iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

A graphical desktop for the ZX Spectrum 48K, written in Z80 assembly. github.com/mindbox77/zx...

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

TGIF time. This week the start of a simple game for the ZX81. The .p file is available if you want to try it. github.com/GrantMeStren...

0131

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

If you combined all the processing power of every exhibit in the Computer History Museum - and there are a lot of - it still wouldn’t match your phone. Progress is scary.

1251

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The Jupiter Ace was launched this day in 1982. Happy Birthday, little plastic Forth buddy! #jupiterace

1371

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

TGIF The amount of time I spent tinkering with code like this..

2121

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The Spectrum was banned in several Eastern Bloc countries but cloned extensively. The Pentagon (Bulgarian clone) had better sound hardware than the original. Irony.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The Spectrum was banned in several Eastern Bloc countries but cloned extensively. The Pentagon (Bulga

071

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

POKE 23609,255 set the keyboard click duration to maximum. The most annoying first line of code every child wrote. Sorry, mum.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: POKE 23609,255 set the keyboard click duration to maximum. The most annoying first line of code every ch

0111

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Sir Clive's C5 electric vehicle flopped harder than any Spectrum game ever did. At least bad games didn't put you in traffic at knee height.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Sir Clive's C5 electric vehicle flopped harder than any Spectrum game ever did. At least bad games didn't

0101

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The ZX Spectrum Next's copper coprocessor can change colours mid-scanline. The attribute clash problem, solved 40 years late. Better late than never.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The ZX Spectrum Next's copper coprocessor can change colours mid-scanline.

0140

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Atic Atac: top-down maze exploration in a haunted castle. Three character classes. Secret passages through fireplaces. Ultimate at their peak.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Atic Atac: top-down maze exploration in a haunted castle. Three character classes. Secret passages t

0120

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

48K Spectrums drew about 700mA from a 9V supply through a regulator that got hot enough to fry an egg on. No fan. Tiny heatsink. Thermal bravery.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: 48K Spectrums drew about 700mA from a 9V supply through a regulator that got hot enough to fry an egg on

1170

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The Spectrum's beeper could only produce one channel of sound. Somehow Tim Follin made it sound like a full orchestra was trapped inside. Witchcraft.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The Spectrum's beeper could only produce one channel of sound. Somehow Tim Follin made it sound li

1150

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Speedlock protection: the copy protection that drove pirates absolutely mad. Lenslok: the copy protection that drove legitimate buyers absolutely mad.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Speedlock protection: the copy protection that drove pirates absolutely mad. Lenslok: the copy prote

2120

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

LET a$="Sinclair BASIC string handling was actually decent" PRINT a$(1 TO 10) Substring slicing built into the language. Python borrowed this. I will not be taking questions.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: LET a$="Sinclair BASIC string handling was actually decent" PRINT a$(1 TO 10) Substring slicing bu

3240

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

There was a Timex Computer 2048 made in Portugal. The Portuguese Spectrum. Portugal was Spectrum country and proud of it.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: There was a Timex Computer 2048 made in Portugal. The Portuguese Spectrum. Portugal was Spectrum coun

190

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

ZX81 BASIC ran so slowly you could literally watch your FOR-NEXT loop counting on screen. Modern developers call this 'observability'. We called it Wednesday.

ZX81 screen showing: ZX81 BASIC ran so slowly you could literally watch your FOR-NEXT loop counting on screen. Modern developers call

1120

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The Spectrum +2 was actually an Amstrad product. Grey case, built-in tape deck, proper keyboard. Functional but soulless. Like a cover band.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The Spectrum +2 was actually an Amstrad product. Grey case, built-in tape deck, proper keyboard. Fun

1111

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Remember when this was state of the art? Are you retired yet?

9385

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Elite on the Spectrum: wireframe 3D, eight galaxies, 2000+ planets, trading, combat, docking. All in 48KB with room to spare. Braben and Bell were wizards.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Elite on the Spectrum: wireframe 3D, eight galaxies, 2000+ planets, trading, combat, docking. All in 48K

090

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Clive Sinclair never used computers himself. He was an inventor, not a user. He built the revolution and watched it from outside.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Clive Sinclair never used computers himself. He was an inventor, not a user. He built the revolut

1110

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

The Interface 2 had two joystick ports and a ROM cartridge slot. Games loaded instantly from cartridge. It was like living in the future. It flopped.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The Interface 2 had two joystick ports and a ROM cartridge slot. Games loaded instantly from cartr

280

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

RANDOMIZE USR 0 was a reset command. Sometimes you could trick your friends into typing it.

170

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Dizzy was an egg. A sentient, tumbling egg in a fantasy world. And it was one of the best-selling Spectrum series ever. The 80s were fun.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Dizzy was an egg. A sentient, tumbling egg in a fantasy world. And it was one of the best-selling Spectrum

0171

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

The ZX Spectrum had a resolution of 256x192. Your phone's camera sensor has more pixels in a single row.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The ZX Spectrum had a resolution of 256x192. Your phone's camera sensor has more pixels in a sin

0122

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

BORDER 2: the red border of many loading screens. A colour so burned into collective memory that seeing it still triggers a Pavlovian response in anyone born before 1980.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: BORDER 2: the red border of many loading screens. A colour so burned into collective memory that see

090

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Head Over Heels: two characters, independent control, puzzle solving, isometric perfection. Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond made a masterpiece in 48KB.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Head Over Heels: two characters, independent control, puzzle solving, isometric perfection. Jon Ritman and

0131

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Sinclair sold the QL as a business machine. It came with Psion software suite - genuinely good word processor and spreadsheet. Nobody bought it for that.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Sinclair sold the QL as a business machine. It came with Psion software suite - genuinely good word proc

090

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

The ZX Printer used spark-sensitive aluminium paper that smelled like burning. Peak Sinclair price-first engineering.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The ZX Printer used spark-sensitive aluminium paper that smelled like burning. Peak Sinclair pr

370

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Z80 assembly: LD A, (HL) - one byte, four T-states. Efficient. Completely incomprehensible to me at age 12 but I typed it in anyway.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Z80 assembly: LD A, (HL) - one byte, four T-states. Efficient. Completely incomprehensible to me at age 12

0100

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

The Spectrum 128 was designed in Spain by Investronica because Sinclair Research was too busy going bankrupt. Outsourcing before it was cool.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The Spectrum 128 was designed in Spain by Investronica because Sinclair Research was too busy going ban

1143

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

If you ran out of memory on an unexpanded ZX81 the screen would simply collapse from 24 lines down to however many you could afford. Dynamic resource allocation.

ZX81 screen showing: If you ran out of memory on an unexpanded ZX81 the screen would simply collapse from 24 lines down to however

190

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Sabre Wulf took 8 weeks to code and sold 350,000 copies. Return on investment that would make a venture capitalist weep.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Sabre Wulf took 8 weeks to code and sold 350,000 copies. Return on investment that would make

1101

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The Spectrum's ULA chip did the work of about 18 separate logic chips. Ferranti crammed an entire computer's glue logic into one custom IC.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: The Spectrum's ULA chip did the work of about 18 separate logic chips. Ferranti crammed an entire compu

090

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Kinda funny when you think how Sinclair made watches back in the day! apps.apple.com/app/id118011...

2306

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Ocean Software's coin-op conversions were either incredible or crimes against gaming. No middle ground. Never any middle ground.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Ocean Software's coin-op conversions were either incredible or crimes against gaming. No middle ground. N

0150

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

PEEK 23672 gives you the system frame counter on the Spectrum. Useful for timing and you felt clever knowing it.

080

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The ZX Spectrum Next exists and it's beautiful. FPGA-based, compatible, expandable. Got one? Getting one?

4160

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Imagine Software collapsed owing 10 million pounds and their last game was never finished. The BBC documented the whole thing in real time.

ZX Spectrum screen showing: Imagine Software collapsed owing 10 million pounds and their last game was never finished. The BBC docum

2121

Sinclair Research @sinclairresearch.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Not long now until Spectrum Nexts start arriving!

0121