Hello!

Introduce yourself to your fellow forum members - what was your journey into the Sinclair world?
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Ravenger
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue May 11, 2021 5:27 pm

Hello!

Post by Ravenger »

Hi,

I first got a ZX81 in 82 or thereabouts. I wanted a Spectrum, as that was due to be released, but I just couldn't afford it, being 16 years old, in sixth Form, and my family couldn't afforded to buy me one. So I scrimped and saved and bought a ZX81from WH Smiths, and taught myself BASIC programming using the excellent manual.

That one purchase started off a chain of events that led to a career in computing, which I'm still in today, so I owe an awful lot to Sir Clive and the ZX81.

It's funny, because it was the Commodore 64 that I got a couple of years later which was how I eventually got into a proper computing career, and I still love the machine, but I feel the most nostalgia for the ZX81 and Spectrum as they were the main machines of my school years.

I eventually sold my ZX81 and Memopak 16k to fund that C64 purchase, and I have regretted selling that since, as it was in mint condition, but since then I've picked up a couple of ZX81's. The first, an Issue 1 I bought off a schoolkid for £5 in around 1986, but this one is pretty battered and needs some restoration, especially as it's been sat on my shelf as a memento for some years.

The second is a refurbed one with a VL81, composite mod, and 32k RAM and new voltage regulator which I got recently (along with a refurbed rubber key Spectrum) so I could experience the games and progamming of those machines, as I've suddenly got very nostalgic. I also picked up a Memopak 16 so I can make the ZX81 look the same as my original one.

In the early 90's I had the privilege of almost colliding with Sir Clive while entering the toilets at the electronics company that i worked at. That's the closest i ever got to actually getting to meet him. :mrgreen:

I came to the forum to get some tech help, but it's great to see so many people so enthusiastic about the machine which helped kickstart a generation of software developers.
Last edited by Ravenger on Wed May 12, 2021 6:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Spinnetti
Posts: 253
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 11:29 pm

Re: Hello!

Post by Spinnetti »

Awesome.. SImilar story for me, though never collided with Sir Clive! I did end up face to face with "Mr. Bean" once in London though lol.
Zeddy: ZX80, ZX81/ZXpand, TS1000/ZXpand, TS1500/Zxpand+
Speccy: 48k, +, +2, +3, TS2068, "Bare Metal" Pi, Next KS2, IF1/Microdrives/Vdrive/Light Gun/VGA-Joy
QL: Minerva/QL-VGA/Custom PSU
C5: 24v, LiFE battery, Disc brakes
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