MSX Hardware Fanatics

In the realm of retro computers, there is a surprisingly good amount of new hardware to acquire. With modern hardware, it is within arm's reach to connect old systems with new means. Expanding memory, adding storage, or connecting the machine to the Internet is an achievable luxury thanks to hardware fanatics. MSX is no exception, there are plenty of rock stars that deliver good hardware for our 8-bit friend.

Who would have thought that a computer system invented in the eighties, would still boot up today? New computer electronics are typically the thing of today; tomorrow can be totally different. The market is often seemingly shifting with the speed of light and new inventions pop up likewise. So, why would that old 8-bit system have a spot on any desk. Well, it's love that makes the world go round. No difference here; MSX is in our hearts. Geeks who love the machine as if it were their best friend. Which, for some, is. Fitting these electronic friends with new peripherals is the ultimate appreciation we can give that friend.

Luckily, there's a whole bunch of MSX geeks that have no fear of holding a solder iron. With their knowledge of electronics and MSX architecture, these folks have the will to create new 8-bit accessories. A brave task, for everyone to enjoy their results. While some of those rock stars only strum their instrument in private (uhm..), others go publicly and have their boards for sale. Fit your MSX friends some new shoes, the choice is plenty.

Getting "into" business with physical MSX hardware, might start at owning a damn machine in the first place. There are ofcourse the public auctions and private sellers, you know folks that clean up their attic and sell that long forgotten computer they found there. Graig's list of Marktplaats, whatever. But there are dedicated retro sellers that collect, repair, polish end resell such machines. Have a look at our Trading & Collecting forum spot for example.

Repairing MSX systems is not for the faint of heart, so luckily there are individuals that do a great job on that. You might find those brave men here on MRC as well. They are considered MSX-doctors; breathing new live in to the Z80 as their oath. And perhaps little things like repairing a disk drive, or keyboard, can be done by one self. All you need is some hardware to fix little errors, most of that you might get by the same mentioned dealers. A drive belt, a keyboard layout.. whatever you need to fix the darn thing.

When in need of hardware, there is a wide variety of opportunities to get your kicks on. This dedicated Wiki page here at MRC maintains a list of hardware makers, sellers, and repair resources. Three cheers for MSX makers to keep that 8-bit friend healthy!