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Many went on to have roles in the British computer industry. It produced a huge community of enthusiasts, some of whom founded their own businesses producing software and hardware for the ZX81. The ZX81 marked the point when computing in Britain became an activity for the general public rather than the preserve of businessmen and electronics hobbyists. It was the first inexpensive mass-market home computer to be sold by high street stores, led by W. The ZX81 could be bought by mail order preassembled or, for a lower price, in kit form. Its distinctive case and keyboard brought designer Rick Dickinson a Design Council award. The ZX81's limitations prompted a market in third-party peripherals to improve its capabilities. It has a pressure-sensitive membrane keyboard. It has no power switch or moving parts, with the exception of a VHF TV channel selector switch present in some models. It uses only four silicon chips and a mere 1 KB of memory. Programs and data are loaded and saved onto compact audio cassettes. Video output is to a television set rather than a dedicated monitor. The ZX81 was designed to be small, simple, and above all, inexpensive, with as few components as possible. Unauthorized ZX81 clones were produced in several countries. Timex later produced its own versions of the ZX81: the Timex Sinclair 1000 and Timex Sinclair 1500. In the United States it was initially sold as the ZX-81 under licence by Timex. It was hugely successful more than 1.5 million units were sold. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public. The ZX81 is a home computer that was produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Dundee, Scotland, by Timex Corporation. £49.95 kit, £69.95 assembled (£204–285/$279–390 at 2023 prices)Įxternal Compact Cassette recorder at a claimed 250 bps or an average 300 bps ġ67 millimetres (6.6 in) wide by 175 millimetres (6.9 in) deep Inexpensive home computer by Sinclair Research, 1981