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Started with a ZX-81 clone. The factor I liked most was the attention with the manuals, they really cared to teach the basics of programming, even low-level thi

by epx 5y ago

Started with a ZX-81 clone. The factor I liked most was the attention with the manuals, they really cared to teach the basics of programming, even low-level things, to the layman.

rwmj 5y ago
Steve Vickers wrote that manual. A couple of decades later he taught me an impenetrable course on mathematical structures in computer science. (My previous comments about that: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23760382 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23760382 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26375986 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26375986)
billti 5y ago
I memorized the ZX81 (and Spectrum) manuals back to front. Around age 11 I used to write out assembly long-hand and "poke" the OpCodes into memory to write programs and drivers. I really credit what has now been a long and happy career in software development to the affordable computers Sir Clive developed. (My family was pretty poor growing up, but I convinced my Dad to spring the 80 pounds or so for one after I borrowed a friend's and took to it). What you could do was limited enough that you could master it, and I really think that's a good thing for education and motivation. When I think about teaching my kids to program today, I effectively get "choice paralysis" from all the paths I could go down and the options within easy reach.
- stevekemp 5y ago
  Same here - writing code in assembly, on paper, then looking up the opcodes in the back of the orange manual. Having to write out the bytes and using DATA to store them, and POKE to put them in-memory. Calculating the JMP offsets by hand, and taking the time to SAVE to cassette before running it for the first time. I didn't write much assembly, but I spent a hell of a long time removing protection from Spectrum games, and patching the code to give me infinite lives/time.
LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
Self soldered my first computer ever from a ZX81 kit. They were available as bargain sellout at the time(1985). When other people already used Commodore64 or the first Amigas or Atari STs. But I've been sceptic and low on funds :-) Wasn't that difficult because there weren't much parts. And no SMD. Scale was almost like electronic breadbording. And it worked for the first time! Regarding the Handbook, compare this image of the cover [1] https://i.imgur.com/0WarG.jpg https://i.imgur.com/0WarG.jpg with [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaxxon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaxxon I felt so very, very Zaxxonized! Anyway, it lasted me about half a year, where I got a 16KB RAM extension, learned how to duct-tape this so I don't get resets, a data-capable cassette recorder for reliable storage, which my ghetto blaster didn't do, learned Z80 assembly including illegals, replaced parts of the ROM with RAM to get glorious 256x192 pixels in black & white instead of block graphics, and finally got an Atari 520stfm with flicker free 640x400 pixels on 12 inches, because why not? I've already been used to BW from the ZX81.
- Angostura 5y ago
  That image of the manual gave me the same visceral jolt of excitement that it did when I first saw it in 81
  - Sosh101 5y ago
    I miss the fantasy/scifi art that was used at the time.

by epx 5y ago

Started with a ZX-81 clone. The factor I liked most was the attention with the manuals, they really cared to teach the basics of programming, even low-level things, to the layman.

rwmj 5y ago

Steve Vickers wrote that manual. A couple of decades later he taught me an impenetrable course on mathematical structures in computer science. (My previous comments about that: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23760382 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23760382 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26375986 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26375986)

billti 5y ago

I memorized the ZX81 (and Spectrum) manuals back to front. Around age 11 I used to write out assembly long-hand and "poke" the OpCodes into memory to write programs and drivers. I really credit what has now been a long and happy career in software development to the affordable computers Sir Clive developed. (My family was pretty poor growing up, but I convinced my Dad to spring the 80 pounds or so for one after I borrowed a friend's and took to it). What you could do was limited enough that you could master it, and I really think that's a good thing for education and motivation. When I think about teaching my kids to program today, I effectively get "choice paralysis" from all the paths I could go down and the options within easy reach.

stevekemp 5y ago
Same here - writing code in assembly, on paper, then looking up the opcodes in the back of the orange manual. Having to write out the bytes and using DATA to store them, and POKE to put them in-memory. Calculating the JMP offsets by hand, and taking the time to SAVE to cassette before running it for the first time. I didn't write much assembly, but I spent a hell of a long time removing protection from Spectrum games, and patching the code to give me infinite lives/time.

LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago

Self soldered my first computer ever from a ZX81 kit. They were available as bargain sellout at the time(1985). When other people already used Commodore64 or the first Amigas or Atari STs. But I've been sceptic and low on funds :-) Wasn't that difficult because there weren't much parts. And no SMD. Scale was almost like electronic breadbording. And it worked for the first time! Regarding the Handbook, compare this image of the cover [1] https://i.imgur.com/0WarG.jpg https://i.imgur.com/0WarG.jpg with [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaxxon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaxxon I felt so very, very Zaxxonized! Anyway, it lasted me about half a year, where I got a 16KB RAM extension, learned how to duct-tape this so I don't get resets, a data-capable cassette recorder for reliable storage, which my ghetto blaster didn't do, learned Z80 assembly including illegals, replaced parts of the ROM with RAM to get glorious 256x192 pixels in black & white instead of block graphics, and finally got an Atari 520stfm with flicker free 640x400 pixels on 12 inches, because why not? I've already been used to BW from the ZX81.

Angostura 5y ago
That image of the manual gave me the same visceral jolt of excitement that it did when I first saw it in 81
- Sosh101 5y ago
  I miss the fantasy/scifi art that was used at the time.