@amoroso One more, even though TheSpectrum is probably best option for your friend: Sizif-512

@amoroso Look at The Spectrum, a recreation of the rubbed key ZX Spectrum that emulates 48K and 128K models.

It has 48 pre-loaded games, can use an external USB pendrive to load more games, USB joysticks and USB keyboards.

https://retrogames.biz/products/thespectrum/

#zxspectrum #spectrum #sinclair #retrocomputing

@amoroso The Xberry PI seems a fairly decent clone of Speccy Next, from my playing with it.

And the ZX Max 128K should be a decent clone that can fit in original cases.

@amoroso Have you looked at the Harlequin from Byte Delight? Is that the kind of thing you mean (needs a case mind...)

@amoroso I very much like my SpecNext, it's maybe overpriced but it's *perfect*. Kick-ass design, keyboard's just the usable side of weird, not like the ZX8[01] or OG Spectrum. I mostly run it as a Spectrum, play old games, code in it that way, occasionally boot some SpecNext software.

#specnext #zxspectrum #retrocomputing

@amoroso I know you said no software emulators, but ... are you aware of ZXBareEmulator which, as the name suggests, is an emulator that runs directly on a Raspberry Pi. No other operating system required. https://zxmini.speccy.org/en/index.html

This means that it boots instantly into the Spectrum, and if you use a physically small Pi such as a Zero it will easily fit inside an empty Spectrum case in which case it can be set up to connect the Speccy keyboard to the GPIO pins, and of course as it's a Pi it has HDMI output.

I have this (actually on a Pi 3A rather than a Zero) sitting inside a small portable case with a tiny 480x640 screen as a Spectrum "laptop".

@amoroso probably, easier to port BASIC to Linux and run it in full screen :)