How Can I Buy A Spectrum Next?
Where can I buy a Spectrum Next?
Technically you cannot buy a Spectrum Next*, they are the result of pledges made by backers in a number of Kickstarters (two so far). Pledging is where you give money to a project with the expectation that you will receive the reward you have backed once the project completes. Also there is never a guarantee that projects will actually complete, but we have a good track record! The best way to get a Spectrum Next at a reasonable price is to wait for the next Kickstarter which is looking likely for 2024.
*Of course people who backed previously Kickstarters are selling their own units through a variety of channels, often at increased prices. See further down.
Why Kickstarter? Can’t you just sell them in shops?
Crowd funding is the only way to manufacture this fairly niche and expensive product. With good numbers we can negotiate better prices with vendors. Due to their cost it is not feasible to make hundreds or thousands of units up front, and there aren’t the required margins to make this a viable proposition. Crowd funding allows us to receive the funds up front, then proceed to the manufacturing stage knowing exactly how many units we need to build and deliver. Remember we are not a business, we are a group of people doing this in our spare time for pure enjoyment. That is our reward!
Why is it so expensive?
The Spectrum Next is an FPGA based computer and the bill of materials is extensive. There a literally hundreds of components per system and some of these are expensive. You cannot compare prices of the Spectrum Next to some other retro computers in the market which are using a much cheaper ARM System-on-a-Chip (SOC) and software emulation.
Are there any spares from the Kickstarter that might become available for purchase?
We typically over manufacture but not by much. These are typically to cover any defects or damage in shipping. This means we need to wait for all units to be fulfilled prior to making any decisions about selling excess units in the Specnext.com shop. This may only be tens of units.
When is the next Kickstarter?
Nothing is set in stone. I wouldn’t expect any movement in the first months of 2024, but shortly after this maybe.
I really need a Spectrum Next, what can I do?
Units appeared on Ebay very quickly at higher prices. We cannot argue with this. If someone is willing to pay these prices then that is what a unit is worth. Remember that some people backed the Kickstarter to use the computer, some backed it in order to make some profit and others perhaps no longer have the time to invest in the platform and will sell theirs on. It has been over 3 years since the Kickstarter ended and it’s understandable that some people now face completely different circumstances. Still, it’s an option for those people who missed out on the two Kickstarters. You may also find units for sale on Facebook groups such as Sinclair For Sale, or the Spectrum Next Facebook group itself.
Are there other options for Spectrum Next ownership?
If you don’t want the official case, and board, clones exist of the Spectrum Next and we’re sure that more will appear, especially given the redesign of the Kickstarter 2 boards. The most frequently mentioned clone is the N-Go which follows closely the design of the original Kickstarter boards with some improvements. More recently the small form factor X-Berry Pi has been popular with those wanting to fit a Spectrum Next compatible device into all manner of enclosures.