Still no console
Inconsolable then...
Flailing ZX Spectrum reboot firm Retro Computers Ltd has, once again, failed to meet yet another promised delivery deadline. In a series of updates published to its Indiegogo backers over the past couple of weeks, RCL promised to start shipping its Vega+ device between 8 and 12 May. So far nobody appears to have received …
When two ROMs bump into each other on a data bus, their seemingly-immutable values become intertwined. Has some all-seeing force chip selected them both for a reason? Find out this summer, as these two realise: random access isn't something that only happens to other memories!
"People like this should never be allowed to run companies."
The tragedy of human nature was once summed up in one line:
"Those who crave power are the least fit to wield it."
Look at the kind of rubbish in Westminster. Look at the bunch of imbecile children squabbling in the Cabinet. Remind yourself that people like IDS, and more recently Angela Leadsom—two of the thickest human beings ever to become an MP, and that is saying something—actually, seriously believed that they were qualified to run the country.
And yes, look at the putrid cretin infesting the White House: so stupid that it has no clue just how stupid it is.
Another appropriate quote:
"Talent can recgonise genius. Mediocrity recgonises nothing but itself."
Which is why boardrooms and cabinets are routinely soiled by political mouth-on-a-stick types, whose bad character veers between cowardice and hypocrisy and whose ambition so frequently and easily exceeds their ability.
The demand from backers is working units. The wording from IndieGogo is not so specific.
Roll of Honour is also a £10 perk so RCL can tell IndieGogo that they have started delivering perks.
I was working near the place that was pro ducting the PCB and SMT for the 50 prototype run, I was very tempted to dig around in their skip.
I get why this is annoying, and I assume that ElReg's constant exposure makes them squirm a little, but I'm always surprised to see this story reappear.
It's a small company and a fairly small fraud. In general terms, not desperately newsworthy.
I assume one of our beloved hacks bought a dozen of them... :)
"Donald Trump reckons $1 million is a small loan in fairness."
I suspect this is not the most substantial thing that most of us would disagree with Donald Trump about.
The Register is right to track the story regardless; it's primarily about the practicalities of crowdfunding — that those who responded to particularly-worded invitations so as to create a contract of sale aside, contributors more or less just have to trust that the recipients will actually do the thing they sought the money for. No transparency, little obvious recourse.
Indiegogo sending in receivers in order to protect their brand would be unprecedented. So that they're this close is newsworthy.
"It's a small company and a fairly small fraud. In general terms, not desperately newsworthy."
If it where a "normal" company, then yes. I mean, there might be some interest in the speccy side of things and all that, but normally this would be dealt with through the courts. You purchase goods, goods are not delivered, company repays you your money. or goes bankrupt.
Because it's crowdfunded, exactly how one goes about doing this is not clear.
That it's become one of the more widely known crowdfunded scams* has resulted in Indiegogo threatening to send in the bailiffs, which is pretty bloody extreme.
* there are plenty of crowdfunding fuckups, but a number of those are down to people being bad at business planning**. So good intentions, good product, but a problem in manufacturing means that you're making a net loss per sale.
** make detailed and accurate cost and sale predictions. Then triple your costs and halve your profit per item. If you plan still works, go for it.
"It's a small company and a fairly small fraud. In general terms, not desperately newsworthy."
If you'd just like to stand over here. Yes, that's right, just here.
Ok, so I have this sharpened blade, it's only about 1 1/2 inches, quite short, and I'm just going to gently stab you with it if that's ok? Don't worry, I'll only be pushing the blade in about 1/2 an inch or so.
It's a small blade and a fairly small stabbing. In general terms, not desperately criminal.
The other reason for the coverage is that elReg is a UK based IT site, and pretty much all UK based IT-types-of-a-certain-age (ie us oldies), have very fond memories of the Speccy.
So, as soon as they announced what they were doing there was a natural interest from a big chunk of the elReg readership, and now we just keep watching the drama roll on and on.
"pretty much all UK based IT-types-of-a-certain-age (ie us oldies), have very fond memories of the Speccy."
Indeed. Which is why it's tragic that this bunch of clowns are pissing all over those fond memories.
The Spectrum and its day are long, long gone. It is always a mistake to try to bring these things back. Just let it go.
Shouldn't that be: "Mines the coat that ought to have a pocket calculator in it, if the damned thing had turned up within the promised 28 days!"
I should add that back in the 1970s I did buy a pre-built Sinclair Cambridge Calculator - I think it lasted a couple of years before going "phut!" The replacement I bought, a Commodore SR-1800, does still work fine!
...and Ariston and on and on and on and Ariston and on and on and on and Ariston and on and on and on and Ariston and on and on and on and Ariston and on and on and on...
I was thinking more like Scotch video tape:
Re-record, not fade away, re-record, not fade away, re-record, not fade away, re-record, not fade away, re-record, not fade away, re-record, not fade away, re-record, not fade away, re-record, not fade away,...
There are blatantly no devices. The games list situation is a pre-planned indefinite stalling tactic. The final Vega+ "V2" as they've called it - the device they claimed was just hours away from being sent out - is not a thing. They seemed to have some semi-functioning prototypes at one stage but a finished article has clearly never been manufactured.
On the 29th of April, RCL tweeted "So the second batch of Vega+ units are selling fast. They are on pre-sale over here <link>".
I can't see how selling 15 units from a batch of 5000 is "fast". It's easy to find out how many they've sold - go to buy one, say you want 9000, and it comes back saying "We only have ---- in stock"
There's also a book you can buy a book called "The Making Of the Vega+" about how the Vega+ came to be. You may be able to find it in your local library at some point, but whether it's in the fiction or reference section is unknown...
So if you go to the shop you can try to add 5000 Vega+s to the cart and you're told there are only (currently) 4985 left.
So are these 5000-ish units for sale in the online shop the same 5000 units they're promising to their backers? They really shouldn't be, so that means there are another set of 5000 units just for the public, meaning they've made 10000 units in total.
It also seems they have 4974 Vega and Vega+ bundles but if you ask for just a Vega there are only 1974.
It's just a complete load of bollocks.
It should be possible to fit the entire ZX Spectrum into an inexpensive FPGA -- there just isn't enough logic in a design that old to justify bothering with a full design. (Come to think of it, you could probably emulate the entire thing using a Raspberry Pi Zero, the only issues would be finding a suitably naff chiclet keyboard and a yogurt carton case to complete the illusion.) So the problem isn't technical, its the people involved thinking they've got hold of some ultimately hot IP that's going to set them up financially for life.
This is being done in a completely unrelated project - The ZX Spectrum Next https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1835143999/zx-spectrum-next which, despite some delays with the case, has already sent out the completed bare boards batch, and the team, which *isn't* a company with shareholders and directors bleeding it dry, is pretty good at engaging with the backers and keeping everyone informed of what's going on. Was also the last device designed by the late Rick Dickonson.
@martinusher; It wasn't *even* going to be an FPGA-based recreation anyway! (#) All that was ever intended was an emulator running on some arbitrary device- i.e. a long-solved problem. See here and here.
But- as you correctly note- this is all irrelevant as the problems are blatantly the result of managerial, legal and interpersonal issues within the company, not technical.
(#) If that's what you're after, the far more interesting-looking Spectrum Next- from a totally unrelated team/company- aims to do just that.
But it is surreal enough to be a dream. I'm reasonably sure that earlier this month RCL were attempting to raise more cash from punters outside of Indiegogo, via Facebook. I looked at the offer, sniggered and promptly forgot about it. However a week later I saw people stating that they would be pledging cash support against the promise of receiving discounted Vega+ consoles.
Indiegogo doesn't give a toss normally.
As long as they get there cut.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/wedg-the-personal-cloud-you-ve-been-waiting-for/x/1720386#/comments
This changed campaign owner to a made up person at a mailbox address with a different company.
No trace of any of them.
Indiegogo meh. Suckers. We got paid. Close all queries. No governance of change of campaign ownership - as long as a made up email, good to go.
Don't touch Indiegogo with a bargepole is my lesson.
https://twitter.com/wearewedg