Editing ZX80 (section)

== Reception ==
The ZX80 was widely advertised as the first personal computer for under £100 GBP<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rk.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/zx80/zx80.htm |title=ZX80 |website=Planet Sinclair }}</ref> (US$200.<ref name="byte198101">{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1981-01/1981_01_BYTE_06-01_Hand-held_Computers#page/n119/mode/2up | title=The first personal computer for under $200. | magazine=BYTE | volume=6 | issue=6 | date=January 1981 | access-date=18 October 2013 | type=Advertisement  | page=119}}</ref>{{r|mccallum198101}}) ''[[Kilobaud Microcomputing]]'' liked the design of the preassembled version, and said that the screen flickering during input or output was annoying but useful as an [[undocumented feature]], indicating the computer functioning correctly. It praised the documentation as excellent for novices, and noted that purchasing the computer was cheaper than taking a college class on BASIC. The magazine concluded, "The ZX-80 is a real computer and an excellent value", but only for beginners who could learn from the documentation or programmers experienced with writing Z-80 software.<ref name="wszola198012">{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/stream/kilobaudmagazine-1980-12/Kilobaud_Microcomputing_1980_December#page/n169/mode/2up | title=The Sinclair ZX-80 Microcomputer | magazine=Kilobaud Microcomputing | date=December 1980 | access-date=23 June 2014 | last=Wszola |first=Stanley J. | pages=168–169}}</ref> ''[[BYTE]]'' called the ZX80 a "remarkable device". It praised the real-time, interactive BASIC syntax checking, and reported that the computer performed better on [[benchmark (computing)|benchmarks]] than some competitors, including the [[TRS-80 Model I]]. The magazine criticised the screen blanking during program execution, small RAM size, inadequate built-in Sinclair BASIC, and keyboard, and recommended against buying the kit given difficulty of assembly and because purchasers did not save money. ''BYTE'' concluded that "the ZX80 might be summarized as a high-performance, very low-cost, portable personal computer system ... a good starting point".<ref name="mccallum198101">{{cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1981-01/1981_01_BYTE_06-01_Hand-held_Computers#page/n95/mode/2up | title=The Sinclair Research ZX80 | magazine=BYTE | volume=6 | issue=6 | date=January 1981 | access-date=18 October 2013 | last=McCallum |first=John C | pages=94–102}}</ref>

Sales of the ZX80 reached about 50,000, which contributed significantly to the UK leading the world in home computer ownership through the 1980s. Owing to the unsophisticated design and the tendency for the units to overheat, surviving machines in good condition are sought after and can fetch high prices by collectors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Retro: Cash in on your vintage PC |url=https://www.alphr.com/features/105551/retro-cash-in-on-your-vintage-pc |website=Alphr |date=7 October 2009 |access-date=25 November 2019 |archive-date=6 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206211243/https://www.alphr.com/features/105551/retro-cash-in-on-your-vintage-pc |url-status=dead }}</ref>