Q. I will soon be one of the many ownes of a 16K ZX81. I read in PCN Issue 2 that the ZX81 could be enormously expanded and made into a very intelligent machine using one or many of the Basicare Microsystems. A Persona was the first module mentioned and a RAM 16 the second.
Could you tell me exactly what the Persona would do and if the RAM 16 could be exchanged for the ZX Panda 16K RAM. What is the price of the full moving keyboard to go with the modules?
Paul Sammon
St. Helens, Merseyside
A. The Basicare System can greatly increase the memory available to the ZX81 or Spectrum by employing a technique called memory paging - but you must write all your own programs to realise the system's full potential.
The Persona buffers the signals and acts as a sort of interface between the ZX81 and the Basicare system. It doesn't do anything in itself except enable you to add the Basicare modules. It is not possible to use the memory extensions provided by other manufacturers with the system.
14th January 1984
