Sinclair ZX Spectrum

This small yet detailed model reproduces the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, one of the most important milestones in the home computer history. I designed it to celebrate the brilliant engineers that, in the '80s, created such a powerful, compact and cheap computer that had an enormous success in Europe. Sinclair Research led the computer revolution in the UK and the iconic ZX Spectrum contributed to grow an entire generation of programmers all over the Europe, including eastern countries where a huge number of clones were the only possibility to access computer and programming. This model, in scale 1:2, reproduces the original curved design of the first ZX Spectrum, with small rubber keyboard and the colour marks on the right. The top is detachable and underneath the logic board shows the CPU, the ULA, the "army" of RAM chips. While it is not possible to reproduce every single component with a LEGO bricks, at the age of the ZX Spectrum the logic board consisted of discrete components and the LEGO model I designed depict this nature in the overall layout. On the back, you can find the power connector, the large expansion slot, the connectors tape recorder and the antenna plug. I think this set would be the ideal gift for any computer programmer, both seasoned professionals that played with the ZX Spectrum 40 years ago and young generations of computer scientists that still benefit of the incredible heritage left by this computer.