The ZX80 home computer was launched in 1980 by the then still-to-be-knighted home computer mogul Clive Sinclair. Available in kit form at 79.99 for the aspiring hobbyist or pre-built at a price of 99.99 the ground-breaking machine offered home computing for the kind of money an average family could afford. The inventor's company would grow to become Sinclair Research and release even more powerful machines such as the ZX81 (about which this book focuses), QL and what would at the time be the UK's best-selling computer, the ZX Spectrum.

This book - originally published in 1981 by Melbourne House - helped the reader learn master the intricacies of programming in BASIC on their ZX81 machine; often this was the first time they would ever experience coding. The course not only became a foundation for many who would then go on to have careers in the information technology field, but also is a useful reference work to this day for those interested in the very earliest affordable home computers.

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As the original publisher Melbourne House stated:

The Complete Basic Course is a 240-page in-depth comprehensive text for complete beginners and experienced programmers. Over 100 programs and examples illustrate the use and possibilities of the Sinclair ZX81. This is an invaluable reference guide for all ZX81 owners.

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Acorn Books is proud to present its Retro Reproduction Series, a collection of classic computing works from the 1980s and 90s, lovingly reproduced in the 21st century. From standards of programming reference no self-respecting microcomputer user would want to be without, to obscure works not found in print anywhere else, these modern reprints are perfect for any connoisseur of retro computing.