Recently, I acquired an Atari VCS, and someone informed me that the Atari's power supply would work with the ZX80. He was right! I fired it up for the first time, and it works perfectly.
The Apple II has been my primary retrocomputing interest, so I'm used to the way that community operates. There are several online archives of software - disk images for download, source code listings, scans of magazines and other documentation, and a colossal FAQ. All of this has been immensely helpful in building my personal library of software, and getting the most out of my Apple II.
So now, with a fully-functioning ZX80, I am feeling out how the Sinclair community approaches things. I've already been to several sites and done some background reading, but there's no substitute for asking real people about the way things work, so here goes.
What I've seen so far is that most of the focus online is on the ZX81 and Spectrum. My understanding is that some ZX81 software may work on the ZX80 without modification, but by no means all, or even most. "Images" of software aren't an option, since cassette tape appears to have been the only option available for external storage (though, over on the Apple side, some folks have been able to convert cassette programs to .WAV files and play those back over iPods for a perfect loading experience!). There also doesn't seem to be a central repository for ZX80 software, and the impression I get is that copyright restrictions are enforced more strictly with Sinclair software in general.
So, what have I got wrong here? I'd love to get started with my ZX80 - just trying to determine how things work in the online community, so I don't commit a faux pas. With the Apple II, I've grown used to simply transferring disk images onto 5.25" floppies via serial cable; it's a great way to bypass exorbitant eBay prices or just the hassle of finding certain software at all. I know I won't get that with the ZX80, but my hope is that there's a way to build a ZX80 software library without spending money on ancient tapes of questionable reliability.
I appreciate any assistance you're willing to provide. Thanks!
