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I begged for a BBC Micro and got a ZX Spectrum. Turned out to be much better at getting me interested in programming, even if the Spectrum was on the way out.

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The simpler hardware of the Spectrum was much more approachable. And the basic was so slow that you really had to learn some Z80 assembly!

> The simpler hardware of the Spectrum was much more approachable.

I'd contest that assertion. I was 15 when when my folks bought my BBC Model B. It was a far more interesting machine to hack around on than the Spectrum. The BBC was set up my future as a software developer.

Are you contesting that it was more approachable? I didn’t say the Spectrum was more interesting - it definitely wasn’t!

Apologies. I also meant to say that the BBC was just as approachable as the Spectrum then lost my train of thought after the phone rang :) I found the Spectrum super frustrating to use, especially with that dead-flesh membrane keyboard.

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