The ZX Spectrum is a home computer that was released in UK in 1982 by Sir Clive Sinclair's company - Sinclair Research. It is credited with single-handedly launching the home computer market in the UK and catching the imagination of the public - right from 5 year olds to middle aged housewives. Its technical specs included 48K memory, 3.5MHz Z80 microprocessor, a sound beeper, an external expansion port, multi-command rubber keys and employed audio tapes as a tape storage device. But such was its simplicity, versatility and great design that software companies were soon jumping on the bandwagon to write various kinds of software for it. Hundreds of companies were setup overnight in bedrooms of budding programmers. It wasn't long before computer magazines dedicated to the ZX Spectrum were born and various books were written teaching people how to use the ZX Spectrum. Despite its relative limitations, innovative and skilled programmers came up with amazing games and software that caught the fancy of the public at large and it wasn't long before the machine went on to become one of the best selling 8-bit machines of all time. The ZX Spectrum also spawned various clones all over the globe. Russia, Spain, America, India, Italy, Portugal, et al too saw their own versions of the Spectrum and sparked the public interest in various degrees. While ZX Spectrum officially demised in 1988, various little computing groups and magazines kept it floating for a couple of years more, but ultimately with the collapse of the 8-bit market, the Spectrum too was gently laid to rest.
Today, it lives on in the hearts and minds of hundreds (if not thousands) of nostalgic Spectrum users around the world; Specchums (as spectrum users like to refer to themselves) have taken it upon themselves to keep the memories and nostalgia of the Speccy (as the Spectrum is affectionately known) years alive. Even today there are programs being churned out for the Spectrum and people are doing all kinds of wonderful, innovative things that keeps the magic going in various ways. As long as there are Specchums around, the speccy will live on.