schwager (10/13/82)
#R:uiucdcs:10500003:uiucdcs:10500008:000:2665 uiucdcs!schwager Oct 12 17:43:00 1982 hey,craig-- i have a zx-81 if you want to borrow it. give me a call sometime and ill bring it over for ya. as far as using it for what you want, its possible but there's two things you should know: 1.It is quite slow when running basic, I have found. but really, for less than $100 you cant expect apple performance. i think its about as fast as a programmable calculator, somewhat faster in the "fast" mode. 2.i imagine you would want to mess around a lot with the output ports from the z80, but the documentation that comes with the machine is not for someone who wants to get that technical. also, there are only four chips (three in the timex version, i hear), so much of the hardware is in a special sinclair chip and there is no info on how that chip utilizes the i/o lines from the prossessor, so it may interfere with what you're using it for. but i guess you could just come in and take your output right off the z80i/o . let me know if you want to borrow my machine. i think its worth the money, if youre short on cash, but be prepared for a couple limitations. i would get the 16k rampack right away, because 2k doesnt go very far at all. mike i bye q 6 i ;' helpp hey,craig-- i have a zx-81 if you want to borrow it. give me a call sometime and ill bring it over for ya. as far as using it for what you want, its possible but there's two things you should know: 1.It is quite slow when running basic, I have found. but really, for less than $100 you cant expect apple performance. i think its about as fast as a programmable calculator, somewhat faster in the "fast" mode. 2.i imagine you would want to mess around a lot with the output ports from the z80, but the documentation that comes with the machine is not for someone who wants to get that technical. also, there are only four chips (three in the timex version, i hear), so much of the hardware is in a special sinclair chip and there is no info on how that chip utilizes the i/o lines from the prossessor, so it may interfere with what you're using it for. but i guess you could just come in and take your output right off the z80i/o . let me know if you want to borrow my machine. i think its worth the money, if youre short on cash, but be prepared for a couple limitations. i would get the 16k rampack right away, because 2k doesnt go very far at all. mike i bye q 6 i ;' helpp \