Sinclair Research

How many 8-bit computers can you name that shipped with a power supply that look better than many computers? Thought so.

Break Space Issue 7 is available now, featuring all the ZX Spectrum news and reviews you can handle. We interview Denis Grachev from Retrosouls, Chris Smith, Rich Hollins and Graham Relf. Plus a report from Crash Live, and a review of some Spectrum clones breakspace.itch.io/break-space-...

AI created Bomber man clone, with "proper" assets, and some technical help/prompts when it got stuck, or something wasn't done/felt "right". Written to test #CSpect's new MCP interface, which it used to test everything here. #ZXNext #ZXSpectrumNext www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk5X...

The Frankie Goes To Hollywood game - impenetrable ZX Spectrum/Commodore 64 oddity about having to traverse Liverpool collecting 'emotions' while a murder mystery may or may not take place in the background. Also notable for Ped's bizarre head-tilt angle. timworthington.org/2018/07/17/l...

There's a new Hidden Palace podcast episode! This one is an interview with Dr. Mark Eyles about: * Writing for the UK's Sonic the Comic * The early ZX-81 and ZX Spectrum gaming scene. * Designing games in the 1990s for Sega, Rebellion, and others. hiddenpalace.substack.com/p/hidden-pal...

"a distinctively British approach to artificial intelligence"

Send me an email RobManuel@gmail.com and I'll put you in touch with publisher on how to stock it. (It's very good btw! I mean I would say that, but it's not a dashed off cash-in for the obviously fantastically lucrative ZX81 market, it's six months work and a work of love)

New 1942-esque shooter for the ZX81. youtu.be/2SlBHJ894ZY

New #ZXSpectrum game has been released by Juan J. Martínez (Author of Night Knight, Rescuing Orc, Brick Rick: Graveyard Shift and others). Outpost is a new platform-adventure game in Juan's gaming style, great graphics, sound and gameplay. www.usebox.net/jjm/outpost/

The only legit way to make games is in your parents' basement on a ZX Spectrum or Commodore 64. Apple II is a marginal case and you should consider upgrading by 2030.

Is this against nature?

Someone can grab a bargain today. Reduced the price for the last one further. 😆

Luxury!

It seems both The Clueless Engineer and I, entirely separately, and on opposite sides of the globe, had a sudden urge earlier this month, to dig out a TS1500 and connect it up to a ZXpand via an extender card. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBAt... blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2026/10/load... Snap!

Ever had a problem loading programs into a ZX81 or ZX Spectrum using a stereo 3.5mm jack? This may be why. Look at the photos, the jack sockets connect to the tip and the ring, not the sleeve. That's fine for a mono TS jack, but a stereo TRS jack connects to left and right, no connection to ground.

New blog post - looking at Cosmic Snake for the VIC20, which rather unusually for a Commodore BASIC program, contains machine code in REM statements. blog.tynemouthsoftware.co.uk/2026/10/cosm...

The “Learn Prolog” app was finally approved. If this programming language passed you by, or just confused you, here’s a chance to learn it on your iPhone. apps.apple.com/us/app/learn...

The ZX Spectrum's attribute clash wasn't a bug. It was a feature that the hardware designers hadn't fully thought through, which Sinclair's marketing department promptly turned into a game design design challenge.

The ZX81 came with 1K of RAM. If you wanted more, you bought a RAM pack. And everyone did."

If you had a ZX81 I bet you’ve read a book or article by R A Penfold.

Robert Arthur Penfold is a well known electronics designer and wrote many books on electronics and articles for projects in the Maplin Magazine. He has sadly passed away 😔 RIP. sdiy.info/wiki/R._A._P...

Found it! Check out the wobbly constructions pictured on the back of the box. Things were already dicey when the printer was also attached, so I can’t imagine those

TGIF

Sinclair Research would like to inform you that the ZX Spectrum's rubber keys have been designed to last approximately three months of enthusiastic typing. Please contact us if yours have survived longer — we'd like to run them through our laboratory. Probably for science.

The fun of #ZXSpectrum magazine covertapes. I found a small selection in a charity shop this week. There were a few I'd have been interested in to fill some gaps but the tape in every cassette there showed signs of mould.

Sinclair Research would like to clarify that the ZX Spectrum is not a toy. It is a serious business computer that happens to be the same size as a paperback novel, costs less than a bicycle, and is used almost exclusively by children to play Horace Goes Skiing.

Andesite, our ZX Spectrum Next emulator, has been getting an accuracy pass. The latest work brings compatibility with more demanding Next software. Here's Atic Atac for the Next running on Andesite. #ZXSpectrumNext #Emulation

You Can Safely Break the Hardware of a Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum in this Simulator www.threads.com/share/BCNbDd...

Well, there is the Commodore PET in 40 or 80 column, ZX80, ZX81, Jupiter Ace. Lots of choice there and some new challenges.

Heavy footsteps was enough to trigger the ZX81 wobble crash in our household. Such was its associated experience with the computer, the EightyOne and iOS/iPadOS/watchOS emulators have an option to relive the pain.

Yes, the Minstrel 3 does support high-resolution modes. ZX81 BASIC for the Minstrel 4th does not.

New book! spelk.press/gb/products/...

New from me: Hacking the Pico RomWBW #RetroComputing z80.timholyoake.uk/hacking-the-...

Who else learned what "volatile memory" meant not from a textbook, but from accidentally kicking the power cable out of the wall and losing three hours of work? Or a wobble? The ZX81 taught computer science through trauma. It was surprisingly effective.

Ceefax has news of the Z88 launch, 26/8/1987... www.teletextarchive.com/Pages/Detail...

ZX History - October 1987: The Cambridge Z88!

SIM City on the Z88

New ZX Spectrum emulator for Windows. jollyware.itch.io/spectrava

Was unpacking some books this morning and somehow I missed this one when I bought a Timex Sinclair 1000 a couple years ago. It’s got a comic book adventure and when the big fight comes, you write a BASIC game included in the back. Neat!

I started troubleshooting a Timex Sinclair 1000 personal computer and so far the only problem seems to be the keyboard and a janky video test setup. #retrocomputing infosec.exchange/@FuturisticR...

First time I have seen this computer. not too many have been mentioed that I have seen. Have you heard about it? #zxspectrum #zx81 #retrocomputing

And the difference between writing trivial LED apps and writing Microchess. #ComputationalThinking #GOFAI

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was available in two colours: black with a rainbow stripe, or a rainbow stripe with black. Sir Clive believed in giving customers choice, provided all choices were identical. Well, ok, 16 or 48K

Remember that Nine Tiles struggled to squeeze everything in the 8 K ROM, including floating point.

You could always spot someone who learned basic on a Sinclair machine as they spelled GOTO as two words: "GO TO"