ZX81
 | “If possible, could I have some more?” This article could be expanded on and use more details, and needs them as much as XP-tan needs more RAM! |
| ZX81 | |
| [[File:|250px]] | |
| Character Information | |
|---|---|
| Common Names | ZX81 |
| Other Names | TS1000 |
| Faction | Binteeji Renmei |
| Lineage | Sinclair |
| Rival(s) | Commodore VIC-20 |
| Appearance | |
| Height | 130 cm (4'3") |
| Hair Color | light blonde |
| Eye Color | red |
| Weapon(s) | none |
| Design | |
| First Appearance | May 2012 |
| Technical Information | |
| System Personified | ZX81, Timex Sinclair 1000, TS1500 |
| Developer(s) | Sinclair (ZX81), Timex and Sinclair (TS1000 and TS1500) |
| Debut | 5 Mar 1981 |
| Latest release | discontinued 1984 |
Technical details
The ZX81's hardware is similar to its predecessor, the ZX80, but further simplified, condensing 21 chips down to 4, and has no moving parts. Both systems sold for under 100 pounds and are credited for starting the home computer revolution in the UK. The ZX81 was slightly more advanced but still a very underpowered computer for its time, with no sound, no color, and shipping with only 1K of RAM. While not very useable for much else, the system's main purpose was to introduce people to BASIC programming.
It was released in the US in 1982 as the Timex Sinclair 1000, which was expanded to 2K of RAM, and adapted to US TV sets, but otherwise was nearly identical. Its success quickly crashed as it turned out the TS1000 had high failure rates.
Character details
This character represents the ZX81, TS1000 and TS1500. ZX81-tan, as she is mainly known as, is represented as a very thin and small girl with wavy blonde hair tied with a bow, red eyes, and wears a black and white Victorian style dress, though simplified, with red trim and a red bow on the collar with a brooch. On the white trim on her dress, is "ZX81" in red stitching. Like her younger sisters, she wears glasses, but hers are thick-framed and are worn out of necessity.
She is much shorter than her younger sisters, and is very frail, referencing both the TS1000's high failure rates, and the very little RAM included. Personality-wise, she is strong-willed and hot-headed. She can be harsh to the point of seeming sadistic, since one very slight problem with the ZX81/TS1000 such as the memory expansion wobbling from its slot, or making a typo which cannot be easily fixed will make the program fail and the user has to start over. She is also miserly and doesn't like to use much of anything; she is very stringent about resource usage. Despite her harsh attitudes, she was a teacher to a great many people, and secured a loyal following of people willing to stick to her rules. She is a tough-love type of teacher; her greatest values are resourcefulness, minimalism and perseverance, which she hopes she successfully instilled in her past students.
Family and relationships
ZX Spectrum
Commodore VIC-20
VIC-20-tan was ZX81-tan's main rival, as the two were engaged in a price war, fighting for the claim of being the least expensive computer. ZX81-tan blames her for the decline she suffered, referencing the many people in the US who bought a TS1000 just to trade it in to Commodore as part of their trade-in deal to get money towards a Commodore computer.