---
title: "ZX81 Announced in Great Britain"
type: "article"
slug: "zx81-announced-in-great-britain"
url: "http://localhost/article/zx81-announced-in-great-britain/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/zx81-announced-in-great-britain.md"
published_at: "2020-10-27T17:18:35+00:00"
modified_at: "2024-06-23T00:43:53+00:00"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "An improved version of the ZX80 computer, the ZX81 has been redesigned to incorporate a number of new features. The ZX80 reduced the number of integrated circuits to 21, but the ZX81 further reduces the number of chips to four by using a new custom-built chip that replaces 18 others. The 8k Basic ROM chip…"
category:
  - name: "SYNC"
    slug: "sync"
    taxonomy: "category"
    url: "http://localhost/category/periodicals/sync/"
post_tag:
  - name: "1981"
    slug: "year-1981"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/year-1981/"
  - name: "Sinclair Research Ltd."
    slug: "sinclair-research-ltd"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/sinclair-research-ltd/"
  - name: "ZX81"
    slug: "zx81"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/zx81/"
model:
  - name: "Sinclair ZX81"
    slug: "zx81"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/zx81/"
publication: "Sync"
publication_r:
  id: 10243
  title: "SYNC"
  type: "periodical"
  url: "http://localhost/periodical/sync-magazine/"
volume: "1"
issue: "3"
issues_articles:
  - id: 26637
    title: "SYNC v1 n3"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/sync-v1-n3/"
pages: "4"
pubdate: "May/June 1981"
archive_link: false
volumeissue: "v1n3"
---

# ZX81 Announced in Great Britain

An improved version of the ZX80 computer, the ZX81 has been redesigned to incorporate a number of new features. The ZX80 reduced the number of integrated circuits to 21, but the ZX81 further reduces the number of chips to four by using a new custom-built chip that replaces 18 others. The 8k Basic ROM chip gives the user the capacity to use decimals with 8 place accuracy, to work with log and trig functions (with their inverses), to plot graphs, and to make animated displays. A new 40 key keyboard expands the number of key words that can be entered by one key stroke, e.g., PEEK, POKE, SCROLL.