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upgrading the RAM from a paltry 128KB (i think).

Paltry? The original started with 16kB, and maxed out at 64 kB (after a ROM revision at 256kB)

have no sound but a “beep”

If you were willing to use most of the CPU for it, you could get (for the time) more than that beep out of it.

You could also make sound by toggling the relay that switched on/off the cassette motor :-)

Very good points! You’re right on all of them. I remember one game shop had a “RealSound” technology that sounded impressive for a PC speaker. Maybe “Mean Streets” was the name.

Mean Streets did in fact have digital audio samples that played out of the PC speaker, and it was a selling point highlighted on the box with a big red sticker: “Real Sound”.

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