ItвЂ™s that pic of the Dad mansplaining to his sonвЂ¦ Gets us every time вЂњJust what was a вЂpersonal computerвЂ™ anyway,вЂќ pondered a nationвЂ¦ Nevertheless it became a curious talking point as it loomed enticingly from the pages of every Sunday supplement all through 1980вЂ¦ However, thanks to its inevitable Sinclair styling its low profile looks, flat membrane keyboard вЂ“ a minor step up from the same cheap solution used on the MK-14 вЂ“ and bulging lid made it more akin to a Lotus Esprit (the star of 1977вЂ™s Bond classic The Spy Who Loved Me) than a computer. The ZX80 вЂ“ released by the newly-named Sinclair Computers Ltd вЂ“ was arguably the first genuine вЂhome computerвЂ™ being both designed for and marketed squarely at the home consumer market. The MK-14 sold for the ridiculously affordable price of ВЈ39.99 in 1977, setting the scene for SinclairвЂ™s legacy. Good news though, Sinclair had spent the final two years at Radionics creating a new company ready for its demise and his departure, undergoing multiple name changes and producing a surprisingly popular computer kit based on the breakthrough National Semiconductor SC/MP CPU. Never let it be said that Sinclair ever had an easy ride to greatness.ДЄ bodged attempt at a pocket television followed and вЂ“ in a pre-cursor to the confusion, rebranding and final fizzle-out to come вЂ“ Sinclair had the assets and tech associated with the Radionics brand passed from owner to owner, allowing Sinclair to evade bankruptcy and leave his own company with a ВЈ10,000 golden handshakeвЂ¦ but actually achieve little else. Sinclair itself was the creation of Clive Sinclair (becoming Sir Clive in 1983 on the back of 1982вЂ™s stellar Spectrum success) whose obsession with transistorised miniturisation (and angular black industrial design) began with Sinclair Radionics work in the field of hi-fi, producing miniature hi-fi amplifiers in 1964 and вЂњthe worldвЂ™s smallest radioвЂќ the Micro-6 in 1965.Д«ecause who can honestly say that they donвЂ™t want to build a digital watch? The groundwork that Sinclair put in place, for what for many was would be their first brush with computing, laid the foundations for so many innovations and inspired so many future pioneers, that the modern internet, mobile computing and the future metaverse all have direct lineage back to SinclairвЂ™s creations.Д«e under no illusions.

If youвЂ™re familiar with the Spectrum (perhaps having tensely eyed the 12+ minute loading time of The Hobbit, or worn the lettering from the L key due to too much Jet Pac) then round about now youвЂ™re probably feeling a littleвЂ¦ legendary tooвЂ¦ДЄnd what a 40 years. April 23rd 1982 was the day upon which SinclairвЂ™s home computing dream hit home, creating millions of head-turned, new believers. Incredibly, itвЂ™s the 40th anniversary of the launch of the legendary Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

Sinclair zx spectrum 48k