NAME  

ZX 80

MANUFACTURER  

Sinclair

TYPE  

Home Computer

ORIGIN  

United Kingdom

YEAR  

February 1980

END OF PRODUCTION 

1981

BUILT IN LANGUAGE 

Sinclair Basic

KEYBOARD  

Membrane keyboard, 40 keys, 1 SHIFT key

CPU  

NEC 780C-1 (Z80 compatible)

SPEED  

3.25 MHz

RAM  

1 KB, 901 bytes available (upgradeable to 64 KB)

ROM  

4 KB. Can be expended to 8 KB, thereby making it almost a ZX81

TEXT MODES  

32 chars. x 22 lines

GRAPHIC MODES  

64 x 44 dots

COLORS  

Monochrome

SOUND  

None

SIZE / WEIGHT 

21,9 (W) x 17,5 (D) x 4 (H) cm / 375 gr.

I/O PORTS 

Z80 Bus, tape, TV/RF video

POWER SUPPLY 

9v DC, external PSU

PERIPHERALS  

16 KB RAM extension

PRICE  

Kit model: ё79.95 (UK, 1980)
Assembled model: ё99.95 (UK, 1980)
190 e(France, 1980)

 

Sinclair ZX-80

ZX-80

 After the modest but encouraging success of the MK-14 (initiation board with hexadecimal keyboard), Sinclair (at the time Sciences of Cambridge) decided to develop a slightly more advanced computer.

The ZX-80 is regarded as a pioneer system in micro computing as at the time the only available computers were kits for hobbyists like the MK-14 or more expensive systems intended for education or research such as the Tandy TRS-80 or the Commodore PET.