When it comes right down to it, there’s not much the ZX/TS computers can be criticized for. The commonest complaints about the machine are that, by its construction, it is quite prone to crashing (often at a very wrong time) as a result of physical movement. RAM packs are a prime candidate, or anything else on the rear edge-connector. Most people, after they’ve had their machine for a while, devise or purchase some method of making the peripheral port connection secure, But this still leaves another major source of “hardware crashes”-the power connection. The little mini-plug itself can be accidentally pulled, or a temporary power outage or the power supply getting knocked out can cause the same effect,
In The Custom T/S, we will investigate various simple modifications you can make to your machine which will make it virtually crashproof. Both of my machines are on all the time and simply don’t crash for hardware reasons. Even if you’re storing important routines in PROM or non-volatile RAM, you still need to secure power delivery for the CPU and volatile RAM.
Another common complaint is overheating (and improper operation) in warm weather. Common syndromes are dead keyboard sections, display tearing or other irregularities or (in severe cases) “clear-screenitis.”. Almost all cases are cured by a simple mod which won’t put any holes in the case, etc.
These and other “problem-solvers” are covered in future issues, Here is an example of a more advanced but still quite simple project – putting a joystick connection to your computer. With this scheme, you can select which keys will be activated simply by how you connect it. I hope this will give you an idea of the possibilities you can get into if you’re willing to experiment. You have the ideal computer to customize exactly to your requirements and tastes. The Custom T/S will show you some options.