241–250 of 455 posts
In a less facetious tone, the Spectrum plus was my first computer, and I rather like the way the BASIC was based on single keypresses, with every built in function there to see on the keyboard. It was spectacularly well designed to be learned.
RIP Sir. I was gifted the 48K when I was 6 yrs old - it changed my life. I am here because Sir Sinclair built a machine whose setup instructions said: Now that you have set up the computer, you will want to use it. The rest of this booklet tells you how to do that; but in your impatience you will probably already have started pressing the keys on the keyboard, and discovered that this removes the copyright message. T…
Same here, but it also reminds me, the first programming lesson in school (not on a Spectrum but on an IBM PC), our teacher told us "there's nothing you can do with code that will harm the computer in any way" (these computers did not have a hard drive so you could not wipe anything). This immediately set us on a quest to find ways to prove him wrong - the basis of hacker thinking. Not that we did find anything with…
Edit: Oops it wasn't the 64 but the PET: https://dfarq.homeip.net/the-killer-poke-for-the-commodore-p...
Also, everyone here will know the phenomenon of bricking. You can damage hardware with software. Luckily it's very rare.
RIP. With all due respect, Meta comment here: I imagine computing has become sufficiently ubiquitous such that in ~50 yrs time the HN bar will always be black because we will have > 365 important folks pass away each year. But will there be a HN then?
Weak argument. Sir Clive's influence on computing, particularly in Britain is enormous. For many of us his products are the reason we are part of this industry.
RIP Sir Clive. My parents were having a clear out and found my old (2nd hand when I got it!) Speccy, just last week. It's been in a box but I feel compelled to see if it's in working order still (no leaky caps please or dodgy joints, at least there's no old PSU to worry about) https://imgur.com/a/qgufGOE
What is the modern alternative to ZX? Something which encourages tinkering and reasonably priced.
RIP. Many a programming career, including mine, was started thanks to Sir Clive. There was a sense of wonder and awe around those machines that is no where to be found these days, even though we have so much power computational power. Something was lost.
Started with a ZX-81 clone. The factor I liked most was the attention with the manuals, they really cared to teach the basics of programming, even low-level things, to the layman.
They were available as bargain sellout at the time(1985).
When other people already used Commodore64 or the first Amigas or Atari STs.
But I've been sceptic and low on funds :-)
Wasn't that difficult because there weren't much parts. And no SMD.
Scale was almost like electronic breadbording.
And it worked for the first time!
Regarding the Handbook, compare this image of the cover
[1] https://i.imgur.com/0WarG.jpg
with
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaxxon
I felt so very, very Zaxxonized!
Anyway, it lasted me about half a year, where I got a 16KB RAM extension,
learned how to duct-tape this so I don't get resets,
a data-capable cassette recorder for reliable storage, which my ghetto blaster didn't do,
learned Z80 assembly including illegals,
replaced parts of the ROM with RAM to get glorious 256x192 pixels
in black & white instead of block graphics,
and finally got an Atari 520stfm with flicker free 640x400 pixels on 12 inches,
because why not? I've already been used to BW from the ZX81.
Very sad. For American readers it may be difficult to explain quite how much Sir Clive and his products shaped tech and a large number of British engineers. So many of us found a love of programming from Sir Clive's computers. The beautiful thing about Sir Clive's products (particularly the ZX Spectrum) was that they were cheap. Basically a Zilog Z80, a ROM, RAM, membrane keyboard, and a single asic. No sound chip, n…
In the days when slide-rules ... ah, ruled the land.
RIP
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can't tell - are you praising Sinclair, or shredding him? (I'm on the wrong side of the pond to have any real knowledge of him.)
Shredding him. His business acumen was nil and his cost cutting nailed shut the coffin of every venture he started. I don’t get the hero worship.
People can have great legacies in spite of their flaws. This is true for all of our heroes.
