Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K - Review & Overview

In this video I take look over the original 48k rubber key Sinclair ZX Spectrum and relive some memories of this iconic 8-bit computer.
Video Links:
Buy my ZX Spectrum book here: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CTCBFSBL
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#retrogaming #zxspectrum #techreview

[@AlanC2020]

I had the 48k model. I remember getting this as an upgrade to the zx81. Colours at last! However there was only the spare black and white TV which was unfortunate! The keyboard was a nightmare. I think I had to get the membrane replaced due to non functioning keys. Perhaps killed them with Daley Thompson's decathlon. The manuals were really good from Sinclair. Was nice getting away from the plug in ram pack on the zx81 which wobbled about. Most played games were manic miner, jet set willy and Elite. Ah the memories! Thanks for bringing them back!

[@TheRetroEngine]

The ZX Spectrum 48K original rocks, the C64 rolls. My ZX Spectrum 48K original was free, I stole it. Ah fond memories. I used to show off in school saying 'oh nooooo that isn't purple, that's m a g e n t a . Didn't have many friends tbh. Also, I used the word DIMension as much as I could. A peice of history - this and previous computers were before the more modern computers which the graphics built and sound etc built on. Yours is in really good condition. What was the weird sound during The Hobbit. Loved seeing that, I used to playthrough! it back in the day, loved text adventures! Great nostalgic trip showing this machine, love it. I talk too much but I loved this, showing off the ZX Spectrum dead-flesh keyboard machine. Thanks.

[@faenethlorhalien]

Owned a Plus back in the day. What a new world it opened my eyes to!

[@joesshows6793]

The scrolling on that driving game is pretty good.

[@srvuk]

A nice trip down memory lane. I went for the C64 in3 because I hated that rubber keyboard. I ended up getting one later for some of the games. It was certainly a very big seller that very quickly became more of a games console than a computer for most people.

[@digitizer3627]

I remember getting this as a hand me down from my cousin how was living in the UK at the time. I already had an MSX and the Speccy had inferior specs compared to the MSX but the games were awesome which I kept getting games for until the summer 1990 when I got the Amiga A500❤. Thanks for the video. Much respect for this little machine which offered computing for the masses.

[@aaronsnowden6311]

The instruction manual is the size of War and Peace. 🤣 Loved the video.

[@drno-xc1yt]

I think many Americans know very little about the more advanced Sinclair machines. In 1982, Timex brought the ZX81 to the USA as the Timex Sinclair 1000, but by 1982 that computer was woefully underpowered relative to the popular Atari 8-bit computers and the Commodore 64, and Timex quickly got out of the computer market. That said, this iteration of the Sinclair is a remarkably capable computer for its day.

[@Inaflap]

I had an Issue 2 16K Spectrum for £125, early in 1983. Much of the software being sold at that point worked on the 16K. After a few months I noticed most of the new titles were for the 48K only, so I bought a cheap 3rd party RAM upgrade. The chips just plugged into sockets on the issue 2 circuit board.

[@timwilcox5158]

yay speccy time.. i own three of them, spectrum + and microdrive, spectrum +2a and Spectrum Next.

[@mellowgeekstudio]

Here in Brazil it was called TK90-X. I am not sure it was a clone because, apart from the name in the top, it was identical to the british one, rubber keys and all. I had the 48k model, but I do remember the sound coming out of the tv so I was confused when you said only the 128k model did that. Maybe ours was some kind of a mutant hybrid, hence the name change. :)

[@TheLairdsLair]

It was a clone that had some extra features: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TK90X

[@neilthomas6042]

Never owned any model, I believe I used one. I was a console user and didn't own any computer. I now wish I did.

[@jessragan6714]

This machine really should have been retired by the time Street Fighter II arrived, yet it got a version of the game which looks like it's running on an Etch-A-Sketch. Even the Commodore 64 didn't have the oomph to handle Street Fighter II, but the ZX Spectrum?!

[@signalcabin]

THREE 60 minute Cassette Tapes in a cellophane pack could be purchased for IR £1 at my local Quinnsworth back in the day ( which ultimately became Tesco )

[@TheLairdsLair]

My mum ran a dancing school so she used to buy TDK C90s by the box at special business rates. She used to tell me that I had to pay her 50p for a tape, but I would just nick them when she wasn't around!

[@TheSudsy]

I had the original 48k after a ZX81 - so the keyboard and the input was second nature. actually a pain in the a** using a proper keyboard like on the BBC, because it was slower.

[@DJKC]

I may be wrong,. But I dont think there were ram packs for the Spectrum. The shop I worked in had to send to a nearby service shop to have chips installed. The only ram pack was unique to Shadow of the Unicorn.

[@TheLairdsLair]

There were quite a few different ones actually, here's an example: www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/35675/Cheetah-32K-RAM-Expansion/

[@buffalodebill7986]

One of my childhood friends had this beast (another one had the C64 and I had the Atari 800XL) - we enjoyed playing games on every computer any of us had, but this machine was the only one I did not enjoy trying to do any programming for. I still recall how I hated the keyboard and how much I was frustrated by the input system as such. Just like you said, the 128K was a huge improvement, especially with the keyboard being at least somewhat tactile, though it still kept the input scheme. If I recall correctly, one of my elementary school classmates had the "+" model, which was also better for non-gaming usage.

[@TheLairdsLair]

The 128k didn't keep the input mode, as I said in the video, it was only needed if you were in 48k mode. The new 128k BASIC had a standard full typing editor.

[@buffalodebill7986]

@@TheLairdsLair I guess you're right, so thanks for the clarification. Indeed, I might have mismatched the two 'higher' models' input scheme - my memories of any of Sinclair computer models are rather foggy, in this regard 🙂 Cheers 🙂

[@adamlee7025]

1st hell yeah a specy vid my first computer i have got 1 still till this day i play my spectrum vega more for convenience...any chance of a future review on the spectrum vega?? Love the content ❤ keep up the good work

[@TheLairdsLair]

I did mention it in the video but I have already looked at the Vega and Vega+, both of those videos are linked in the description.

[@adamlee7025]

@@TheLairdsLair cool I will check them out

[@bubbles581]

I first computer was a timex sinclair. The keyboard suuuuucked and never fully worked right

[@ashley-nq9fm]

For me the 48k spectrum is the only spectrum and is the by far the most iconic spectrum

[@jinchoung]

as an american, I REALLY appreciate the appeal of the rubber key speccy! affordability was soooooo important back then and the fact that sir clive actually cared about accessibility was so huge. and this is something I can only appreciate now but limitations give these 8 bit machines CHARACTER. when I was a kid, I always wanted the latest and greatest and lusted after the newest features on the newest machines but folks who contented themselves with what they had ended up having a lot more fun! I go back to stuff like vic20 now because of the charm of it being so limited and the amazing ingenuity on display when coders were able to squeeze lode runner onto a machine that didn't even have a graphics mode! and the spectrum saving on memory by using the keys as basic tokens, I just consider it that kind of ingenuity - especially since it more or less directly addresses the limitations of the rubbery keyboard. and the fact that basically every kid had it must've created an amazing community where everyone could share and chat about this one unifying aspect of their lives. I don't think any american machine could compete for having THAT level of cultural impact and ubiquity.

[@braillynn4903]

The Apple II is quite ubiquitous and a lot of the best early PC games came out on the Apple II first. But yes, the Speccy beats it in terms of affordability. Even for as long as the Apple II was around.

[@benonemusic]

In America during the early 80s, the Timex Sinclair 1000 was definitely recognized as the least expensive possible option for getting a home computer, at $99.95. The 1K of RAM in the first model jumped out in its specs. I hadn’t realized until now that Sinclair enabled you to use your own tape recorder! I had only known of the ones sold by computer manufacturers such as Commodore.

[@Inaflap]

Just after you said Atari 8-bit was un-affordable @28:18 you showed an advert for an Atari 800XL with cassette recorder and joystick for £79-99. That was the "price crash". Many of the better equipped 8-bit computers were heavily discounted by the mid-1980s. The breadbin C64 was £350 with tape drive in 1983, but down to £200 with a tape drive and software pack at the end of 1985. Sinclair marketed the Spectrum as having hi-res graphics with colour. That wording was important. It's like saying soup with beef, when there's not enough beef to label it beef soup. The Spectrum was hi-res monochrome, with low-res colour. It had sound, but no sound chip, so the CPU had to drop everything whilst the buzzer made a fart noise. The Spectrum was just good enough, but the huge range of software distributed cheaply on cassette was attractive. The BBC micro was attractive, but for its build quality, speed, and great version of BASIC. Shame it always seemed to cost £399, which was a lot for a computer with just 32K RAM. You needed a disk drive for multi-loaders, such as Elite, and a drive cost another £200.

[@iamboody]

Who was asking for more Spectrum content?

[@TheLairdsLair]

Lots of people, as you can see from the delight in the comments!

[@iamboody]

@@TheLairdsLair Reading comprehension not a strong point?

[@TheLairdsLair]

Not for you clearly, as I already pointed out that many of the people who have commented on this very video did. You're also welcome to check previous videos and my community posts if you need more names and it matters to you that much 🙄

[@iamboody]

@@TheLairdsLair Wow. If you are going to respond so aggressively to simple questions I don't think I'll bother

[@TheLairdsLair]

You asked me a stupid question that was clearly trolling those who did ask, then after I actually answered your question (against my better judgement as you should never feed a troll) you attempted to insult me and then when that massively backfired and made you look stupid you tried to point the finger at me for being nasty. Stop the pearl clutching and get back to your black pot.

[@mr.y.mysterious.video1]

48k rubber keys was my first computer followed by a plus 3 but truth be told I always secretly wanted a c64. The spectrum hardware wasn't great

[@arostwocents]

It's fantastic, spectrum homebrew is tonnes better than c64 apart from the odd great c64 game.