How did your ZX Spectrum die?

[Cosmium]

I hadn't remembered this, but according to my programming notes from the Spectrum era, I'd had the computer replaced or repaired 4 times over a 6 year period... hardly impressive reliability! My first Spectrum was from the early mail order days, so maybe there were more teething problems back then, with issue 1 or 2 boards more prone to failure perhaps.

The faults were either not turning on/not responding, or keyboard related. As far as I know, none were caused by me, just happening "out of the blue".

For one of the later repairs I had got in touch with a Sinclair office and for speed ended up traveling there to collect a replacement. I doubt I drove to Cambridge but it could have been.

[drdivago]

My original 16K ZX Spectrum, bought in Siena sometimes in 1983 (I remember being offered the choice between the 16K and 32K models by the shop owner!) and soon updated to 48K after a trip to Florence to get the necessary chips, still lives happily