4 ms·

Hopefully it's in FAST mode.

Theodores 6y ago
If you are over 47 and from the UK then this joke is extremely funny. Laugh out loud funny. I don't believe anyone outside this niche truly gets it. Brilliant.
- deaddodo 6y ago
  Meh, I'd say anyone who remembers Turbo mode on PCs would understand the spirit, at least.
  - robotresearcher 6y ago
    FAST mode disabled the screen raster output to allow more cycles for user code. The TV monitor was free to improvise its output, which for me was alarming rolling garbage and an audible whine. Turbo mode changed the clock speed, which was a less hectic experience.
    - sgt 6y ago
      Turbo mode actually lowered the clock speed.
- empressplay 6y ago
  Not just the UK -- the North American variant Timex Sinclair 1000 was fairly popular too (relatively speaking)
  - classichasclass 6y ago
    It may have sold in some numbers in North America, but remember that Commodore had a trade-in offer and some chains like Fast Eddie's offered the T/S 1000 at a bargain price solely to allow people to get the discount. Commodore reportedly used some of them as doorstops!
- pmontra 6y ago
  It sold well also outside the UK and I remember fast mode. But I might miss the joke. Was FAST something / somebody in the UK back in the 80s?
  - Theodores 6y ago
    As robotresearcher says in a parallel comment chain, FAST mode was without the screen running. Normally the ZX81 only did anything during the vertical blanking, most of the time it was drawing the screen. If you enabled FAST mode then it could go ten times quicker or more. Sure the ZX81 sold internationally but it was so much more successful in the home market than overseas.
- 8fingerlouie 6y ago
  Not just the UK. the ZX-81 sold well in most of Europe. I'm from Denmark and i got the joke :D
  - cromulent 6y ago
    Australian owner checking in
zepto 6y ago
It may as well be since the screen doesn’t matter.
l33tman 6y ago
This joke is not just applicable to the ZX81, in fact the general idea of a RAM shared as video RAM and CPU RAM lives on today, just much less noticeable. And as an older example, the Commodore Amiga performed much worse CPU-wise if you used highres, you had "chip mem" and "fast mem" as a consequence etc. The ZX80 and ZX81 just took a somewhat, ahem, less subtle (but efficient!) approach to get those cycles to the CPU :)

If you are over 47 and from the UK then this joke is extremely funny. Laugh out loud funny. I don't believe anyone outside this niche truly gets it. Brilliant.

deaddodo 6y ago
Meh, I'd say anyone who remembers Turbo mode on PCs would understand the spirit, at least.
- robotresearcher 6y ago
  FAST mode disabled the screen raster output to allow more cycles for user code. The TV monitor was free to improvise its output, which for me was alarming rolling garbage and an audible whine. Turbo mode changed the clock speed, which was a less hectic experience.
  - sgt 6y ago
    Turbo mode actually lowered the clock speed.
empressplay 6y ago
Not just the UK -- the North American variant Timex Sinclair 1000 was fairly popular too (relatively speaking)
- classichasclass 6y ago
  It may have sold in some numbers in North America, but remember that Commodore had a trade-in offer and some chains like Fast Eddie's offered the T/S 1000 at a bargain price solely to allow people to get the discount. Commodore reportedly used some of them as doorstops!
pmontra 6y ago
It sold well also outside the UK and I remember fast mode. But I might miss the joke. Was FAST something / somebody in the UK back in the 80s?
- Theodores 6y ago
  As robotresearcher says in a parallel comment chain, FAST mode was without the screen running. Normally the ZX81 only did anything during the vertical blanking, most of the time it was drawing the screen. If you enabled FAST mode then it could go ten times quicker or more. Sure the ZX81 sold internationally but it was so much more successful in the home market than overseas.
8fingerlouie 6y ago
Not just the UK. the ZX-81 sold well in most of Europe. I'm from Denmark and i got the joke :D
- cromulent 6y ago
  Australian owner checking in

zepto 6y ago

It may as well be since the screen doesn’t matter.

l33tman 6y ago

This joke is not just applicable to the ZX81, in fact the general idea of a RAM shared as video RAM and CPU RAM lives on today, just much less noticeable. And as an older example, the Commodore Amiga performed much worse CPU-wise if you used highres, you had "chip mem" and "fast mem" as a consequence etc. The ZX80 and ZX81 just took a somewhat, ahem, less subtle (but efficient!) approach to get those cycles to the CPU :)