Article on the ZX Spectrum published in PC Live! in June 2010
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It’s difficult to mention the ZX Spectrum around certain circles without igniting a glimmer of nostalgia in their eyes. It was the biggest selling computer in Britain in the 80s and gave average people access to computing, gaming and programming. It had such an influence that, without this 8-bit computer, many top members of the industry wouldn’t be where they are today.
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By the 1980s, British electronics company Sinclair Research Ltd entered the home computing market, launching the ZX80 and ZX81. The latter was a great success, selling 250,000 units and introducing many people to computer technology. Clive Sinclair, founder of the company, was interested in gathering support from schools and wanted to be commissioned by the BBC Computer Literacy Project to access this market. However, the contract went to his former colleague Chris Curry, who created the BBC Micro for them. As a result, Sinclair decided to create a computer that could not only stand up to his rival’s machine but was also cheaper than the basic BBC Micro’s price of £299. Thus, in April 1982, the ZX Spectrum was launched – with the 16 KB RAM version costing £125 and the 48KB RAM version costing £175.
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It was essentially an update of the ZX series, with a number of key differences. The ZX Spectrum could produce 8-bit colour, whereas previous models couldn’t. The BASIC had been updated, offering over 100 different keywords. As the keyboard had just over thirty keys, it was an unintuitive interface, however, the BASIC proved easy to learn. It could also produce limited sound through an internal speaker built into the keyboard.
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Thanks to Sinclair’s enormous fanbase, the ZX Spectrum became its biggest commercial success. It was a mail order only product and they were selling them faster than they could produce them. The huge demand caused a backlog of 40,000 orders, causing massive outrage and forced Clive Sinclair himself to issue an apology. Nonetheless, interest remained strong, allowing the ZX Spectrum to give users a bigger taste of new technology.
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The ease of programming on the machine gave birth to the computer game industry. Many teenagers, inspired by arcade gaming, programmed games for the system and sold them to fellow Spectrum owners. Some of its most famous games include Manic Miner, Sim City and Jet Set Willy. Many leading games developers started with creating games for the Spectrum, such as Dave Perry from Shiny Entertainment and Tim and Chris Stamper, founders of Rare. The ZX Spectrum became a huge influence on gaming, inspiring amateur programmers to develop the gaming industry into the phenomenal success it is today.
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While the gaming industry took off, Sinclair Research faced its own problems. Clive Sinclair was losing interest in the computing industry and had released the C5 – an electric powered tricycle – which bombed in the market. Competition was becoming fierce and Sinclair were falling behind. The Spectrum + was quickly released in October 1984, with no forewarning and no substantial update to the current machine. Sales were poor as a result. With Sinclair already struggling financially after the C5 disaster, they were forced to sell its entire Spectrum + stock to Dixons. They also had to promise not to release the Spectrum’s true successor, the Spectrum 128, for another six months.
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By the time it came out, it was too late for the company, and Sinclair were bought out by competitor Amstrad for just £5 million. While Sinclair’s company fizzled out, the ZX Spectrum left a lasting legacy, seen in both the games industry and its cult fanbase that still exists today.
