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ZX Spectrum (view source)

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=== Play it Again, Sam ===
 
Speaking of backward-compatibility problems, the SAM Coupé, a next-generation Speccy, was released byin Miles1989 Gordonas Technologya (MGT)next-generation in 1989Speccy. Inspired by a terminated project at Sinclair Research (someand ofdesigned whoseby former Sinclair employees formedat Miles Gordon Technology (MGT), the SAM was faster, withhad better graphics and a lot more RAMspecs than any Spectrum, - but without Amstrad'sthe intellectual property that now belonged to Amstrad there was a limit to how compatible MGT could make it.
 
The SAM could be made to run most 48K gamessoftware with a bit of hacking, and gainedits enoughgames ofgot aregular followingslots toin getthe regularbig SAM-specificSpectrum gamemagazines. reviewsHowever, indespite thehaving bigas Speccymuch magazinesRAM ofas thean early[[Amiga|Amiga '90s. However1000]], it was still an 8-bit machine in an increasingly 16-bit market, and never made it commercially.
 
=== Clones & Emulators ===
 
The demise of the Speccy in the early 1990s isn't the end of the story. Because it's so simple, it's easy to clone. The first Speccy clone was an authorized version by Timex (yes<ref>Yes, the wristwatch company) - they also did Sinclair's UK manufacturing</ref> for the United States, Portugal and Poland. Unauthorized Speccy clones started appearing in the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s, followed by several countries in eastern Europe, along with India, Brazil and Argentina.
 
Then came the retro scene: Of the numerous [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ZX_Spectrum_clones#Unofficial Speccy clones] listed on [[The Other Wiki]], at least half a dozen were released in the '10s or '20s.
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Processors=
&nbsp;
* Zilog Z80Z80A CPU, 3.5 Mhz.
* Semi-custom graphics chip (off-the-shelf logic array with custom functionality).
* Spectrum 128 and Amstrad models: General Instruments AY-3-8912 sound chip.
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* Spectrum+: 48K.
* Spectrum 128 and Amstrad models: 128K.
* The [[Operating System|OS]] is stored in [[Read Only Memory|ROM]] - 16K for the 16 or 48K Spectrum, more for later models. Some add-ons could swap in the equivalent amount ofsome RAM in its place.
|-|
Display=
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|-|
Sound=
Examples can be found on the [[ZX Spectrum/Music|music]] subpage.
&nbsp;
* Spectrum and Spectrum+: Beeper., BASICcontrolled BEEPby commandstoggling covera justsingle overoutput 10bit octaves,to andmake pauseit executionvibrate. whileCan playing;cover a10 fewoctaves gamesbut attempttakes sampledCPU soundstime.
* Spectrum 128 and Amstrad models: Three channels, square or noise waveforms, 10 octaves, programmable ADSR, 8-bit sample playback.
|-|
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* ''[[Turrican]]''
* ''Amaurote''
* ''Fairlight''
 
==== [[Adventure Game]] ====
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** ''Herbert's Dummy Run''
** ''Three Weeks in Paradise''
* ''Rasterscan''
 
==== [[First Person Shooter]] ====
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* ''[[Video Game/Technician Ted|Technician Ted]]''
* ''Automania''
* ''[[Bubble Bobble]]''
 
==== [[Puzzle Game]] ====
* ''Magic Tokens''
 
==== [[Simulation Game]] ====
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* ''Trantor: The Last Stormtrooper''
* ''[[Zub]]''
* ''Stardust''
 
==== [[Wide Open Sandbox]] ====
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=== Others ===
* ZX Interface 1 - released by Sinclair shortly after the first Spectrum. Provides an [[w:RS-232|RS232]] port and connectors for Microdrives<ref>A midget data tape produced by Sinclair</ref> and a proprietary network.
* Several mice and floppy drivesdrive controllers, including...
** MGT's Disciple: a floppy drive controller that, unlike the Spectrum +3, used common disk sizes. Included a printer port and the ability to snapshot the Speccy's state.
** +D, thea cheaper successor to Disciple, added a printer port and a button to snapshot the Speccy's current state.
* Fuller Orator, a sound box using the AY-3-8912 (the same sound chip that was built into later Spectrums).
* Mikro-Plus: Puts 16K external RAM in place of the ROM, so it would also count as a hacker tool - but this was marketed by games publisher Mikro-Gen to allow bigger games to be loaded.
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