Features

Original Price

Grafpad

The British Micro Grafpad is a graphics tablet designed for the ZX Spectrum, allowing users to trace drawings on paper and reproduce them on screen, as well as create and edit images using the supplied software. Adapted from a version previously available for the BBC Micro, the system was also offered for the Commodore 64. ^{1 2}

The tablet connects to the Spectrum's edge connector via a multi-way cable and uses a stylus with a pressure-operated microswitch. The stylus controls an on-screen cursor, with drawing functions remaining active while the tip is pressed. The tablet has a ruled drawing surface protected by a clear acrylic sheet, beneath which a wire mesh provides a coordinate grid. The contemporary review describes this grid as 176 × 256, with stylus movement corresponding directly to the cursor's movement on screen. A 32-box menu panel is also provided. ¹

The supplied cassette software includes freehand drawing, line, circle and box routines, paint-fill and erasing facilities. Images can be inverted or flipped horizontally or vertically, while a magnification function enlarges selected areas by up to eight times for detailed pixel editing. Other features include a window facility to restrict editing to a selected area, attribute-screen editing and a facility for picking up user-defined graphics (UDGs). The software also allows pictures to be stored elsewhere in memory or saved to cassette. ¹ The advertisement also offered a separate computer-aided design (CAD) program. ²

The package includes the tablet, stylus, connection cable, cassette software, keyboard overlay and printed documentation. ¹ The contemporary review praised the tablet's potential for creating artwork but noted that freehand drawing required practice, some editing facilities were awkward to use, and the manual provided limited guidance. Its principal advantage over cheaper screen-based drawing programs was the ability to trace existing artwork from paper. ¹

£143.75 ¹ £143.75 ²

Saga GP

The SAGA GP is a graphics tablet designed for the ZX Spectrum, intended for use with SAGA Systems' STYLE drawing software. The system can be used initially with a conventional joystick, with the graphics tablet providing an alternative method of controlling the on-screen drawing cursor. The STYLE interface also functions as a Kempston-compatible joystick interface. ^{3 4}

The interface incorporates a two-channel analogue-to-digital converter, allowing it to accept analogue inputs. The contemporary review notes that, with suitable user-written software, this facility could also be used for sound input. ³

The STYLE software provides a range of drawing and editing facilities, including freehand drawing, points, straight lines, circles, elastic-banded boxes and triangles. Additional functions include erasing, filling areas, adding text and magnifying selected parts of the screen by up to eight times for detailed editing. A grid can be displayed to help identify character-cell boundaries when working with colour attributes. Colours can be changed across the whole picture or locally at the drawing cursor. ³

The software uses a menu-driven interface, with the pen used to select options. The cursor follows the pen's movement during freehand drawing, and the picture is retained when returning to the menu. Two brush effects are available: solid lines and stippling. The contemporary review considered the software usable and noted that it was being improved, although it judged it less capable than some competing drawing programs. ³

The STYLE interface and software were offered separately from the SAGA GP graphics tablet, allowing users to begin drawing with a joystick before purchasing the tablet. The SAGA advertisement promoted the package for applications ranging from screen design and business use to educational work and recreational drawing. ^{3 4}

£79.95 ⁴ £69.95 ³

Touchmaster

The Touchmaster is a graphics tablet for the ZX Spectrum, designed for drawing on screen, tracing artwork from paper and selecting on-screen menus. Its manufacturer also promoted it as a potential alternative to the conventional keyboard. ⁵

The tablet features an A4-sized pressure-sensitive membrane housed in a robust grey case measuring approximately 350 × 330 × 35 mm. The raised rear section tilts the drawing surface for convenient use. It provides a resolution of 256 × 236 points, allowing users to reproduce drawings and diagrams on the Spectrum's screen. ⁵

The sensing surface consists of two layers separated by an insulating mesh. Pressure on the upper carbon-fibre layer brings it into contact with a lower resistive film. An internal microprocessor scans the layers to determine the contact coordinates, which are transmitted to the Spectrum through the supplied parallel interface. The tablet also has a serial interface socket, an external power supply and a red power indicator LED. The Your Spectrum issue 11 review noted the absence of a power switch and an unexplained socket intended for a foot switch. ⁵

The plug-in Spectrum interface contains a Z80 PIA (Peripheral Interface Adapter) chip and provides an additional connector for attaching peripherals. The supplied hardware manual includes simple BASIC programs for reading tablet coordinates, and Multipaint is listed as the supplied software. Further software was planned under the Touchware name, including games and educational programs. ⁵

In its review, Your Spectrum praised the tablet's robust construction and large drawing area but criticised the documentation and questioned whether its price could be justified without stronger software support. The review considered the Touchmaster useful for tracing artwork and selecting on-screen options, but doubted that it could replace the keyboard in practice. ⁵

£149.95 ⁵