Happy Birthday to ---

[slowcoach]

Happy Birthday to the Sinclair ZX81, 30 Years Old Today. LINK

[Delta Whiskey]

30 years OMG. The ZX81 was my first computer. I built the kit version, I doubt I could do that small needle point soldering work these days.

[joglynne]

Never realised that the ZX81 was released on the same day as my son was born. Maybe he was fated to earn his living with computers. So Happy Birthday to both of them.

[Chris]

I'm afraid my only memory of the ZX81 was laughing at the only kid in my school year who had one - but I suspect that's because most of us didn't really get switched on to home computers until the BBC and the Spectrum came on the scene, by which time the poor ZX81 was already looking very ropey.

[slowcoach]

I was completely unaware of the home computer scene in those days then one day the gaffer's son and his mate came into work, both holding Sinclair Spectrum’s, I couldn't help noticing how excited they both were. Some months later I was passing Curry's in town, they had a load of brown boxes in the window containing a Spectrum Plus together with a tape player and some extra games for the bargain price of £100, within minutes I was walking out of the shop with one, a fateful decision.

I soon realised that I was hopeless at playing games so I turned to coding, amazingly I found this to be very addictive, strange really as up until then my interests had always revolved around the great outdoors.

Even though I have been earning my living coding for the past twenty odd years I still find it just as addictive. If I hadn't bought the Spectrum on the spur of the moment back then I would probably be retired now, sat watching the telly from dawn to dusk, which is why I appreciate that Sir Clive gave me the opportunity to completely change my lifestyle and for that I will never hear a bad word about him, and yes, I still have the old Spectrum Plus bundle stored away.