The ZX81 Keyboard We've all Been Waiting For?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- ZX81 Memotech Keyboard
👉 Support The Channel 👈
❤️ Patreon: / to_retro
💸 Tip Jar: paypal.me/temp...
👕 Merch: shop.spreadshi...
👉 Discord: / discord
🧰 Gear I Use: kit.co/Tempora...
🛒 Amazon Link: www.amazon.com...
Where possible, all links are affiliate links, this youtube thing is an expensive endeavor and every little bit helps.
Mailbag:
TemporarilyOffline
P.O. Box 101
Luck, WI 54853
These keyboards are pretty rare nowadays! Memotech made some great stuff for the ZX81. I've just recently acquired a Fuller keyboard for the ZX81 which fits the motherboard, power supply, and RAM expansion inside inside it. Not as well made as this Memotech keyboard but a better idea I think to have everything in one unit.
I'd prefer to have something all in the same case. Have you seen: www.zx81keyboardadventure.com
I got a Suntronics KD-81 keyboard for my TS1000 in 1983. It made a huge difference when programming. One of the things I realized quickly, however, is that the TS1000's keyboard routines were too slow for fast typing when the computer is in SLOW mode. With the membrane keyboard, you never noticed it. With a real keyboard, you can easily out-type BASIC's keyscan routine because there's no buffering. The solution was to switch to FAST mode when keying in code. Yes, the flashing is annoying, but at least it keeps up with your typing.
Interestingly, when I bought Memotech's Memotext word processor about a year later, I found that it worked really well with my Suntronics keyboard. The keyscan routines in the Memotext were quite fast and didn't require FAST mode. This made my TS1000 a halfway decent word processor in the early 80's. Combined with Memotech's Centronics Interface and a Gorilla Banana printer, it was actually useful enough for writing school papers and other things. Ah memories!
I had to look up Gorilla Banana! What a weird thing to name a "business" product. Thanks for sharing, I never got fast enough at typing in the symbol/keys to notice.
Most development probably shouldn't really be done directly on the system tbh
Yes, that's certainly true today. But back in 1983, we didn't have the luxury of a PC running so fast it could effortlessly emulate a TS1000! I was just happy for an easier way to type code and actually have a stab at useful word processing (using the MemoText ROM-based word processor)@@TheTurnipKing
You're really lucky to have got a Memotech keyboard. It's probably quite valuable. They're actually very hard to find today. I'd love one myself…!
As for Memotech… what a FANTASTIC company. They were certainly the best ZX81 peripheral maker. All their ZX81 add-ons were really top notch quality… and then they went on to make the absolute best quality failed computer of the 1980s in the Memotech MTX series. If you don't know about the MTX machines, look into them… they were absolutely beautiful machines. Again, like the ZX81 peripherals, they were made in timeless aluminium cases of a really high quality, which look as good today as when they were made. The machines themselves were pretty powerful and well-specced and should have been a huge success. Unfortunately the whole operation came crashing down after the Russians decided to buy a whole load of them to go into their schools, but then reneged on the deal at a late stage, causing Memotech to go bankrupt. Something like that, anyway… I'm sure there was a lot more to it, but it's a very regrettable story because the MTX machines were actually really good - or at least had loads of potential. They had a good version of BASIC with a built-in inline assembler (like BBC BASIC had), plus a logo-like language called Noddy, and they could by upgraded with a sophisticated disk unit and 80-column graphics card, and could run CP/M. Decent graphics and sound out of the box, and built like tanks with those beautiful aluminium cases (as noted) and good quality keyboards. It's a real shame that they never had chance to thrive.
It is a pretty neat keyboard - the PCB was a little on the flimsy side, but I could see they were going places!
BBC BASIC is stil pretty good (BASIC V is part of RISCOS). Looking back at the languages from around the time, of the BBC it looked a lot like COMAL (there were implementations on BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, ZX Spectrum, C64, and Grundy NewBrain, as well as CP/M from that era) but has some Pascal like features. (I have the feeling Sophie Wilson was a fan of Niklaus Wirth's work)
The MTX512 is the computer used by Garry and Wyatt in "Weird Science", the movie to create Lisa.
The MTX was so pretty! If they didn't cost a fortune, I'd get one just to mount it somewhere. Not all that different from the Spectravision and MSX mschines, IIRC.
@@rog2224 The original OS for the Archimedes was going to be written in Modula, so there might be something to that.
I built a keyboard for my old ZX-81 from a Bud case using a TI-99/4A keyboard I bought from the local Radio Shack (remember them?). Sprayed all the keycaps with black epoxy, then copied a photo of the original membrane keyboard onto some vellum, cut out the legends and glued them to the keys, finishing it all off with a spray of flat clear acrylic. Man, those were the days.
Exactly, that's what makes the retro stuff so much fun. You are closer to the experience and it's easier to become a part of it. Less is more in some cases.
Used a TI-99/4A keyboard myself, but I (badly) made my case in shop class and hardwired in the 16k RAM pack. Used a keyboard legend from a magazine ad (for an aftermarket keyboard) and used clear nail polish to put them on the key caps. Still have the whole Frankensteinian thing.
@@PervertedThang Man, the days when you could "easily" make something yourself that worked!
I had one of those, but it was black. Fantastic keyboard, built like a tank. I also had the memotech RAM expansion that fit the keyboard interface very nicely. Actually I think they're still in storage.
Lots of great memories!
In the early 1980s when computers were sold in every other shop, me and my Dad trailed through the town looking for one of these, we never found one. Looks real nice, wish we had found one.
Its a good looking unit, but why blue when the ZX81 was black?
@@TemporarilyOfflineRetroTech probably because it was perhaps designed for the ZX80 which is blue and white?
Pretty sure it must work with the '80.
I don't see why it wouldn't work with the ZX80, but I never had one. I think the ZX80 might be even more "art" with its assembly and reduced materials list.
@@TemporarilyOfflineRetroTech It was the ZX81 I had, made just 30 minutes up the road from me in the Timex factory in Dundee.
The ZX80 is a design classic though, it still looks futuristic even today!
I think "Ingenuity" is the word you are looking for when it comes to the ZX81. Thanks for calling it the "Zed X 81" and thanks for the upload.....you have earned my sub.
Much appreciated. I really admire the ZX81, It made a lot of sense in its day and its original design purpose and to me, that's "art".
My partner bought me the iFixit driver set for my birthday and it has everything you ever you ever want in it,
It's a great kit. I did a review on my other channel: ua-cam.com/video/z17NEH3TzBY/v-deo.html
Now I've never seen one of those before. When you showed it I thought what a great idea, you take the main board from the ZX81 and put it into the keyboard then you have a cool looking unit in a metal case... but no. I really enjoyed that, thanks ;)
There is a model that replaces the main case, makes so much more sense too.
I had a ZX81 as a kid. I bought lots of crap for it from ads in magazines. Best purchase was a Memotech keyboard. I"m not sure why some were blue and some were black. I know mine was black. I want to say it had white keys, just like the picture on the box it came in. However, most online images show black keys.
These are full of great memories!
Had one and the matching RAM pack. Still benefited from bluetack auxillary support
A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!
Tractor supply has a nice Precision set
Awesome, thanks!
Memotech did some excellent kit. They seemed to use extruded aluminium like everone else used injection plastic. The did the best memory expansion for the beast, that didn't suffer wobble (althoug the 128kb one did pull the power consumption toward the upper limit of the regulator circuit, but upgrading the heatsink restabilised the unit.
Memotech sounds like they loved the ZX lime and knew how to fill in the gaps for sinclair.
I so wanted one of these keyboards back in the day...
It made a big difference. I had to setup an ebay autostart for it.
Ifixit
That's all you need to know
Covers every screw\bolt for ever day need and every games console.
I have come to know the power of the darkside: ua-cam.com/video/z17NEH3TzBY/v-deo.html
Drop in on your local Advance Auto Parts. They have a bit set in a blow-molded case for about ten bucks that includes hex, torx, secure torx, phillips, posidrive, flat, square, and some special bits.
I wound up getting an ifixit kit, lots of bits in a small package.
6:30 maybe that could hold the ZX81 circuit board (as you implied at the start would have been a better design choice?)
It could be. It is most likely a product of its era of making expensive cutting edge stuff cheaply enough to get it into the hands of the consumer.
Memotech! There's a name I haven't seen in 40 years. Memotech keyboard, Panda RAMpack, Kempston joystick, every kid's dream in 1981/2
This thing was a lot of fun. They don't make stuff this sexy anymore!
That's an odd thing I guess to connect to a computer like that. It leaves it cuteness behind and make it more rough-looking
It would nice if there was room in the case for the whole computer... it does seem like the keyboard would cost more than the computer did.
@Temporarily Offline Retro Tech This is something right up my alley! I'm on a crusade to replicate/clone 70's and 80's keyboards so that more of us can enjoy them, albeit with a more modern feel. That modern spin would be to use the ubiquitous Cherry MX switches and/or clone switches because of their availability. Since it has been a bit over a month from the release of this video, did you sell this keyboard?
I did sell this one, but it was not at all complex and the PCB was very low quality. The keys were great, but the lack of support behind them ruined it. I think it would be great to put CherryMXs into a case that had the look and feel of the ZX81/ZX80 and had room for the motherboard inside - so that other than being a little larger it looked the same and was recognizable... this thing was a bit awkward to use with the cartridge port add on and ribbon cable... the keyboard was larger and more substantial than the ZX81!
Oh my, this would have been an absolute game-changer back in that day.. I wish I had one. :(
I bet it cost as much as the ZX81¡
@@TemporarilyOfflineRetroTech Yeah but the spare kidney market paid better back then, I would have been fine.. :p
A (possibly later) revision of this keyboard shipped with a Styrofoam block to support the circuit board.
Maybe mine was just missing that part.
will you be covering the other keyboard options? Byteback? E-Z? Push button?
If I could get my hands on one, sure.
Just get a ifixit kit they have everything you need
Oddly one just showed up! Love their stuff for replacing macbook batteries - an overly complex process!
has anyone made a schematic of one of these? Might be cool to make a modern re-make to make it more generally available.
I haven't seen one, but I don't think its at all that complex.
I had one of these keyboards,
Excellent!
Had a black one a while back and found it quite underwhelming. The case and design are nice, but the actual keys are very low quality, which of course is a major improvement over the chiclet keyboard, but definitely nothing I'd consider good or even mediocre.
Sounds about right. Personally I would have wanted to see the ZX-81 fit inside the case and some sturdier construction.
@@TemporarilyOfflineRetroTech That's funny, because attempting to fit a ZX81 inside the keyboard case was one of the things I had planned as well and considered it possible, yet never realized it before parting ways with the keyboard.
I wanted one of these so badly in the day, but could only afford a rather disappointing Maplin version which I had to solder directly to the keyboard connector inside the case. I wonder if the interface on this unit actually does some buffering? Has anyone got a circuit diagram? The problem is that no matter how good the keyboard connected to the ZX81 is, the ZX81 can’t poll fast enough to make it much quicker to type!
I never thought about the ZX81 being too slow to run a better keyboard. That's a good point. Thanks for watching!
It claims to buffer, at least 3:03. That seems to be what the logic in the interface unit is for.
@@TheTurnipKing 🤔
ZX81 n00b here: where’s the spacebar?!
There isn't a "bar" as we know it today. They were too expensive. You can see the space key in the lower right of the keyboard, its the very last key on the bottom row on the right.
@@TemporarilyOfflineRetroTech The Spectrum didn't even get one until the second, Plus keyboard. it's very weird to have to go to the bottom right for space at first.
Totally Agree! @@TheTurnipKing
Pretty sure I had a memotech keyboard for my 48k Spectrum.
Very cool. I need to get a spectrum to play with.
@@TemporarilyOfflineRetroTech I probably got the brand wrong . I remember that the case was metal and it made the Speccy feel like a real computer. I have a Rotronics Wafadrive in my storage unit too.
The carboard hack shows that there are often easier solutions than a 3D printer.
Especially if you don't have a 3D printer ;-)
Shats black box with grill for with rc wire coming out of it in front of your monitor?
I answered this, but it looks like youtube deleted it: That is a dummy load for testing ham radio gear. I use it on my ham radio channel ua-cam.com/users/temporarilyoffline
@@TemporarilyOfflineRetroTech
Why do you think they delete it for?
I have no idea! If I did, I could quit my job!
I have one of these but it didn't seem to work -- I thought it might need some kind of driver or command, but by your video it looks like it should just work. Maybe the keys are dirty?
Yes, the edge connector is a straight processor bus connection. I sprayed some electronics cleaner on some of the keys and exercised them back into life. Could also be something electrical or a failed 74 series logic chip. I'd start with the easy stuff first. Also, the PCB is very... um... cheap... so there might be a bad trace. If you can get "PRINT" to work, then you can test each key after that and see if some of them or all of them are bad - its a matrix, so its possible that a portion of the matrix is bad and the rest isn't. Good Luck!
What an amazingly expensive construction method (custom extrusions, all those filler and end plates) for such a niche product meant to be used with a low price point computer.
It was an interesting find. At least I classed it up with my repair job!
That’s what I thought too. They spared no expense for a computer designed by a man who spent no expense. Quite the anachronism.
That is a great way of putting it! I love how quirky this computer is and still managed to be fairly useable.
Ham radio _and_ retro electronics? Are you me?
I could be, further research is required. Check out my ham radio channel here: ua-cam.com/users/temporarilyoffline
Im surprised it took this long for someone to make a decent keyboard for an 81...
Right!
Still for sale? or where can i get a ZX81 Memotech Keyboard?
I got mine on ebay, check here: ebay.us/WUOzYQ and set a saved search. They are pretty rare.
WTAF is a "ZEDX81"? Can people not read English? There is NO "ED" in the name of this minicomputer.
This is a British designed computer and the original creator called his product ZEDX81. I can respect that.