The Sinclair ZX80 (zed-eks) was the first in a series of computers for the general market produced in England. In May 1979, chief engineer Jim Westwood designed a computer than ran on a Z80 processor. This led to the Sinclair ZX80 coming out on 29 January 1980 followed by an American release in February, as a kit and already built. A kit expects the customer to assemble it themselves for £79, or they could buy it pre-assembled for £99. In the computer's name, the Z and 80 refer to the processor and X suggests it has a "mystery ingredient". The most striking thing about the ZX80 is its economic design.

Pence Pinchers

To start with, it came with 1 KB of SRAM. Three-quarters of that were used by the screen, leaving 256 B for BASIC programs, which may be the least user RAM of any computer in history. It provided 4 KB ROM, black-and-white video, and literally NO SOUND but constant white noise. The video is an enigma to me, as every time a key is pressed, the screen "bounces" (turns off and on rapidly). Apparently, the CPU has to run code and work the video signal separately, running back and forth. No power switch/button exists--you plug the power into the computer, turning it on. The membrane keyboard and logic board were built together, resting on a flat piece of plastic. A shell sits on top, with painted-on conductive material on the underside. Both are held together by fasteners instead of screws. On the very top, black lines were painted on, for what reason I don't know, as heat doesn't pass through it. Despite all this, it was a success, selling 100,000 units before getting discontinued in 1981.