next while working on his new dev tools for the Next.
We're now putting together a Next portal/website/wiki with all the
information, tools and software collated in one place. This will go live
shortly as this writer of yours have been busy running a games studio in
parallel to helping out making all this happen on the Next front. ;)
Wrapping up, fancy a look at a naked Next? Here's the Issue 0 in all its
Speccyness. Stay tuned!
<http://specnext.us14.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=78748490e13f794ce8c41e1ef&id=7c7b6be3e3&e=9d92709fca>
<http://specnext.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78748490e13f794ce8c41e1ef&id=b799daca51&e=9d92709fca>
<http://specnext.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=78748490e13f794ce8c41e1ef&id=09226e27ee&e=9d92709fca>
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