Retrocomputing enthusiasts will be delighted to learn that a new ZX Spectrum replica is on the market: the ESP32 Rainbow. The single board computer swaps the Zilog Z80 for an ESP32-S3 microcontroller chip running an emulator, bringing the classic 80s computer back to life with a modern twist. It features a built-in color display, a microSD card slot for storage, a built-in touch keyboard in the ZX Spectrum style, and a USB Type-C port for power and data. The keyboard was recreated using full-color UV printing and is the most true-to-life component of the ESP32-S3-based ZX Spectrum single board computer. The touch keys won’t likely offer the best typing experience but that is reminiscent of the original ZX Spectrum. A lovely cherry on top is that the onboard USB-C port supports HID and the device can be used as a keyboard on another computer. The ZX Spectrum is one of [...]

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This month’s HackerBox introduces an opportunity to explore retro computing through the configuration of the PICOboot RP2040 Development Board to emulate the functionality of an original Macintosh 128K. The Pico Micro Mac Kit is inspired by the PicoMicroMac project, which implements a Macintosh 128K emulator using the PICOboot RP2040 development board, powered by dual-core Cortex […]