Only six functions were entered manually: they were listed on a small sticker on the front of the computer. Entering “PRINT”, for instance, required only a press of the O key.
#Sinclair zx spectrum symbos full
Instead of typing out the full keyword, most Sinclair BASIC keywords were entered via a single keystroke (or with a shift key). Sinclair saved ROM space by upending how BASIC programs were entered. It was impossible to include the entire BASIC keyword and feature set and the ZX80 BASIC was a subset of the standard. An “extended” BASIC might be in a larger, 16K ROM or load from disk, for example.īy contrast, the original ZX80 BASIC was contained in a 4K ROM. In most of those computers, the BASIC ROM was at least 8K (8,192 bytes) in size and supported most of the features of Dartmouth BASIC they were based on.Īn 8K BASIC interpreter was the base level against which other systems were measured. The majority of home computers available in 1980 contained a BASIC interpreter in ROM. The individual keys were etched on the circuit board and covered by a thin, conductive membrane printed with the key symbols. Sinclair cut costs by using an inexpensive case and a flat, membrane keyboard. The only proprietary technology was the firmware. The ZX80 was designed around readily available and inexpensive TTL integrated circuits (“chips”). Like many other home computers available then, it used cassette tape for storage. It featured 1K of RAM, a 4K ROM that contained a limited version of BASIC and it connected to the owner’s TV for display. Sinclair retained the ZX prefix for subsequent computers up to the QL.
The ZX80 was named after the Z80 processor with the ‘X’ meaning “the mystery ingredient”. At 7″ x 9″, weighing less than a pound and priced at $199.50, it was the smallest, lightest and least expensive home computer available at the time.
Launched in June 1980, the ZX80 was notable for its size, weight and price. The ZX80 was Sinclair’s first computer sold in the United States.
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