Spectrum Easter eggs
This page deals specifically with Spectrum hardware.
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Microdrive cartridgesThe Business cartridge has some unused sectors that contain the name Males (Kevin Males wrote the duplication software), the date 5/84, and the filename ABLEX-code. The Games cartridge has some unused sectors that contain the string Andrew Pennell 1984 (shown here in the Max Desktop sector editor): he also worked on the duplication software and the introductory tape. |
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One of the error messages in the Opus Discovery ROM is Don't be a wally. This is supposed to occur if a check for available channels cannot find any channel that is not already in use for a BASIC OPEN # stream (after 15 attempts), but I'm not sure whether this can ever really happen.
The programmers' initials can be found at the end of the 128K ROM: MB SB AC RG KM (for Martin Brennan, Steve Berry, Andrew Cummins, Rupert Goodwins, and Kevin Males). The earlier Spanish 128K ROM also contains programmers' initials, near the beginning: MB KM AT (the third person's identity is unknown).
In +3 BASIC, type COPY RANDOMIZE. Press Enter and then immediately press the keys CJL together. You will see the message HELLO THERE I'M A +3 in large text with pulsing colours. (This even works on a +2a.) |
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From the test screen (reset the computer with Break held down), press keys AEU together and play a tape. You will see a "sound to light" effect as the audio input is converted to coloured patterns. This routine was written by Rupert Goodwins and previously published in Personal Computer News. |
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From the test screen, press keys QAZPLM together for the test program. This includes tests for colour, memory, sound, and the keyboard, and it is credited to RG/CL/VO: Rupert Goodwins, Cliff Lawson, and Vik Olliver.
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From the test screen, press keys B and V together to return to the opening menu.
There are two error messages that are never displayed: You should never see this and Hello there!. On a +2a, you can produce these with POKE 23610,80 and POKE 23610,81.
The temporary file used by the COPY command is called M:VAXNSUZ.$$$. Vax and Suz were Vik Olliver (one of the programmers) and his wife.
© Copyright 1996-2019 Paul Equinox Collins. |