I am a school teacher, Grade 7/8 level, in the Math, Science and Geography areas. I presently use a TS 2068, Spectrumized with a Rainbow emulator and edge-connector, to which I have piggy-backed a AGF joystick interface and a LPRINT III Centronics printer interface. The latter drives a Panasonic KX-P1080 printer. I use a black on green Apple III monitor for visual feedback. My program collection leans heavily towards simulations (FIGHTER PILOT, CHECKERED FLAG, HUNTER-KILLER, FORMULA ONE, NIGEL MANSELL’S GRAND PRIX, etc.) “work” programs (TASWORD II, OMNICALC, ARTIST, ARTWORX, MASTERFILE, etc.), and a large collection of arcade games. Many of the latter were provided by my cousin, who lives in England and has two Spectrums. He also has provided the add-ons previously mentioned. My happiest day was Christmas 1986, when I found out I could get a Spectrum emulator (the OMNI-EMU). Before that, I despaired of using any of the software my kind relative sent me. I still use cassette storage with a GE tape-recorder, which I got from E. Arthur Brown.
The OMNI-EMU now resides in the storage carton, with the TS 1000, the TS 2040, and the various power supplies. I use my machine to make tests, exams, assignments and drawings for school, and to facilitate my hobby of sports (read baseball and hockey) statistics. OMNICALC is especially useful in this area. I am afraid I don’t really understand the workings of the machine, but I have taught myself enough Basic that I can write a program to solve any problem I run into at school. I use TIMACHINE to speed these up occasionally, but usually I don’t worry about having to wait.
I also have a fairly large collection of English magazines (ZX Computing and Sinclair User), from 1986-1988, but I stopped getting them when they ceased publication or got ridiculous. My cousin also supplied about a full file-drawer worth of clippings from other Sinclair magazines which he collected for me. Finding anything in this vast clippings file is most difficult in spite of the fact that I categorized it.
In the near future I plan to buy a TS 2068 as a backup to “Old Reliable”, which I might add, has worked without a hitch for over three years. This cannot be said of any of the C64s, of which we have 18 at my school. Every one of them has had to be repaired at least once in the last two years (I know, as I am in charge of them). I would be pleased to communicate with any other member of VSUG about matters TS, although I must admit complete ignorance of “pull-up resistors” and such.