#“Happy 30th Birthday ZX Spectrum - Here’s mine, still in action”
Of course I write too much about the ZX Spectrum. Heck look at the header image. But when a tiny little computer has such an impact on your life, it deserves your attention, even 30 years later. I hope all of you who built the first iPhone Apps have held on to your first device and do the same in 25 years time.
My only disappointment today is that I don’t have a Raspberry Pi yet to sit alongside it as its spiritual successor.I honestly think, with the right support, the Raspberry Pi could be this generation’s ZX Spectrum. Affordable by most people in the midst of a worldwide recession.
Why don’t the BBC, RTE, DR and all the other taxpayer-supported European TV stations come together and do a 2012 version of The Computer Programme, based around a boxed version of the RPi? Heck, make it part of the school curriculum. Yeah, really showing my age there.
I put together this video today showing my old Speccy (vintage late-1982) still working, still making me smile. I had to cheat and use a laptop to do the game loading as I can’t find any of my old tapes and the Aiwa walkman isn’t even 1980s vintage anyway. My old Lloytron mono tape recorder is AWOL too. Otherwise, all totally authentic stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqpFDG5n4tc
Note, if anyone has any idea why the colour is off on the TV output and how I might fix it, please leave a comment.
Have a read of this great interview with some of the Spectrum’s designers over on the BBC.
Thanks again Sir Clive. And an ever bigger thanks to my parents.