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Sinclair ZX-81

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At the birth of popular computing in the late 70s, Sinclair brought out its touch-pad ZX-81 with a whole 1K of memory! I remember figuring out how to plug it into my portable black and white TV and then tuning the set so that I could get a picture, although it was a little shaky at times.

I would then spend hours devising hangman-like games using BASIC's FOR-NEXT loops and CHR$, GOSUB and RETURN commands. It would be more than a little frustrating to have to press keys over and over again because they were not as touch sensitive as you expected to them to be! Also, they were at times oversensitive and a row of B's would appear on the screen, which would then have to be erased.

Ah, early BASIC and the ZX-81, a match made in computer heaven!

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Do You Remember Sinclair ZX-81?

Do You Remember Sinclair ZX-81?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    How I detested these things! We had them at school and I remember spending tons of lessons programming them and our teacher being so excited about us seeing what we would create......Big wow! We created what can only be described as 'spirograph' images. Even for the time I remember thinking how boring it was. Thankfully the computers that they all told us we would all have to learn to use for the future became far more diverse and interesting and user friendly-probably because we don't have to programme them first! Thank you internet, you restored my faith in those dreaded 'computers'!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I REMEMBER MY UNCLE HAD ONE OF THESE IN THE LATE 70'S. I THINK IT WAS MADE BY SINCLAIR, AND WAS PREDESESSOR OF THE SPECTRUM AND HAD A PRESSURE PAD KEYBOARD!!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I bought this as a kit. You had to solder all the components and assemble the case. A lot cheaper than buying ready made. I could not get the thing to work. I gave up in the end and sent it off for 'repair', When it came back the report said 'added missing resistor' followed by the resistor number. This component had not been provided, and the instructions said it was 'not needed for UK'. Was I annoyed !!!!. I added the extra memory pack but the whole thing flexed around the connection with the keyboard so gradually fell out. It was rubbish - BUT it started the computer interest for thousands.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    The Sinclair ZX81 with its 16k ram pack and the touch pad keys always crashed especially after you spent ages downloading a game of the cassette tape or programming.

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