The Sinclair ZX Spectrum: a homage

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was the UK's biggest selling home computer in the early 1980s. This short film was made for the course, "The Development of Educational Technology" at the University of Manchester (see http://www.MAdigitaltechnologies.com). It shows you how primitive this technology now seems - but also, that we may have lost a way of relating to and understanding computers as we have "progressed" into more advanced technologies.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Sinclair
• Spectrum
• 1982
• games
• programming

[SpikeBlighty]

Great video. I spent untold hours with my speccy back in the day.

[xardo66]

this is so cool, I remember my first computer

[Cezi1975rdm]

zx spectrum my first computer ehhh 1985 y cool!!!

[Helderhugo]

It seams like yestarday and 30 years passed by.

[adamwba1979]

In 1982 I was 3 years old lol. But the ZX Spectrum was still really popular in the late 80s too and I used to use it a lot. Either it be programming or just playing games. One of my favourite games used to be Back 2 Skool. :)

[RussWWFC]

The original Spectrum looked great, even if I did bugger up the power socket by the constant "resetting" Aside from games, fun could be had by typing GOTO USR (then a random number) and seeing what came up!

[kingqueen3065]

@FX23 modify it to output Composite, google "ZX Spectrum Composite" for more, then I used a TV tuner card in my PC.

[kingqueen3065]

@robotwo good point; perhaps we should have said "only understood BASIC out of the box". I liked that you had to do BASIC to get it to do anything, even if it was only LOAD ""

[kingqueen3065]

@2008Overkill no I modified the spectrum to output composite, cos the advent of Channel 5 meant it clashed with the RF, and the modulator notoriously broke if anybody ever attempted to move it. Google "ZX Spectrum composite" for more info if interested.

[kingqueen3065]

@2008Overkill no I modified the spectrum to output composite, cos the advent of Channel 5 meant it clashed with the RF, and the modulator notoriously broke if anybody ever attempted to move it. Google "ZX Spectrum composite" for more info if interested.