The Prototype Sinclair ZX Spectrum!!

[@GarySpender]

Visited yesterday and saw this , made an old man very happy 👍🏻 , lots of childhood memories there . Many of these served to get me into software development. The Spectrum prototype made my day.

[@richwickerman]

I am sat here as a software developer, all because of that machine.

[@zh84]

Ditto. My first computer in 1983.

[@CatWeazle21]

same here! :)

[@gmag11]

We are many who are closer to computing thanks to this device.

[@retrocomputinggrotto]

I was lucky enough to see this on display at the Centre for Computing History, I wasnt expecting to see it there so it was a very nice surprise! Amazing to see the handwritten stickers on the keys and glad it has ended up in a museum and not in a private collection as this is a big part of home computer history!

[@MoreFunMakingIt]

Wow! It’s so cool they donated it. I’m really looking forward to seeing this on display in the future.

[@Vokabre]

A very impressive find. Come to think of it, ZX Spectrum made a full circle. In later years, after being discontinued, the platform continued its life in enthusiast-built computers, which often did indeed looked like this prototype.

[@herrfriberger5]

But cooler, as they are built with (CMOS) TTL instead of a boring ULA (much like the ZX80).

[@dgmills2000]

Great to see you guys back. This has reminded me that I must make my annual pilgrimage to the centre soon.

[@Petertronic]

Great to see this valuable Sinclair artifact!

[@ChrisWalshZX]

Priceless piece of Spectrum history. And what a better new home for it than the centre of computing history :-)

[@kevinpalser1352]

Thank you for posting this video! Such a delight to see a surviving prototype with so many interesting details. And a huge thank you to Nine Tiles - John is a true gent and has always been very patient answering my enquires.

[@michaellenderman2015]

My first computer was ZX Spectrum. And my fully made it myself using similar components! Still own it, don't know if it works but it looks exactly like 25 tears ago. Later on, I attached discette srive and sound processor and increased the memory to 128K

[@ScottDuensing]

Huge "Thank You" to John and Kate Grant.

[@DaveCurran]

I wonder if it is a coincidence that the missing stickers on the ZX Spectrum prototype keyboard are Z and X?

[@RetroTechArchive]

Ha, good point!

[@joefell5311]

This is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing in a video. Love computer history.

[@jumbosinbad360]

Fantastic to see this, thank you gentlemen.

[@myrrdyn]

Would be interesting to know if there is been a spike in traffic after the Computerphile video

[@TheStevenWhiting]

Ironically the keyboard looks better.

[@TheTurnipKing]

Those keys would have been available (you can find similar keys on many devices at the time such as cash registers and the like) but commercial designs were likely too expensive to find a home on a sub-£100 micro. But evidently not too expensive for prototyping with while they engineered the membrane and matrix versions, and similar keys would find a home on many third party keyboards, however. So, not really ironic, but perhaps iconoclastic.

[@ByteDelight]

I love to visit the COCH again soon! Will bring my kids this time.

[@astaffolani]

empece a programar en un spectrum de niño en argentina, muy agradecido por este video

[@Xoferif]

I imagine that "30 Jun 1430" means "Half past two on the afternoon of 30th June". Sometimes the simplest methods of version control are the best. =)

[@vectrexer]

Fantastic. Thanks for sharing guys.

[@ctrlaltrees]

Now this is a real piece of computing history (like a lot of the amazing exhibits you have at the museum of course!) Thanks for the video guys, really interesting overview.

[@1337Shockwav3]

Have you compared the ROMs? Apart from being an incredible artefact, that's probably the most interesting part of this prototype (apart from the question if it works or not of course, but that can wait). At one point I'll be restoring this machine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIHco6iejc2gsNk A one of a kind handwired ZX clone from the GDR.

[@1337Shockwav3]

Plot twist: I've started working on that machine shortly after that comment ... after verifying 10 ICs as dead and making sure there are no shorts it's still lightly alive: i.imgur.com/1QOMlpK.jpg Sadly the board is super touch sensitive (probably corroded sockets + cold solderjoints) making it near impossible to repair. Some PCB scans here: imgur.com/a/hH7SUgH

[@martinjh999]

This is interesting to me as the first computer I had was a Spectrum... Went from a Spectrum to an Atari ST then a PC.... Hope it does work when you plug it in and I can't wait to see the result...

[@michaeltaylor8628]

Amazing, thanks for sharing this.

[@herrfriberger5]

7:20 - I don't think they worked on the ZX80 integer BASIC (or the intricate video routines in the 4K or 8K ROMs of the ZX80/81). But sure, Vickers at Nine Tiles did the ZX81 floating point BASIC as well.

[@northernmun]

Wow. Excellent please more videos :=)

[@Starter61]

Oh I was expecting that they would power it up ! Still a very interesting video, though !

[@kev7345]

Interesting piece of computing history .. would be even more interested to see if it powers up and allows you to type in a basic program or two

[@stephenthornber1961]

Wonderful!

[@garyplowman7421]

Wow! Amazing!!

[@Sloposse]

In the voice of sir clive himself, its a bloody ugly thing. Very cool to see it, any chance of seeing it actually working or just turned on to see the copyright message?

[@RetroTechArchive]

Haha :) We'll be checking it out electrically, dumping the ROMs and then seeing if we can power it up ... When we do, we'll make another video!

[@Sloposse]

@@RetroTechArchive Oh thats great news I cant wait to see that. A lot of spectrum anoraks have already got a hard on seeing this prototype video :)

[@stupossibleify]

Can you read the ROM and try it in a production unit?

[@MrMaxeemum]

I'm sure others have already said, we would love to see this thing working, What are the ROMs programmed with? are there some test routines or some other interesting code in there? I suppose due to it's rarity you don't really want to mess with it but I think it's at least worth trying to copy the ROMs and build a replica with new copies of the ROMs to experiment with.

[@jaycee1980]

The ROMs have now been dumped by the CCH

[@74HC138]

I hope you try to power it up some day (soon) :-)

[@willwoodvine143]

Is there any chance of some hi-res close-up photos of the pcb, front and back?

[@RetroTechArchive]

Yes, there's every chance. We'll be doing this in due course ... :)

[@Brian_Of_Melbourne]

Seconded.

[@herrfriberger5]

That is not a pcb (i.e. printed circuit board :)

[@MrCroky123]

Thanks for the magic ;)

[@Fifury161]

Interesting - are those ESD gloves?

[@SimonJackson13]

Rubber killing the semiconduction of the wrist strap?

[@RichMye-wx1ob]

Shame the keyboard was also not the prototype for the end production

[@michaelstevens630]

But you should have powered it up - never mind debating if pots or adjustable caps. Speccy power look carefully before more pontifications.

[@sarreqteryx]

but… does it run?

[@thebongmaster]

Crysis? :0

[@TrebleWing]

I hope you find the time and proper way to remove and dump the roms. Likely not 27 series. And to please please test the board with no chips in and test that the voltages won't ruin your day before it's actually fired up COOL STUFF!!!

[@SelfIndulgentGamer]

I got very nervous when I clicked on this vid :D thought it was a vega + thing :D

[@GTropinin]

Oh, neat!

[@aceofhearts573]

You guys should try and make an electric car like Sir Clive Sinclaire !!!!

[@MarcKloos]

It looks very similar to those Soviet Spectrum clones from around 1986-1996! beta.collectorsbridge.com/collections/sinclair-computers-and-clones/article/ntk-composite

[@Bullboy_Adventures]

Make more videos good damit!

[@MCNOISE666]

Why have you swapped places?

[@Rockythefishman]

now that really is a rare thing. I hope the ROMs will get dumped at some point. Wire warp was always a knightmare went I had to do it, one mistake and hours of work wasted

[@dylandailey3191]

Puts on gloves, then immediately rubs his face. GAH!!!

[@Sinclair_Research]

My Baby!!! :D

[@AlexA-qm7pu]

Pretty nice! Please do something with lighting. Color reproduction is far from adequate. Board photo on museum site is also far from ideal - large flare spot...

[@RetroTechArchive]

Sorry, We're a museum not a video production company :(

[@luisdardis5223]

looks like a russian zx spectrum proto

[@Vamptonius]

Dated on my birthday.

[@alynicholls3230]

me too!.