A graphical desktop for the ZX Spectrum

A developer has created ZX Desk, a fully functional graphical desktop environment for the ZX Spectrum 48K computer from 1982, featuring overlapping windows, pull-down menus, a file manager, and other applications—all written in Z80 assembly and fitting within the machine's 48KB memory limit. The project was inspired by the developer's childhood desire to recreate the GEM desktop interface on a Spectrum, and includes detailed technical measurements and optimizations that could be valuable for others developing software on similar hardware constraints. The system runs on actual Spectrum hardware (not just emulators) and can perform complex window operations within a single video frame cycle.