ZX Spectrum: 30 years old, and still one of the cheapest computers ever made

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/127109-zx-spectrum-30-years-old-and-still-one-of-the-cheapest-computers-ever-made

by evo_9 • 14 years ago

11 5 14 years ago

extremetech.com

TylerE• 14 years ago

Not really.

$200 in 1982 = $475 in today's money. You can buy many, many systems for that kind of money.

mrsebastian• 14 years ago

Aye, very good point -- I'll update the story to reflect that.

I still think it's surprising that there are very few computers that are _really_ cheap (like the Raspberry Pi).

The difference in computing power/packaging size/etc between 1982 and 2012 is far greater than the price difference the ZX Spectrum and, say, a netbook. Even the $25 Raspberry Pi is probably (relatively) expensive compared to the ZX Spectrum.

edit: I mean, a really cheap home computer today is around $300 -- just $150 less than an inflation-adjusted ZX Spectrum.

I guess there's more to a modern computer (bigger case, drives, expansion slots, etc.) but there's still a big price disparity. I guess I'm just surprised that it took this long for something like the Raspberry Pi to arrive.

rbanffy• 14 years ago

Prices will only go down to the point where enough people are willing to pay enough to make the product viable. When that price point is reached, the machines gain new capabilities instead of dropping further in price.

Another factor is software compatibility - if you design a machine that has capabilities similar to an entry level PC but can't run Windows, your market is much reduced. That's the main reason why this is an x86-dominated world that only recently became multi-core and 64-bit. This is another reason why PCs gained capabilities instead of lower prices - PC makers have to future-proof their products by making them compatible with future versions of Windows.

In order to compensate for that, you will have to go the Raspberry Pi route and build something where compatibility is not important and hitch a ride with a competing software ecosystem.

drcongo• 14 years ago

This article manages to cram a very very poor iPhone reference in just so they can tag the post with "Apple" and "iPhone" and get some extra page views and ad impressions. Dreadful "journalism".

evilswan• 14 years ago

Just total nonsense which makes no mention of either general inflation or the price-deflation of consumer electronics. My parents saved up to buy my Spectrum when I was a kid. Now, a parent could get a laptop off eBay for $50 and install Linux. Computers are WAY cheaper now than they were then. sigh

ZX Spectrum: 30 years old, and still one of the cheapest computers ever made

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