TEST: KEYBOARD PROFACE
Distributor: SINTECH, Price: up to 120 DM depending on the version.
Since I am a fanatical Spectrum modifier (just a few days ago I moved it into another case yet again, thereby increasing reliability!), I couldn't resist ordering the Proface almost immediately after hearing about it for the first time. And I did well, because in the meantime the first batch that Thomas received has already sold out.
This small, unassuming box with a pass-through bus and a 5-pin DIN connector on top is truly an ingenious piece of technology. The standard keyboard is disabled when the interface is plugged in — which is very convenient if you want to place the new keyboard right on top of the computer, though not so much if you have built-in Sinclair joystick ports (my Spectrum has three joystick connectors: Sinclair 1 and 2, switchable between vertical and horizontal, as well as a Kempston port).
With the Proface, you can connect an off-the-shelf AT or XT keyboard (depending on which version you ordered) to the Spectrum, and these can be bought in stores starting from 15 DM. A Win95 keyboard also works, but the extra keys have no function. I tested the interface with a Win95 keyboard and a completely standard infrared keyboard; both worked brilliantly and without issues, except for one small problem: if no key was pressed for five seconds, all LEDs on the keyboard lit up, and for one second no keystrokes were registered, which can be quite annoying, especially during games. Unfortunately, I didn't know whether this happened only with my interface or if all of them are affected. Nevertheless, this is ideal, especially for programmers, as they finally get a proper keyboard.
(Additional note: This is probably due to my Spectrum, because at the meeting at Thomas's place, the keyboard wasn't blocked at all; only keys like FORMAT didn't work properly when the LEDs lit up).
Proface is inherently designed for English keyboards, but I don't want to complain about the German DIN layout here, because with Peter Rennefeld's keyboard stickers, you won't care where Z and Y were before. I saved that sticker sheet for the IR keyboard, and for the Win95 keyboard, as much as I hate doing it, I made my own adhesive decals using Micrografx Designer (a sort of CorelDRAW equivalent) and my printer.
While on the topic of printing keys, I must also mention some special keys, because the Proface is not only smart enough to emulate simple key combinations like Extended Mode, Graphics Mode, Caps Lock, Delete, and similar ones we know from DIY keyboards, but also several other commands that will especially benefit disk drive owners. Proface is compatible with at least +D and Disciple; commands are selected via function keys: F5=CAT, F6=MOVE, F7=ERASE, and F8=FORMAT. And these are just a few examples; there are even more complex command sequences that are made easier, some completely unnecessary like square brackets or the pound sign.
Perhaps someone needs these special characters; in any case, I don't, and as expected, some of these keys do not work in Tasword II — but then again, who wants to enter the keyword FORMAT in a word processor anyway?
After a short test, I came to the following conclusion: even if the interface had cost considerably more, it would be 100% worth its money — although that doesn't mean Thomas should raise the price to 150 DM! Something should also be said about the internal version: it is smaller than the external one and is soldered to the Spectrum's PCB via a ribbon cable, which is a dangerous task for an inexperienced electronics tinkerer. You get a schematic diagram and must know your way around it to understand where each lead goes. If anyone has trouble with this, here's a tip: the red wire is always designated as 1! The same applies to the separate power supply wires.
For inexperienced hobbyists, it is better to spend a little more money on the external version.
My verdict: A must-buy. For users of the rubber-key Spectrum, this interface is practically mandatory if they want to do any serious work on the machine.
— L.C.D
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