Interface - thinking out loud: "SPECCY computer for young people. If we have so many cool coders, why so little steep domestic soft'a?"

          (C) RAY / AURYN / CPU


   SOME THOUGHTS inspired READING

         Electronic Journals


     After reading nemeryannom number
electronic media, we can notice two
Topics disputes and thought: 1) SPECCY dies, on what platform 
to move? 2) If we have so many cool coders, the

why so little steep domestic
soft 'as well (especially the game)? 3)
How to be SPECTRUM 'at?


     In this connection there are the following
thoughts:


     Somehow someone somewhere noticed that
SPECCY - computer for the young, and was
rights. Usually age working on it
according to recent polls, on average,
about 20 years. Typically, these are people who leave school or 
go to school in the early courses of universities. As for care 
of people with SPECCY, then it is a natural process in the 
sense that people grow up, graduate schools,

they have a job, and they can not pay SPECTRUM 'have much time
much earlier. Such a critical "transitional" age can be defined 
somewhere in region of 24-26 years. Here and go to

the scene when something loud and well-known names.
Remember 5-6 years ago, whose names you
seen in intr'ah? Where today are those people?
Bye-bye! And who today? Whew! Scene
lives. Someone leaving, someone new comes up. Ce la vie. 
Everything flows, everything changes - New team, new 
programming technologies, new programs - not to say it because 
SPECCY alive? And what He bends, it seems to me, shouting only

those who decided to throw with him, so some traders soft 'th.

     What is with regards to transition to another
platform, the issue is more disturbing
those who just finished college and began thinking about his 
future (which, in general, rulez). And if this person

chooses his profession working programmer (computer operators, 
etc.), then, alas, the only road to it - on the PC: - (/ if, of 
course, he did not get a TV-studio, where often you can meet 
and AMMY . Unfortunately, PC today only

platform on which to make money
- These things the truth of life, and nowhere on it does not 
get to. And in general, for example, I talk about the 
transition from SPECCY to another platform puzzling. And what 
for somewhere to go? SPECCY - especially complex

Home, PC - working (but those who
believe that it is home, admit to
According to Arny, "BIIG MISTAKE", and I
they frankly sorry), AMIGA - rulez, but
few who have access to it. I
have access to any of these components, and I
do not put some of them above the rest.
For the PC I'm sitting at work, at play or AMMY
watch the demo or just listen at Mouzon
colleagues in the TV-studio, SPECTRUM, as
be, standing at home and used as
just like a home computer: the play and
newspapers read, and look at the demo and muzonchiki listen 
and, finally, something its create, knowing that it is someone 
else, apart from me, you need to.



     And now some thoughts about
Software. Reading SPECTRUM 'ovsky press, one can often come 
across such a dilemma: the We have such cool coders (based on 
dem) poidee should overwhelm users coolest

the games / well, west, tremble! /, And in fact
home games once or twice and obchelsya (although
that there is - THE BEST). I think,
Unlike the case in a coding pritsipialnom
demos and game. Thus, to get tough
effect, or high performance in
the demo is almost always used to horseradish
memory, which is unacceptable in a game prog. Not to mention 
that today is a waypoint game alone do hard to / though real 
example: our dearest NICODIM or Slavik St. Petersburg /

create a workable command is not
always possible. As for the level
skill of our coders, it is unlikely that he
higher than the "branded" / same CODE
MASTERS, at least. It is unlikely that they did not know
and the methods of fast graphics, etc.
They just all this was not necessary, since
they wrote the game, not demos. And why
few domestic games - or simply do not
have the patience to finish the job, or
people grow to a critical age
(See above). As for the possibility of
make the production of soft 'and for
SPECCY, it's not even funny, because
costs and all this fuss with its spread itself simply does not 
justify. Already Today, many trader 's become

swapp 'jers. And "the market" soft 'and now
rests only on the exchange. Trader 's proceeds only enough 
money for new (?) Floppy yes on postage. As for the proceeds 
from the sale of copyright soft 'And then you can say one thing 
- it's not serious! No such protection can not be removed, and 
the spread of broken programs - Barbarism. In some of the 
magazines I subtracted, as earned fame by selling Mednonogov 
UFO-II. Today, any Software on the PC, who knows at least

Pascal or Fox Base, one month can earn twice as many. True,
Glory got what not to buy at any price - fame and recognition 
throughout huge SPECTRUM 'ovsky audience. So

if you do something serious to
SPECCY, then most likely you'll become famous, not rich. That
Think before you start a new
superproject what you want ...

     Continuing this theme and want to speak about the demos. 
Do I need to their release or not? Honestly, I have

me are just laugh lines at the other
demos such as "... The full version will be completely 
rewritten engine, a lot of cool graphics and music, etc., etc." 
or instead of the game was given just the intro (especially, I 
dragged from the demo version of "Tic-tac-toe!). Similarly, 
some OVERFILE "thrown" half the country. Why the so

deme surrendered? What it shows?
"I, Vasya Kurochkin, I'll write a cool prog,
all of you to pull! Glory to me, the great !...". But in fact 
80% of the demos so established and remain. I think the demo 
should be available when the program is written in full, but 
not, for example, intro, final cut, not fully written

additional levels, but the engine worked out. And it must be 
produced to draw attention to what has been done, and not 
planned. As a demo can be represented by one level of the game,

having a logical conclusion. Something
like demos DUNE-2 or DOOM, though
the latter is called the pre-relise, it
more like to debug beta -
version. Innovations in the full version, of course, should be, 
but they should not be very much, since the best is the enemy 
of the good. 

     I would like to stay at vkratse
prospects SPECTRUM 'as well. That
As for hardware, I agree
with the thoughts expressed in the journal "FLASH
TIME ". Shadow RAM instead of ROM - it's cool!" Then we can do 
and serzno softmaking 'om - its DOS and unique

sutured. Try to break it! On my own like
would add one more thing. Judging from the revisions, many 
people want to get out of a cheap analogue SPECCY AMIG 'and. 
And why not? Sound Card GENERAL SOUND already buy and connect. 
It now remains to create a video processor, which you could 
connect to a computer without a significant alterations. Then 
we would have SPECCY would AMMY flexibility and open 
architecture PC. Having SPECTRUM-128 (better PENTAGON-512

because of the architecture, ob'ema memory and speed), we could 
save for the sound card, and then eventually connect video 
processor (or vice versa). Why so? Yes, because SPECTRUM 
computer purely domestic, and hence, by 90% game! And as you 
know, even the lousy game console have more than one percent. 
So why SPECCY must be worse? Then do not need to be more 
powerful processor, Z80 is quite cope. A 16 colors for 
home-computer is enough. Wishing to consider images in 16 
million colors can offer AMIGA or PC. A schedule of topics and 
SPECCY is good, that it You can draw by hand, but not scanned. 
But I digress ... Ideally, good would have been if based 
PENTAGON 'and was developed a "mother" with a standard

COM-port system raz'emami where
all the bells and whistles, and insert (a la PC).
Then, for the price and ob'emah SPECTRUM 'ovsky soft' and could 
compete for user.


     Waugh, dreaming! But we must try
imagine what is missing SPECCY, and
that can realistically be done. So, the two paramount issues 
SPECTRUM 'a - Graphics and music. Trying to find acceptable 
solution ... So, SUPER SPECTRUM: - Processor Z80 (we do not 
need 16-bit - he was so stronger than the other consoles / no

We poke a finger / maybe turbo - ticks in int 'e - as in
Pentagon 'and - RAM - 512 IPA, addressing
the same as switching pages - port # 7FFD;
- ROM - 2 IPA - a routine reading of 0-th track in the memory 
and system test - nothing more is needed. (Why

so? Elementary: enabled computer, uploaded
YOUR system up and running! A softmaker 's
as well - each program has its own
DOS! Burglary of, say, losing games
every sense - a single DOS, as such,
No - so ...); - further - RAM;
- Everything that is connected with the screen depends on
GPU - video processor, the hardware supports screen output
sprites, scrolling, etc. Screens
320H200 resolution, 16 colors or 8 colors and 2 gradations of 
brightness / and if both of these regime, at least be able to 
choose - GOOD! / - For the home-com is quite enough. The size 
of the graphics is quite tolerable - the sound processor. Usage 
fees GENERAL SOUND possible, but it seems to me, not as the 
base audio device. This fee plays digital sounds and what is 
their volume? As the basic unit

you need something simpler, but with sound
better than the "naked" AY, and, naturally,
running parallel to / and for emulating
Need AY of course! / - A standard COM
- Port - a standard LPT - port - drive, m. b. screw. Problems 
of OS - see above - the system connectors for extensions - 
completely open architecture. This is one of the paramount 
condition for success in a computer in Russia. If look at the 
history of computers in our country, what are the most

common? Correctly - SPECTRUM and
PC. Why? Elementary - they can collect what is called "on his 
knee and earn money. That is why the Russia from SPECTRUM - 
compatible machines can be much more likely to find it

PENTAGON, a not SCORPION. Where to compete
Mesons with the vast army of our
craftsmen ... Here is an example of life: a few years ago in 
Rybinsk there were such a firm "VILS". So, these guys for a 
couple of years had stopped all Yaroslavl and Kostroma region 
partly improvised PENTAGON 's. What do you think all those

who bought their computers would have gone to
Mesons? I also think there is. In our
country, in my opinion is easier to sell kits
such as "Gather the computer itself," with base
(Main circuit) must be fully
open and, moreover, easily repeatable
of domestic components (to our
craftsmen to make repairs at home
conditions). And that with regards to commerce, the
commercially profitable to produce components (for example: 
payment company itself may make any, and the chip, say, ULA

You can buy into such a firm), or all sorts of "gadgets" (sound 
and video cards, modems, etc.). The main thing is that it All 
you can plug into a free slot computer and it immediately 
worked. Here therefore necessary to develop first some 
standards. 

     And also in general would be BEST'ovo if there was a 
switch by which all of the above would be transformed into, 
say, PENTAGON 128 + TR DOS 5. 04T + AY (not necessarily the 
hardware - good enough emulation).


     And of course, with minimal configuration, it's all fun 
must be not more than $ 80.


     Why such a configuration?
Yes, because it is just such a machine today may actually 
discourage users from consoles. I worked for a firm where those 
consoles sold nemeryannom quantity, and good to explore the 
needs and the psychology of buyers. What is the potential 
buyer, who came in store? Young people 15-18 years old who 
wants to buy a computer? That's really the pipes! This is 
usually my mother, at least - Dad, with children aged 10-14 
years. And they want to buy her a daze "... something on which

You can play and (more rarely) to learn
programming. "In this case, they may belmesa not savvy with 
computers. So they choose - DENDY, where to insert the 
cartridge - and play, or SPECCY, where a table of English words 
have to seek some political TR-DOS (!), then something else to 
type. In principle, had already does not reach. Already heard 
unintelligible words, buyer takes DENDY and leaves happy, what 
else and save money. But yet appeared DENDY with PC - this 
keyboard (SYUBOR). And people are ... buy, certain that this 
computer. As would not be in the bay ... And now

imagine that our SUPER SPECTRUM there. The more difficult it is 
to use, What console? And nothing - put a disc,

Reset pressed - and play! Floppy disks - 10 times
cheaper cartridges, games - 2-5 times! Want to learn to program 
- no problem! Z80 is the best 8-bit processor! 


     All vyshekazannoe is only my
Personal views and not on your nelly not claim to ultimate 
truth. I will be glad to hear from other readers

on the issues raised, as well as competent opinion 
"zhelezyachnikov" possible and the desire to practical 
implementation of the above fantasies. 

     After all, if not us, then who?

     In Germany, a project of the "People's Car". Why would 
Russia do not receive the draft "National Computer"? 


     P. S.

     I apologize for some repetition
thoughts came at different times of day and night.


     P. P. S.

     It is rumored that some of the above is implemented in a 
computer Sprinter. I would like to get more

detailed information on the subject of
competent people.