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.
@richwickerman5 жыл бұрын
I am sat here as a software developer, all because of that machine.
@zh845 жыл бұрын
Ditto. My first computer in 1983.
@CatWeazle215 жыл бұрын
same here! :)
@gmag115 жыл бұрын
We are many who are closer to computing thanks to this device.
@retrocomputinggrotto4 жыл бұрын
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!
@MoreFunMakingIt2 жыл бұрын
Wow! It’s so cool they donated it. I’m really looking forward to seeing this on display in the future.
@Vokabre5 жыл бұрын
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.
@herrfriberger55 жыл бұрын
But cooler, as they are built with (CMOS) TTL instead of a boring ULA (much like the ZX80).
@dgmills20005 жыл бұрын
Great to see you guys back. This has reminded me that I must make my annual pilgrimage to the centre soon.
@Petertronic5 жыл бұрын
Great to see this valuable Sinclair artifact!
@ChrisWalshZX5 жыл бұрын
Priceless piece of Spectrum history. And what a better new home for it than the centre of computing history :-)
@kevinpalser13525 жыл бұрын
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.
@michaellenderman20155 жыл бұрын
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
@ScottDuensing5 жыл бұрын
Huge "Thank You" to John and Kate Grant.
@DaveCurran5 жыл бұрын
I wonder if it is a coincidence that the missing stickers on the ZX Spectrum prototype keyboard are Z and X?
@RetroTechArchive5 жыл бұрын
Ha, good point!
@joefell53115 жыл бұрын
This is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing in a video. Love computer history.
@jumbosinbad3605 жыл бұрын
Fantastic to see this, thank you gentlemen.
@myrrdyn5 жыл бұрын
Would be interesting to know if there is been a spike in traffic after the Computerphile video
@TheStevenWhiting5 жыл бұрын
Ironically the keyboard looks better.
@TheTurnipKing5 жыл бұрын
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.
@ByteDelight5 жыл бұрын
I love to visit the COCH again soon! Will bring my kids this time.
@astaffolani4 жыл бұрын
empece a programar en un spectrum de niño en argentina, muy agradecido por este video
@Xoferif5 жыл бұрын
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. =)
@vectrexer5 жыл бұрын
Fantastic. Thanks for sharing guys.
@ctrlaltrees5 жыл бұрын
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.
@1337Shockwav35 жыл бұрын
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.
@1337Shockwav35 жыл бұрын
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
@martinjh9995 жыл бұрын
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...
@michaeltaylor86285 жыл бұрын
Amazing, thanks for sharing this.
@herrfriberger55 жыл бұрын
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.
@northernmun5 жыл бұрын
Wow. Excellent please more videos :=)
@Starter613 жыл бұрын
Oh I was expecting that they would power it up ! Still a very interesting video, though !
@kev73455 жыл бұрын
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
@stephenthornber19615 жыл бұрын
Wonderful!
@garyplowman74215 жыл бұрын
Wow! Amazing!!
@Sloposse5 жыл бұрын
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?
@RetroTechArchive5 жыл бұрын
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!
@Sloposse5 жыл бұрын
@@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 :)
@stupossibleify5 жыл бұрын
Can you read the ROM and try it in a production unit?
@MrMaxeemum5 жыл бұрын
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.
@jaycee19804 жыл бұрын
The ROMs have now been dumped by the CCH
@74HC1385 жыл бұрын
I hope you try to power it up some day (soon) :-)
@willwoodvine1435 жыл бұрын
Is there any chance of some hi-res close-up photos of the pcb, front and back?
@RetroTechArchive5 жыл бұрын
Yes, there's every chance. We'll be doing this in due course ... :)
@Brian_Of_Melbourne5 жыл бұрын
Seconded.
@herrfriberger55 жыл бұрын
That is not a pcb (i.e. printed circuit board :)
@MrCroky1235 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the magic ;)
@Fifury1615 жыл бұрын
Interesting - are those ESD gloves?
@SimonJackson134 жыл бұрын
Rubber killing the semiconduction of the wrist strap?
@RichMye-wx1ob6 ай бұрын
Shame the keyboard was also not the prototype for the end production
@michaelstevens6305 жыл бұрын
But you should have powered it up - never mind debating if pots or adjustable caps. Speccy power look carefully before more pontifications.
@sarreqteryx5 жыл бұрын
but… does it run?
@thebongmaster5 жыл бұрын
Crysis? :0
@TrebleWing5 жыл бұрын
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!!!
@SelfIndulgentGamer5 жыл бұрын
I got very nervous when I clicked on this vid :D thought it was a vega + thing :D
@GTropinin5 жыл бұрын
Oh, neat!
@aceofhearts5735 жыл бұрын
You guys should try and make an electric car like Sir Clive Sinclaire !!!!
@MarcKloos5 жыл бұрын
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_Adventures4 жыл бұрын
Make more videos good damit!
@MCNOISE6665 жыл бұрын
Why have you swapped places?
@Rockythefishman5 жыл бұрын
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
@dylandailey31915 жыл бұрын
Puts on gloves, then immediately rubs his face. GAH!!!
@Sinclair_Research5 жыл бұрын
My Baby!!! :D
@AlexA-qm7pu5 жыл бұрын
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...
@RetroTechArchive5 жыл бұрын
Sorry, We're a museum not a video production company :(