It's 2026. We are nearing the end of a long, hot summer. And here I am, writing this blog post on a Speccy 128 (hardware) clone thanks to some esxDOS trickery and a handy file browsing and manipulation utility by shrek128, namely Bow Commander.
Why not write this on the Blogger interface? One may ponder. To answer that rhetorical question I will put it this way: whilst I tolerate modern days computering and technologies, I love messing around with 8-bit machines, especially from the main two brands from the 1980s - Sinclair and Commodore.
Working with nearly ancient home computers gets you back to the absolute necessities. No AI getting in the way, and in this instance not even a spelling and grammar check! But this way of writing provides something that modern applications with swish user interfaces does not: a blank canvass that's good enough, allowing a different and freer creative process. Every key press is its own unique experience and in this case, using the rubber keys of a Spectrum, its own battle.
Fighting the technical limitations of an Eon ago is somehow more rewarding. No wonder machines like the Sinclair ZX Spectrum remain relevant today, with many regular releases of all types of software, although mostly entertainment stuff.
Who'd have guessed that in 1990 or 1991 that someone would still be using 8-bit home computers so readily some three decades later? One has to wonder what this says about the modern tech? Or, perhaps a more pertinent observation is that it is all part of the human condition, wanting to go back to simpler times or being afraid of change?
For me, it has always been about what is useful. Here is the prime example. To write, I just need a simple text editor. That is all. But for you to read these words, I am then reliant on modern days technology, though I'm not adverse to publishing my ramblings on cassette tape for the old Speccy if anyone is interested?
As I mentioned above, for me, "best" is often beaten by good enough. The text editor in Bow Commander is good enough. The Omni 128HQ is good enough. And the Spectrum 48 is good enough. You only need more, or better, if you believe that you do.
