It feels like an eternity since I backed the project on Kickstarter, but, finally, my Recreated ZX Spectrum arrived in the mail yesterday.

http://recreatedzxspectrum.com

I really like how they paid very close attention to the details, so that it really looks and feels like the original. IMHO, Hardware-wise, the only negative point would be the use of AA batteries, and the risk of frying them if you use non-rechargeables and plug the USB cable.

However, there are lots of issues to be worked out on the software side and I got really frustrated, especially when trying to use the 48K Basic, or playing some games in their iOS app in Game/Basic mode.

There are less issues with the QWERTY mode for Desktop use on Mac and PC, however, I was not able to pair it with my PS3 (the PS3 sees it, but I was unable to enter the authorization code).

There are some annoyances like the fact that you need to do a one-time unlock of the device within the mobile app and since the Android app is not available till Sept 28, without a iOS device, you're out of luck. Apparently, the only purpose of this unlock is to make you tick a box to agree on some EULA that I didn't bother reading. It's also important to note that some games are free, but some classics like Manic Miner need to be purchased via in-app purchased (I didn't check the price because I set up in-app purchase restrictions on my son's iPad which I was using for testing).

In conclusion, I'm a bit skeptical about Elite's ability or willingness to really make this great device work 100% in all possible scenarios, but 3rd party developpers like the fantastic Marvin emulator for Android might step up to the plate and provide support for the Game/Basic mode.

As beautiful and close to the original as it is, it's also a reminder that, back in the the ZX Spectrum days, nobody would ever use a Speccy without the almighty Kempston interface and the fabulous Competition Pro joystick to play games seriously.