Q. Could you advise me on buying a joystick for my ZX81? I need to know where to get them, which is the best and how much it costs.

P. Doley
Arbouthorne, Sheffield

A. The most common type of joystick for use with micros is Atari. To use one of these you will need an interface to go between the computer and the joystick. There are a number of these available and if you cannot buy one locally you could try mail order.

All the micro magazines carry adverts for joystick interfaces: a common one is the KEMP from Kempston Microelectronics, 180a Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedford.

It costs £15 and most software houses produce games adapted for its use, so it has become something of a standard.

Kempston also sells the 'Competition Pro' joysticks you should try out as many as you can get your hands on, till you find one that suits you.