Thanks for the nice comments - I always appreciate good feedback.
As for the QL games - no new releases in the pipeline unfortunately, although we are slowly working our way through preserving some more of the old titles to make them available again (but only to people to have an original!).
The only thing Rich could do to improve things would be to manufacture new Microdrive carts....jump too it! :lol:
I wish.... - unfortunately Ablex (Ablex (Telford) Limited) went out of business in 2001 - it would cost too much now to get new injection moulding machines made up for a few microdrive cartridges
I have even been in touch with a company (Sound Performance) - www.soundperformance.co.uk who took over the Ablex business - unfortunately they don't have any information / drawings or the tools for the cartridges.
I wish.... - unfortunately Ablex (Ablex (Telford) Limited) went out of business in 2001 - it would cost too much now to get new injection moulding machines made up for a few microdrive cartridges
What about "responging" and "retaping" existing cart cases?
Sounds like it's time to upgrade to a DivIDE+ or a +D for all you Microdrive users.
Already have one.....still like to use the original hardware though.
Same the the QL though..I have a disk drive but would much prefer if I had good Microdrive carts to use/backup originals etc....I've got a LOT of original carts that are now dead because the sponge dropped off and my attempts at repair have failed.
I've tried to use cassette tape sponge but I think it is too 'hard'....anyone have any luck with another type of sponge?
Felt seems about the best thing to use rather than sponge - the main issue with the sponge is that it tends to break now and minute amounts get inside the mechanism and jam the cartridge.
Felt seems about the best thing to use rather than sponge - the main issue with the sponge is that it tends to break now and minute amounts get inside the mechanism and jam the cartridge.
Ah maybe (on the particles)...I'll try felt never thought about that..thx.
I'm loving the piccies of the new faceplates on the website... but that 'Before' pic... sheesh.. don't know who owned that originally but boy must they have had sweaty hands!
I wish.... - unfortunately Ablex (Ablex (Telford) Limited) went out of business in 2001
They did well to last till then making microdrive carts!
Its a big pity though. I'm a big microdrive fan and have often thought it would be great to have a microdrive unit that looked identical on the outside but took modified carts with a ram chip inside. The unit would have to make the same noise though and take as long to access as a proper unit.
Already have one.....still like to use the original hardware though.
Same the the QL though..I have a disk drive but would much prefer if I had good Microdrive carts to use/backup originals etc....I've got a LOT of original carts that are now dead because the sponge dropped off and my attempts at repair have failed.
I've tried to use cassette tape sponge but I think it is too 'hard'....anyone have any luck with another type of sponge?
I can understand that, especially if you have lots of cartridges.
I can understand that, especially if you have lots of cartridges.
Is there a DivIDE type device for the QL?
Not that I am aware of...a very forgotten computer...even more so here in the US I think...r@rer than ZX80s on Ebay USA.
The problem with the QL is a lot of the original software was on M/D. ..so bascially all my original carts that I didn't get to back up to disk are 'lost' unless I can somehow repair them. Must be quite a bit of QL software lost forever because of the dead/dying carts.
Not that I am aware of...a very forgotten computer...even more so here in the US I think...r@rer than ZX80s on Ebay USA.
The problem with the QL is a lot of the original software was on M/D. ..so bascially all my original carts that I didn't get to back up to disk are 'lost' unless I can somehow repair them. Must be quite a bit of QL software lost forever because of the dead/dying carts.
There is no DivIDE Plus device for the QL (as such) - although adding disk drives is easy and fairly cost effective, as is adding the HxC Floppy Disk Drive emulator (which allows you to use disk images on an SD card as though they were floppy disks - still not instant loading).
Over the years, there have been several hard disk interfaces for the QL (including the best known one QubIDE) and even a flash device which works through the QL's read-only ROM port! (RomDisq) although sadly, neither of these units are made any longer.
As for the original software - yes, a lot was produced on microdrive (although much of it was moved to floppy disk later in its life) and I am running a preservation project to save much of the software converting it to work with disks/emulators where I can - see both the QL Wiki (www.rwapadventures.com/ql_wiki) and the page on my own site (www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/updates.html).
Comments
Crawler:-P
Hummmph.....
now if you bought a "scrabble" off me.. you would have typed from instead
(worth a try)..
it was nice to meet rich and winston at vcf.. alas there was a big lack of scrabbles / make a chip on display :)
As for the QL games - no new releases in the pipeline unfortunately, although we are slowly working our way through preserving some more of the old titles to make them available again (but only to people to have an original!).
www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
www.sellmyretro.com
I wish.... - unfortunately Ablex (Ablex (Telford) Limited) went out of business in 2001 - it would cost too much now to get new injection moulding machines made up for a few microdrive cartridges
I have even been in touch with a company (Sound Performance) - www.soundperformance.co.uk who took over the Ablex business - unfortunately they don't have any information / drawings or the tools for the cartridges.
www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
www.sellmyretro.com
What about "responging" and "retaping" existing cart cases?
Already have one.....still like to use the original hardware though.
Same the the QL though..I have a disk drive but would much prefer if I had good Microdrive carts to use/backup originals etc....I've got a LOT of original carts that are now dead because the sponge dropped off and my attempts at repair have failed.
I've tried to use cassette tape sponge but I think it is too 'hard'....anyone have any luck with another type of sponge?
www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
www.sellmyretro.com
Ah maybe (on the particles)...I'll try felt never thought about that..thx.
They did well to last till then making microdrive carts!
Its a big pity though. I'm a big microdrive fan and have often thought it would be great to have a microdrive unit that looked identical on the outside but took modified carts with a ram chip inside. The unit would have to make the same noise though and take as long to access as a proper unit.
Somehow I doubt it will happen!
I can understand that, especially if you have lots of cartridges.
Is there a DivIDE type device for the QL?
Not that I am aware of...a very forgotten computer...even more so here in the US I think...r@rer than ZX80s on Ebay USA.
The problem with the QL is a lot of the original software was on M/D. ..so bascially all my original carts that I didn't get to back up to disk are 'lost' unless I can somehow repair them. Must be quite a bit of QL software lost forever because of the dead/dying carts.
There is no DivIDE Plus device for the QL (as such) - although adding disk drives is easy and fairly cost effective, as is adding the HxC Floppy Disk Drive emulator (which allows you to use disk images on an SD card as though they were floppy disks - still not instant loading).
Over the years, there have been several hard disk interfaces for the QL (including the best known one QubIDE) and even a flash device which works through the QL's read-only ROM port! (RomDisq) although sadly, neither of these units are made any longer.
As for the original software - yes, a lot was produced on microdrive (although much of it was moved to floppy disk later in its life) and I am running a preservation project to save much of the software converting it to work with disks/emulators where I can - see both the QL Wiki (www.rwapadventures.com/ql_wiki) and the page on my own site (www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/updates.html).
www.rwapsoftware.co.uk
www.sellmyretro.com