Happy 36th Birthday, Sinclair ZX81 Computer! On March 5, 1981, Sinclair Research launched the ZX81 home computer in the U.K. (It was also known as the Timex-Sinclair TS1000 in the U.S.) It came with just one kilobyte of memory, and was a self-contained unit with a rather crappy keyboard. The keyboard didn't have moving key switches; instead it used membrane buttons similar to those often used on microwave ovens. Despite its limitations, the ZX81 was a revolution, because it cost just £49.95 in the U.K.—massively cheaper than anything else on the market. It was also available in normal retail stores, rather than speciality computer shops. It really was the people's computer, and for many it was their introduction to home computing and computer programming. Incidentally, at that cheap price, it was a kit you assembled at home (a soldering iron was required). You'd have to pay an extra £20 if you wanted a pre-assembled unit. In the U.S., the fully-assembled unit cost $149.95. My comment: I fondly remember as my first real computer. In those days there were no computer shops to just walk into and buy a computer with an operating system on. You first had to type all the code in (every time you powered it up) to play or use anything. If the power plug slipped you lost all the code, or if you made any typing error, the application did not work. This is how I learned to code. There is also a nice video on the linked page that talks a bit about the ZX81. This computer really introduced computing to many people. See http://ift.tt/2mGaI2r
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