Talk:Jupiter ACE

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Wasn't the Jupiter ACE identical in hardware to the ZX81, but for the ROM contents?

I think this was true of the board architecture, though not for the case and keyboard.
(btw. I still possess a Jupiter ACE, but it hasn't been used for over 20 years). DFH 18:51:30, 2005-09-08 (UTC)
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The architecture is the same, not the actual hardware. This means that it uses the same tecnology but not the same hardware. The ROM is completely different, as it uses FORTH instead of BASIC. Besides that it has only 1K for programming (instead the 3K User RAM of the ZX81) plus the Video System (1k for image and 1k for chars definitions) giving the misleading total of 3K. It could receive expansion RAM packs up to 48K. Adding the 1k internal this gives 49K of user RAM.
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However more evolved programs can be made in this 1K because the FORTH implementation occupies less space than BASIC (4xsmaller)... it is also faster than basic (10xfaster) making it a wonderful piece of hardware for embedded systems. The competition was fierce and money talked higher. Not having the projected 4K didn't help, but the window of opportunity was suddenly closed.
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I had implemented a Conway's LIFE program using the full screen as matrix and still had plenty space to spare. And it was fast: a screen would be updated in a second and a half. Soon changed the inner routine (and just that one as it was the bottleneck) to machine code and it become real-time so I had to create a delay between screens to enjoy the evolution.
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Lovely machine! The down part: it should had been made with the initial 4k programming space as standard (it was ready to them by design) OR it should have been a ZX-81 (cheapper) with just different ROMs. But the most disturbing non-economical flaw was the keyboard: Mine is destroyed due to loss of conductiveness - some Keys do not work anymore.
[Dutra de Lacerda]
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