History of video games/Platforms/ZX Spectrum

History edit

 
Sir Clive Sinclair in 1992.

Launch edit

The ZX Spectrum was launched in 1982.[1]

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

Legacy edit

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 edit

Compute edit

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 edit

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 edit

1985 edit

Don't Buy This edit

An early game compilation of poor quality games.

Read more about Don't Buy This on Wikipedia.

Gallery edit

Notes edit

Naming edit

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 edit

  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.