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History of video games/Platforms/ZX Spectrum

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  • A 48k ZX Spectrum computer.
    A 48k ZX Spectrum computer.

History

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Sir Clive Sinclair in 1992.

Launch

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The ZX Spectrum was launched in 1982.[1]

A number of Spectrum focused periodicals were in print.[2]

Legacy

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In 1992 the ZX Spectrum was discontinued with five million systems sold.[3][4]

Sir Clive Sinclair passed away in London on Thursday, September 16th, 2021.[5]

Technology

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Compute

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The ZX Spectrum is powered by an 8-bit Z80A processor clocked at 3.5 megahertz.[3][6]

Depending on the model the ZX Spectrum has either 16 kilobytes of RAM or 48 kilobytes of RAM.[3]

Hardware

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The ZX Spectrum has 16 kilobytes of RAM.[3]

The unintentional "Colour Clash" effect of the ZX Spectrum created a unique aesthetic for games on the system.[7]

Games

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1985

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Don't Buy This

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An early game compilation of poor quality games.

Read more about Don't Buy This on Wikipedia.

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  •  
    The original ZX Spectrum
  •  
    Sinclair ZX Spectrum+
  •  
    the Sinclair Magnum Light Phaser for the ZX Spectrum.

Notes

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Naming

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Being primarily used in the UK, the name is pronounced as "Zed" X Spectrum.[8] The system was sometimes known by the nickname "Speccy".[9]

References

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Wikipedia has related information at ZX Spectrum

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sinclair ZX Spectrum

  1. ↑ "Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k - Computer - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Spectrum wasn’t just a computer - it was a family" (in en-gb). Eurogamer.net. 17 April 2022. https://www.eurogamer.net/the-spectrum-wasnt-just-a-computer-it-was-a-family. 
  3. ↑ a b c d "How the Spectrum began a revolution". 23 April 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  4. ↑ "ZX Spectrum: 30 years old, and still one of the cheapest computers ever made - ExtremeTech". www.extremetech.com. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Sir Clive Sinclair: Computing pioneer dies aged 81". BBC News. 16 September 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58587521. 
  6. ↑ "OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum". www.old-computers.com. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Colour Clash: The Engineering Miracle of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum". Paleotronic Magazine. 29 September 2018. https://paleotronic.com/2018/09/29/loading-ready-run-sinclair-edition-the-zx-spectrum/. 
  8. ↑ "ZX Spectrum Vega Review // Sent In For Review - Rerez". Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  9. ↑ Lyons, Kim (18 September 2021). "Clive Sinclair, inventor of the ZX Spectrum personal computer, has died" (in en). The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/18/22680955/clive-sinclair-home-computers-electric-vehicle-calculator. 


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