martinot

Just pre ordered one - looking forward to it!

Just a small clarification: When David mentions a Kickstarter he's using the word in the generic sense, meaning "crowdfunding". We're not yet decided what the home will be for the campaign. It may well be done within this website. Kickstarter is great for unknowns but The 8-Bit Guy brand carries some value and trust already that may make that unnecessary and help keep the end user price lower without Kickstarter's fees. More info when we have it! I have backed many Kickstarter projects, but that said I really fail too see any services or advantages that Kickstarter brings to the table, except being a website/e-commerce-platform. They never guarantee anything anyway (in difference to Amazon and eBay, which gives you refund and protection as a buyer). So for me personally I do not get any value from being on Kickstarter compared to any other webpage/ecommerce solution. If you kan provide your own solution for handling credit cards and backing orders, I say do it your self (and keep the KS service fees you save to the projects funding and gain).

Yes, I finally decided to also back it (only 8 hours left now if anyone has intended to do that as well). Much for the exact same reasons you listed. I was an Apple II user and fan in the days (owned a ZX81 for less than a year to just learn BASIC programming, but never the Spectrum). But just like you I really love projects like the Next and X16. So fantastic of all the people helping with the creation of those, and all the time and heart they put into the projects. I also love the fact that this i a great design from the creator of the original Spectrum computer, Rick Dickinson. It was in fact his last design project before he sadly passed away way too early in life (after a bad time battling with cancer). A fine tribute to a great designer and person.

Love the idea of making it possible to run CP/M on the X16! Used to have a Microsoft Z80 SoftCard for my Apple computer to be able to run CP/M and software not native to 6502/DOS3x/ProDOS. Classic:

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I mostly have boards with Browns, but the Clear ones are really great (like browns, but a little crisper/harder). Good choice!

Perfect, as it makes a lot of sense for cost reasons. Looking very much forward to it!

Yes, I can understand that. It is just that anything Commodore (or Atari) is so (for me) tightly linked to that type of connector and style of joystick! But I can see why you would like to have something better. In fact I did that even back in the days; As the Apple II+ (and not the Commodore/Spectrum/Atari) computers where my own machine growing up, I actually prefer/preferred the analogue joystick input those provided (way better than digital only directions).

Yes, saw you in the vid! It is a great project, so wanted to let everyone know (a lot missed first round). But I have personally not decided to back it yet. It is quite expensive I think. But I do love the design. Will think about it for 2-3 more days (up until the KS closes).

I find it very strange for the X16, as a (spiritual) model in the Commodore history line of computers, to not have DE-9 ports build in. A real missed opportunity IMHO.

It would not be possible, I think. You could make more use of the FPGA, and make the X16 cheaper by having less discrete components and move more logic to the FPGA (including the CPU). This is how other projects like the C256 Foenix, the Spectrum Next (I posted a link to the ongoing Kickstarter 2 in another part of this forum) and the Mega 65 works. No problem for X16 to take that path in the future (if it so wishes). Would probably lower the cost of producing the unit. That said, even if I am a great fan of the MiSTer project (will buy and build one myself in time), it could not replace either of those FPGA projects above (Foenix, Next, M65), or the X16 project. The DE10-nano dev kit have too limited I/O to support those projects. The expansion slots in the X16 for example would not be possible. And I think the expansion slots in the X16 is a neat idea and great feature (that was what made the Apple II and the IBM PC so successful in being relevant and gradually upgraded over time). Short answer; From a software stand point it is perhaps possible to build FPGA cores of those machines (with more or less difficulty, depending on different memory architectures), for the MiSTer/DE10-nano. From a hardware and IO stand point it is not possible in the same way to replace those projects, including the X16, with a MiSTer. So be happy that we have the X16 project!

Not replacing the X16 project, but a really great similar project, Spectrum Next, has a new round on KS: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/spectrumnext/zx-spectrum-next-issue-2 Open for only 19 more days, so do not miss it if you would like to get one. I think it is a little bit on the too expensive side, £300 (= $350), but a very well composed machine in much of the same spirit as the ideas behind the X16. For more info: https://www.specnext.com/