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[Misc] Happy birthday Sinclair ZX81



Stat Brother

Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,754
West west west Sussex
Just 40 (forty) years ago.

[tweet]1499976770644168708[/tweet]


Just 40 years :ohmy:

From that to sitting at work writing this, on my phone/camera/messaging service and 'publishing' to the world.

A phone that cost less than 2 ZX81's.
 




U

usernamed

New member
Aug 31, 2017
763
I had a rubber key Spectrum 48k, back in the day, I think the chronology went ZX81->Spectrum 16k->Spectrum 48k

If my memory isn’t playing tricks on me, I think I had to plug some huge, unwieldy adapter into the back of it before a joystick could be connected.
 


Dick Swiveller

Dick Swiveller

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
9,159
usernamed said:
I had a rubber key Spectrum 48k, back in the day, I think the chronology went ZX81->Spectrum 16k->Spectrum 48k

If my memory isn’t playing tricks on me, I think I had to plug some huge, unwieldy adapter into the back of it before a joystick could be connected.
Click to expand...

Yep - the original Spectrum didn't have a joystick port so you needed an adapter - and there were 3 varieties making in a nightmare for programmers

As for the ZX81 - my first computer and my first game was Football Manager. I have videos I did for a film that will sadly never see the light of day

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v5mMGeggWVL2Dl6cpboMytIDNWSYpfL4/view?usp=sharing

The most famous was 3D Monster Maze

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EQCnGtM5fwjKuoWMFkYZvdZURRgHqV59/view?usp=sharing
 


Dick Swiveller

Dick Swiveller

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
9,159
Stat Brother said:
Just 40 (forty) years ago.

[tweet]1499976770644168708[/tweet]


Just 40 years :ohmy:

From that to sitting at work writing this, on my phone/camera/messaging service and 'publishing' to the world.

A phone that cost less than 2 ZX81's.
Click to expand...

My current gaming PC has 32 million times more memory than they unexpanded ZX81.
 


bluenitsuj

bluenitsuj

Listen to me!!!
Feb 26, 2011
4,359
Willingdon
I still have my ZX Spectrum + in my loft along with about 150 games. Doubt it is worth very much
 




Dick Swiveller

Dick Swiveller

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
9,159
bluenitsuj said:
I still have my ZX Spectrum + in my loft along with about 150 games. Doubt it is worth very much
Click to expand...

So many Spectrums were made that they aren't worth that much - maybe with 150 games you might get up to £100-£150 but the keyboard membrane will almost certainly be shot and a fair chance it won't work without being repaired if it has been in a loft.
 










Eeyore

Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
23,592
Commodore 64 rules !

Not sure how much later that was.
 






Stat Brother

Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,754
West west west Sussex








thedonkeycentrehalf

thedonkeycentrehalf

Retired
Jul 7, 2003
8,630
I'm sure I still have my old ZX81 in a box somewhere with the 16k RAM pack stuck on with blue tack.

The joy of spending six minutes loading a game only to find it had failed and you had to adjust the volume on your tape player to get the bands the right size.
 






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