AUK Studios / AUK Global Digital Distribution

Yay another new old #retrogaming #retrocomputer #programming #book for you!

Over the Spectrum

Over the Spectrum was first published in 1982 and at the time was considered one of the best introductions to programming on Sir Clive Sinclair's incredible new home computer. Many who went on to have long careers in the computer industry started with the programs in this excellent book. As such it is not only a great re-print for purposes of nostalgia, but also a practical and helpful guide to anyone interested in the programming of retro games.

As Personal Computer World stated at the time:

* * *

"Final entrant in the Spectrum stakes is Melbourne House's OVER THE SPECTRUM, and for me it runs out the clear winner.

Not a teach-yourself-programming guide, it is a collection of programs: each program has a detailed breakdown of exactly what happens when and how it's all achieved.

The listings are not trivial, and the result is well worth the effort. The book is liberally illustrated showing screen displays for almost all the programs so you know what you are trying to achieve at the outset.

As a demonstration of what can be achieved using the Spectrum's User Defined Characters this book cannot be faulted, and although it contains no programming hints as such, a diligent reader is going to learn a lot about the Spectrum by working his or her way through it.

Take a bow gents, and give us more."

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Over-Spectrum-27-Philip-Williams/dp/1789829852/

New old book! Understanding Your ZX81 ROM

Launched in 1981, Sir Clive Sinclair's ZX81 - successor to his ZX80 released the year before - was designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public. It was a hugely successful machine, with over one and a half million 'official' units being sold; many more unauthorised 'clones' were also produced, particularly in Russia and other Eastern Bloc countries of the era. One could either purchase the machine pre-built, or - as a significant number of consumers did - buy it in kit form for assembly at home at a slightly cheaper price. This 'DIY' approach, encouraged by Sinclair Research, became a core element of the computer's genetic make-up. Those who were comfortable putting together the four silicon chips and other such components were just as keen to poke around the machine's memory, learning as much as they could about its capability; the programs they would write could easily be shared once saved onto a standard audio cassette.

This book helps the reader truly understand how the ZX81 works, with sections covering everything from the structure of the Z80 microprocessor used in the machine to the computer's registers, ALU and more.

With an introduction to both binary and hex, Understanding Your ZX81 ROM helped many people get the most out of their machine in the very earliest days of home computing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Your-ZX81-Retro-Reproductions/dp/1789829879/

Bag a bear game today!!

#retrogaming #books I hear you shout and clamour for!!

On the way!! #graphicnovel

If only we had access to some retro games! 😉