MIMMS MUSEUMDIGITAL ARCHIVE
Home › Catalog › Personal Computers
Personal Computers

Sinclair ZX81

A very cheap British home computer launched in March 1981 that sold more than 1.5 million units.

Sinclair Research designed the ZX81. Timex Corporation made it in Dundee, Scotland. It launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to the ZX80.

It had only four silicon chips and 1 KB of RAM. It had no power switch and used a pressure-sensitive membrane keyboard. Programs were saved on audio cassettes, and video went to a television.

Why it matters

The ZX81 was the first inexpensive mass-market home computer sold in high street stores. Its designer, Rick Dickinson, won a Design Council award. It marked the point when computing in Britain became an activity for the general public.

Key facts

  • Launched in March 1981.
  • Made by Timex in Dundee, Scotland.
  • Four chips and 1 KB of RAM.
  • More than 1.5 million sold.
  • Sold in the United States as the Timex Sinclair 1000.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "ZX81", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX81, accessed October 14, 2026.
  2. Wikipedia, "Sinclair Research", en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_Research, background reading, accessed October 14, 2026.