 New Scientist 's Malcolm Peltu commented that it was " great technical value for money particularly for computing enthusiasts " but thought that others were " likely to be bored very quickly by the basic system " . He highlighted weaknesses in the manual and Sinclair 's accompanying software , criticising them for " a misconceived design and sloppiness in execution which make the machine seem harder to use and more limited than it should " and questioned whether it might be more worthwhile to save up for a more powerful computer such as Acorn or Commodore 's offerings . Overall , he concluded , the ZX81 might have a limited value in helping to teach BASIC programming and overcoming psychological barriers to computing , but " the Sinclair systems have a long way to go before they raise the quality and level of understanding of the nature and use of computer @-@ based information systems among computer unbelievers . " 
