#14 How My Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k and a Stack of Magazines Taught Me to Love Friction
I still remember the excitement. Sitting down in front of my Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k. Fingers hovering over those iconic rubber keys. It was an incredibly simple machine by today’s standards, but to me, it was a gateway to an entirely new world of creation, learning, and gaming.
I was eleven, or maybe twelve, when I got my first computer.
10 PRINT “HEY MONKEY”
20 GOTO
10 RUN
And just like that, the screen would flood with "HEY MONKEY" repeating over and over. A small, seemingly insignificant loop, but… so cool!
10 PAPER 0: INK 7: CLS
20 CIRCLE 128, 96, 50
RUN
Boom! A white circle on a black background.
That feeling of control, of creativity—it was just so exciting.
Motivation Goes a Long Way
Back then, you didn’t just download games. Instead, we had to type them out manually from pages in computer magazines. And as you might expect, things didn’t always go smoothly.
There were errors in the printed code, typos in my own typing, and mysterious bugs that seemed impossible to fix at first. I remember one specific afternoon when nothing was working. I had a friend over, and we really wanted to try this game. First, we spent hours copying the code into the computer, then at least as much time figuring out why it refused to run. It wasn’t until I went back over every line that we found the culprit—a misplaced comma in line 340. Such a small detail, but enough to break everything.
Looking back, that kind of friction—the errors, the failures—wasn’t all bad. “Trying a new game” was a full-day task, and in many ways, the tedious work was the heart of the experience. Debugging was a great way to learn. And the more I struggled, the more I understood how computers worked.
Instant Gratification
Fast-forward to today. Everything is designed to be seamless. Devices are built for instant gratification—whether it’s a smartphone, a tablet, or a gaming console. Everything is designed to remove as much friction as possible. And don’t get me wrong—there’s real value in that. I know; I’ve built my entire career trying to create great user experiences.
Convenience is incredible, but it makes me wonder—what do we lose when everything becomes too easy?
Embrace the Friction
Instead of handing our kids the latest console, maybe we should give them something that encourages creation over consumption: a PC (which will inevitably come with its own challenges), a Raspberry Pi…, or something that requires problem-solving.
Looking back at my time with the ZX Spectrum, I realize it wasn’t just the programming or the games that mattered in the end—it was the friction. Whether it’s a misplaced comma or a far bigger challenge, the struggles are where we truly learn.
Friction isn’t something to avoid; it’s an opportunity to grow.