Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Generation: 3
Processors: Zilog Z80 A 3.5MHz
RAM: 16K expandable to 48k and later 128k
Graphics Resolution: 256 x 192
Colours: 8 with two tones each and flash
Sound: 1 voice / 10 octaves (Beeper) and later AY 3 voice PSG
Media Format: Tape, floppy disk, Sinclair Microdrive
Control and Input Methods: Keyboard, joystick, lightgun, mouse
This is the one most of today's programmers (game or otherwise) cut their teeth on, in Europe at least. The ZX Spectrum was a phenomenon; a colour home computer for £100. This was unheard-of value in the home computer market. Officially the Speccy had more games than any other system in history (unofficially it had even more). Due to its tiny, smuggleable size it even made it behind the Iron Curtain where it was cloned in many forms including a console. The Spectrum ran from 1982-1992 but people are still programming games for it today and it's easily the most emulated computer on the net.
Emulator
SPIN - An emulator that finally does everything I need a Spectrum emulator to. Simply the best, easiest, most configurable Spectrum emulator. It handles all the tape and disk formats, and does it all in Windows. Top marks.
Links
World of Spectrum - All you'll ever need! Including free downloads of nearly every Spectrum game ever.
Your Sinclair the Rock and Roll Years - Complete archive of the best Spectrum magazine, if not the best computer magazine, ever.
