ZX Spectrum turns 25

Monday, April 23rd, 2007

Happy Birthday

My very first computer - the Sinclair ZX Spectrum - turns 25 years old. It was released on April 23rd 1982. Wow.

I bought mine - probably in 1982/83 - for some hard-earned money, received by distributing local newspapers. A year later I bought a Grundig 14" inch television so I could hook it up at my own room as computer monitor, instead of using my parents television in the living room. I still have that 14" television and it works great. I used it to see last years (2006) world cup!

Nevertheless I have spent countless of hours in front of that computer, so its birthday reminds me of some good old days programming around with Basic and Z80 assembly code. Also I remember typing hexadecimals games from miscellaneous UK computer magazines.

I believe that the ZX Spectrum may have inspired and influenced me to become a software engineer.