Home > Computers > ZX Spectrum > Articles > Comparison Table

How the ZX Spectrum compares
with other computers

Sinclair Research leaflet, 1982


   ZX Spectrum BBC Micro
(Model A)
VIC 20 Atari 400 TI99/A TRS-80 Colour
Basic unit inc. VAT £125 £300 £190 £345 £300 £450
Standard RAM 16K 16K 5K 16K 16K 16K
Standard RAM available using high-res graphics 9K 3K N/A 7K 14K * 10K
Maximum RAM 48K 32K 29K 16K 48K 32K
Sound generator Y Y Y Y Y Y
Colours available 8 8 16 16 16 8
Maximum colours on screen at same time 8 4 16 4 16 8
Flash Y Y N N N N
BRIGHT or equivalent Y N N Y N N
High-res graphics (>40000 pixels) available for PLOT and DRAW Y Y N Y N Y
User-definable graphics Y N N N Y N
Full upper/lower case ASCII Y Y N N N Y
User-definable character set Y Y Y N Y N
Screen display (columns x rows) 32x24 40x25 22x23 40x24 29x24 32x16
Auto-repeat on all keys Y Y N N Y Y
Cassette interface for all normal recorders Y Y N N Y Y
Baud (data transfer) rate 1500 1200 300 1200 450 1200
LOAD and SAVE Y Y Y Y Y Y
VERIFY Y N Y N N N
MERGE Y N N N N N

* But no PLOT or DRAW.