Ultra-lean register set (A, X, Y), fast zero-page memory addressing, and deterministic cycle counts. Lower raw clock frequency, but most instructions executed in just 2 to 4 cycles.
Extensive instruction set, shadow register bank, built-in DRAM refresh logic, and high clock speeds. Required more cycles per instruction, but provided immense coding flexibility.
The definitive 8-bit standard. Dedicated sprite collision, raster interrupt control, and an analog synthesizer chip made it the ultimate gaming and demoscene platform.
Sir Clive Sinclair's British marvel. Famous for rubber keys and "attribute clash" (1 byte of color attribute per 8x8 block), but unmatched in accessibility and price.
The all-in-one workhorse complete with bundled monitor and built-in cassette/3-inch disk drive. Praised for ultra-fast Locomotive BASIC and vibrant Mode 0 graphics.
Jay Miner's architecture precursor to the Amiga. ANTIC served as an autonomous display-list graphics coprocessor years ahead of its competition.