I still have one of these computers also...and a printer. I collected every book I could find for the programs. Mine had a problem with the power connector, it would suddenly come out, usually when I was in the middle of typing a program.
I used to have this combo, and I had no problems with it, unlike you.
I also had a brilliant "banner" program that would print huge letters on the thermal paper, and which could then be stuck on the wall as a... well, banner.
And I used to love the thermal smell of the paper once it had been printed, too.
Ah, the memories and the fun of writing huge programs and printing them out, I can still smell the burning now :) I used to find it was better if you hung a clothes peg off the paper at the back. to help 'drag' it down.
the flicker is due to running in fast mode which most zx81 games defaulted to. the zx81 switched off the "graphics chip" during processing time. if you switch it to slow mode it'll leave the graphics on and run without the flicker.
Well actually the ZX81 didn't have a graphics chip at all, just a little bit of glue logic which needed lots of assistance from the CPU. The CPU virtually had to do everything itself. (If I'm not mistaken it had to "execute" a certain memory location which was then replaced by NOPs, but the hardware loaded ROM values into a shift register or something.)
Oh how i remember the quiet-as-a-whisper printer :)
fridaynightposse 1 month ago
i love the way the paper roll drops off
nuNWO 1 year ago
I still have one of these computers also...and a printer. I collected every book I could find for the programs. Mine had a problem with the power connector, it would suddenly come out, usually when I was in the middle of typing a program.
Haven't tried it since about '83.
daniellma 1 year ago
I used to have this combo, and I had no problems with it, unlike you.
I also had a brilliant "banner" program that would print huge letters on the thermal paper, and which could then be stuck on the wall as a... well, banner.
And I used to love the thermal smell of the paper once it had been printed, too.
Foebane72 1 year ago
'cool, though..' and the paper falls off the table that instant. :))
anyway, i have a spectrum +, which, i think, is mostly the same internally, but your zx81 looks tiny in comparison..
bamdadkhan 2 years ago
Wow I only had the ZX80 with the ZX81 rom and no printer. Neither did I have a tape recorder that would work with it.
hornauerzuwinnende 2 years ago
Great machines. I still have two of them.
Ah, the memories and the fun of writing huge programs and printing them out, I can still smell the burning now :) I used to find it was better if you hung a clothes peg off the paper at the back. to help 'drag' it down.
But why o why did it NOT use ASCII?
stevebasset 3 years ago
A friend of mine printed out his homework on C64 printer which was kind of like this. From what I remember the teacher threw the thing into the bin.
Enzo012 3 years ago
Amazing! My first computer in 1982!! I still love it!
scognamiglio1969 3 years ago 2
Fantastic video - memories come flooding back!
PaulMJohnson 3 years ago
aah takes me right back!!!
at the risk of sounding a right geek.....
the flicker is due to running in fast mode which most zx81 games defaulted to. the zx81 switched off the "graphics chip" during processing time. if you switch it to slow mode it'll leave the graphics on and run without the flicker.
thanks for uploading.
dogswick 3 years ago
Well actually the ZX81 didn't have a graphics chip at all, just a little bit of glue logic which needed lots of assistance from the CPU. The CPU virtually had to do everything itself. (If I'm not mistaken it had to "execute" a certain memory location which was then replaced by NOPs, but the hardware loaded ROM values into a shift register or something.)
hornauerzuwinnende 2 years ago
Also my first computer, I remember it better than my first girlfriend ;o)
Alexvideoclip 3 years ago
my first computer superb
jango1968 3 years ago
especially vintage technology :D
Neon360 4 years ago