ZX Spectrum - the second life of the legendary computer

The company Elite Systems, which went negkogda people involved in the creation of the original ZX Spectrum, trying to revive the legendary computer and make it more comfortable than he was a third of a century ago. It is the same one that for many of us was the first PC.





ZX Spectrum was released on April 23, 1982, the British company Sinclair Research Ltd. under the leadership of a talented person - Clive Sinclair (Clive Sinclair), processor-based firm Z80 (Zilog 8 bit), with a frequency of 1.75 MHz. Memory size 48k (of which 6k - video memory) and 16k ROM with a built-in interpreter BASIC. 40 rubber keys. All this was packed - in a small plastic case. ZX Spectrum was able to display a total of 15 different colors. For ZX Spectrum moved many popular arcade platform ATARI. Computer quickly gained cult popularity as a gaming platform and has generated a great number of clones and modifications, including production in the former Soviet Union.

Monoblock connected to a monitor or TV via a standard video input for loading and saving programs and games used the most ordinary, everyday, audio-cassette tape recorder. Despite this modest specifications computer, due to the excellent architecture I have a high processing speed in game programs. Games of different genres for this platform, was written a terrific set. On platforms contemporaries ZX Spectrum was not close and similar software.

At the time (83-90 years) it was the most affordable car in the USSR, and abroad too. «Speccy» collected hams produced cooperatives and large enterprises, brought from abroad. Over time, of course, 8-bit ZX Spectrum began to lag: Sega Megadrive, Commodore, Amiga began to push desperately ZX Spectrum, but after a few years, and he himself had to give a 32-bit system. In the mid-1990s, the championship was divided IBM compatible computers and Apple. However, the main record ZX Spectrum one to beat and could not. We are talking about the decade of leadership. No other computer did not last so long without ustarevaya.

According to the newspaper Business In Web, the similarity of the new device with Spectrum limited only appearance. Replica will be, a wireless, Bluetooth-keyboard design one in a repeat the original ZX Spectrum. The keyboard can be connected to a home computer, smartphone, tablet, smartphone, or even Apple TV, if you want to play on the TV screen. In order not to have to download games from obsolete audio cassettes, you can purchase a digital copy of the game in the Google Play, Windows Store or App Store. Agree - very pleasant trip into the past is possible to arrange one of the free evenings.

Cost is a pleasure to be around 40 pounds (In Russia, in the region of 2000-3000 rubles). At the moment, the initiators of the project are trying to get an investment of 60,000 pounds on Kickstarter, to start full-scale production.

Also, after the announcement of the news of the expected launch of the ZX Spectrum, Commodore company has followed a similar path, and expressed a desire to be cloned as a once-popular computer PC64 (Commodore 64) and run it all the same plastic housing of the late 80s. The filling will be brought into line with modern realities. 8-bit processor MOS will be replaced with a dual-core Atom D525 (1, 8 GHz), and the computer will be installed 4 GB of RAM DDR3. Magnetic tape will replace the hard drive of 1 TB.

As for the price - it is not specified, but we know that the computer should be coming soon.



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