POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

'Sinclair ZX80 microcomputer' with accessories

Object No. 2007/149/1

The Sinclair ZX80 is a personal computer that was available either as a kit or fully assembled. It was designed and marketed to be connected to a domestic television and had a very small memory which made it capable of handling only trivial programs. The ZX80 was specifically designed to be sold for less than 100 pounds sterling, 20% of the cost of any other available machines at the time of its release. At this price it became the first computer available to a general market. Other kit computers were available but catered to the tastes of the electronics hobbyists and required their skills for assembly. The ZX80 with its moulded plastic casing, completely enclosing and hiding the electronic components, was much more appealing to the non-technical consumer. The broader appeal and low cost meant it became the first introduction many people had to computer programming. In comparison to later models the ZX80 was unreliable and very limited in its application. Users often had to provide their own solutions to the various problems (blue-tac was used to hold the RAM pack in place, frozen milk cartons rested on the machine to combat overheating), but this did not seem to detract from its popularity. The first micro-processor computers were used mainly for business and academic purposes or by electronics hobbyists. The ZX80 was bought and used by people in their homes to learn about and experiment with computer programming. The ZX80 was one of the first "home computers" as distinct from a "personal computer". The quality of the ZX80 at the time of its release was consided to be quite acceptable. But with a drop in the price of machines like the Commodore and the Apple II which had proper keyboards and monitors, the ZX80 (and ZX81) became obsolete. Damian McDonald Curator March 2007