Sinclair ZX Computer

[George Willis]

My grandchildren visited me yesterday and I was searching for something on the internet. We got talking about the various computers and systems I've had over the years including the joys of dial up internet and watching the league tables slowly fill up the screen. One of them asked me what was the first computer I had and did it have games. From the back of mind I dredged up the Sinclair ZX 80 or 81. It had a game which involved flying an aircraft around the small screen and I think you could get other games but I can't remember how you loaded them. I think the memory was about 1k but you could buy and plug in more capacity. It was a very popular device but laughable by present standards. Did any other old timers on here enjoy or suffer the frustrations of this gadget.

 

[Keith Hennessey]

That sounds quite modern in comparison to our first computer.A commodore 64...OMG.

 

[Quinny]

Old timer? I'm only, er, 53...

Yeah, I had a ZX81. There were internal differences too, but basically the ZX80 was a white membrane-keyboard device which I think only came in 1K, while the ZX81 was black with a membrane keyboard which was also 1K internal memory, but could be expanded to 16k - or more if you chained packs together - with a memory expansion pack. As with most computers at that time, games were installed via a cassette tape player.

I loved my ZX81 - I bought it second hand for £40 from someone over at Honicknowle with money I had saved up, but as soon as the ZX Spectrum came out, the ZX81 was consigned to the cupboard. I don't know what happened with that...

 

[Frank Butcher]

Used to play the cricket game for hours. By today’s standards it was awful, but at the time I loved it. ZX’s are still very saleable if you have one in the loft.

 

[Adam]

Used to play the cricket game for hours. By today’s standards it was awful, but at the time I loved it. ZX’s are still very saleable if you have one in the loft.

I have one with original packaging (including the polystyrene) in very good condition.


Picked it up at a charity shop for £6 a few years back.

 

[Frank Butcher]

I have one with original packaging (including the polystyrene) in very good condition.


Picked it up at a charity shop for £6 a few years back.

Bargain 👍.

 

[Butternubs]

Old timer? I'm only, er, 53...

Yeah, I had a ZX81. There were internal differences too, but basically the ZX80 was a white membrane-keyboard device which I think only came in 1K, while the ZX81 was black with a membrane keyboard which was also 1K internal memory, but could be expanded to 16k - or more if you chained packs together - with a memory expansion pack. As with most computers at that time, games were installed via a cassette tape player.

I loved my ZX81 - I bought it second hand for £40 from someone over at Honicknowle with money I had saved up, but as soon as the ZX Spectrum came out, the ZX81 was consigned to the cupboard. I don't know what happened with that...

Im 53 next month. Jeez, where did it go?

I had a Spectrum and then an MSX, which was basically a spectrum with better graphics and sound.

I really wish I hadn't sold either of them, they go for a small fortune now.

 

[pastiesforlife]

I’ve got a Spectrum hardly used in the garage. Didn’t really understand it, but then I didn’t understand why we had to send about four sheets of foolscap with Basic instructions to Plymouth Poly to work out what was 2+2.

Also used slide rule for O level but we were the first to use calculators for A level. For £30 you could get one that had a square root button , as well as plus, minus, divide and times.

 

[monkeywrench]

I had a ZX81 with a 16k ram pack. The best game by far was Tyrannosaurus Rex 3D. It was ace!
I sold that and invested in a ZX Spectrum with the rubber keys. Without doubt the best games were Manic Minor and Jet Set Willy.

I still have it up in the loft with original boxes and a bag full of games.

 

[Jonathan Bolton]

I had a ZX81 with a 16k ram pack. The best game by far was Tyrannosaurus Rex 3D. It was ace!
I sold that and invested in a ZX Spectrum with the rubber keys. Without doubt the best games were Manic Minor and Jet Set Willy.

I still have it up in the loft with original boxes and a bag full of games.

That was 3D Monster Maze. A great bit of programming on the ZX81.

 

[Adam]

I had a ZX81 with a 16k ram pack. The best game by far was Tyrannosaurus Rex 3D. It was ace!
I sold that and invested in a ZX Spectrum with the rubber keys. Without doubt the best games were Manic Minor and Jet Set Willy.

I still have it up in the loft with original boxes and a bag full of games.

Nothing beats Dizzy

 

[George Willis]

I'm 89 and my wife bought me the ZX81 as a present when I hit fifty, hence the old timers comment in my opening post. I had completely forgotten that people like yourselves would have bought them as teenagers and early twenties. My son has reminded me that he took it over from me and bought the cricket game and a monster game.

If Sinclair had invented a plug in memory for oldies like me life would be a lot easier.

 

[Mat]

I remember getting the magazine from the shop and then meticulously copying out the basic code to make it run something or other. Now I just type out code from my head to make things run.

The worst punishment I had as a kid was that my mum took the cable between the tape machine and the computer so I couldn’t load any games 😭.

There used to be a formula one management game, where you had to do the pit stop yourself, then later machines had Champioship Manager, Doom, and Civilization series.

 

[Mat]

Oooo Manic Miner

 

[Mat]

My grandchildren visited me yesterday and I was searching for something on the internet. We got talking about the various computers and systems I've had over the years including the joys of dial up internet and watching the league tables slowly fill up the screen. One of them asked me what was the first computer I had and did it have games. From the back of mind I dredged up the Sinclair ZX 80 or 81. It had a game which involved flying an aircraft around the small screen and I think you could get other games but I can't remember how you loaded them. I think the memory was about 1k but you could buy and plug in more capacity. It was a very popular device but laughable by present standards. Did any other old timers on here enjoy or suffer the frustrations of this gadget.

Probably Asteroids, classic.

Asteroids (1982) - MobyGames

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