Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 5-3-2018: The ZX81

5th March, 2018.

That’s mildly annoying.

Yes, in case you’re asking, I had a great day: and owe everyone who came, and everyone who wished me well a BIG thank you.

But … ?

I took a few photos: I think everyone would.

And then, when I got home?

Pressed a wrong button, somewhere on my new phone … and deleted the lot in trying to upload them to Facebook!

Arghhh … !

The fact I’ve managed to get Pac the Man X working, and, in the shape of Mini Metro, have a digital train set?

Is kind of beside the point.

~≈§≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga* and Debbi† putting in their answers: with Olga scoring ten out ten and Debbi on nine.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 5th March saw the release of one of the UK’s seminal computers: the ZX81.   In which year?

Q2) It was designed and released by which British company?

Q3) It was the successor to the ZX80.   And replaced by what … ?

Q4) It came with one kilobyte of RAM.   But could be expanded to how much: 16, 48 or 64K?

Q5) Finally … the thing used a very basic version of which programming language?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) I’m fifty, today: this therefore means I, and others born this day, were born in which year?

A1) 1968.

Q2) Those born this day are, of course, fifty: known as a half … what: century, centipede or centre leftie?

A2) Century.

Q3) There are, of course, 50 US states.   Which US state was the fiftieth to join the Union?

A3) Hawaii.

Q4) More to the point, the police show named for the state.   Either police show!

A4) It’s both old and new: it’s Hawaii Five-0.

Q5) The .50 BMG bullet?   Was developed for what: the Colt repeating pistol, the Browning Machine gun or the AK47?

A5) The Browning Machine Gun: hence BMG.

Q6) A team can bat for fifty overs, in which form of cricket: test match, one day international or Twenty20?

A60) The one day international.

Q7) 50 goals in 50 games is a headline achievement: in which sport?

A7) Ice hockey.

Q8) Fifty equals 1 squared plus … what squared?   (1² + x² = 50: what’s x, in other words?

A8) x=7, in other words.

Q9) In Roman numerals, fifty is represented by which number?

A9) L.

Q10) Finally … ?   A jubilee year — a 50th year, in other words — was important in the ancient version of which monotheist religion?

A10) Judaism.   (“You shall make the fiftieth year holy, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants.”)

Here’s an observation …

“You know what I’d really, really like?   What I’d pay money for?   A ZX81 with a disc drive.   I understood the ZX81.   It was so easy to interface stuff to it.”

Sir Terry Pratchett.

And a song … 

Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.

Have a good day … 

*        Yeah.   I think house selling’s dominated by amateurs, Olga: with grinning professionals lurking about, somewhere!   (The day went well: bar the photos.   Dratted new phone!)

†        Ice hockey, actually, Debbi: think we could’ve played it on my street, given the recent weather!   But, yeah: it went well enough, bar the photos!