Sinclair Survival Column

Hard to believe, but this month marks the beginning of our fourth year together here in Computer Shopper. Back in June 1984 when we were just getting used to the fact that Timex had withdrawn from the home computer retail market, this column first appeared on these pages. A lot has happened to this line of computers which was a half-orphan back then. (We have now lost two “parents”— Sinclair and Timex, but have gained a step-father—Amstrad—who refuses to admit that we exist.)

To start our fourth year we have a look at the state of Sinclair owner/users in the United Kingdom which is, after all, where it all began and where Sinclair computers reached their highest point. Although we here in the United States may get the impression that nothing is happening in regards to our computers, a look to England shows that that is certainly not the case.

While we might not be aware of their presence, Amstrad has bought the Sinclair line and released a computer known in the U.K. as the ZX Spectrum + 2. With 128K RAM and the familiar black case by which Sinclair computers in England have come to be known, the ZX Spectrum + 2 has a few additions which mark the Amstrad touch. The most immediately noticeable addition would have to be the built-in datacorder. The generally unsuccessful love affair which Sir Clive had with the microdrives seems finally to be at an end. Amstrad took a reliable cassette recorder—which had always been the standard mass storage device for the Spectrum and the ZX-80 & ZX—81 which preceded it—and built it in as an integral part of their first Sinclair computer. Looking beyond the datacorder you would notice an improved keyboard. Only a few BASIC keywords appear along with the usual alphanumerics, but many features which previous¬ ly required as many as three keystrokes on the Spectrum (and the Timex/Sinclair 2068 in America) have been given their own keys. Cursor move¬ ment keys, true video, inverse video, break and others join the inverted L ENTER key on this new keyboard. The enhanced graphic capabilities of the ZX Spectrum 128 are featured in this newer model. This is important since Amstrad has always considered the Sinclair line as simply a game playing machine. More so in England has the Sinclair computer evolved around the game. The ZX Spectrum +2 has two built-in joystick ports which is necessary to complete the games unit identity.

The current price of this computer is the equivalent of $225. But don’t look for this computer to adorn the shelves (or catalogues) of American Sinclair dealers. This is strictly an Amstrad computer utilizing the familiar Sinclair technology, and to this date they have not even spoken about any further Sinclair presence in North America. In fact Amstrad has continued to evade anyone seeking information about any of their plans for the Sinclair line. At this point in time, however, there is a chance that Amstrad may have some representation at the Second Annual Timex/Sinclair Computer Fest which is to be held in Indianapolis in May. (It is actually late March as this column is being written so I cannot yet tell you much about this event, but you can be sure that a full account of the goings on will appear here as soon as possible.)

Perhaps, if they attend the show in Indianapolis, we will get some idea of what the newest Spectrum being readied for release in the U.K. will be like. The ZX Spectrum + 3 will be the 1987 version of the Spectrum, and will finally come into the computing mainstream with the addition of a built-in disk drive. A 3” drive will replace the built-in datacorder in the new model. This format should not cause any problems in Europe and the U.K. as 3” disks are popular and the supply exists. If the Spectrum + 3 were to be brought to this country, though, the 3” format might cause some supply problems as the format is not in common usage here. The retail price being spoken about for the ZX Spectrum +3 is the equivalent of $300.

Realistically the new computer will also be touted strictly as a games playing machine as its predecessors were. Looking through current Sinclair computer publications in the U.K. one finds nothing but new games being produced for the Spectrum line of micros. More than forty new game programs can be found on the pages of current magazines. That is of interest to American owners of T/S 2068s who have added some form of Spectrum emulation to their computers, as most (if not all) games which work on the original 48K (nobody even talks about the 16K) Spectrum will work on a Spectrum emulated T/S 2068. You must be aware, however, of those software releases which are specifically for the 128K Spectrums. To the best of my knowledge these are incompatible with available memory expansion units for the T/S 2068. (If anyone has any information to the contrary, please drop me a letter and tell me about it.)

Although Clive Sinclair has sold the rights to all Sinclair computers developed up to the time of the sale to Amstrad, that does not mean we have seen or heard the last of Sir Clive. Nor does it mean that there will be no new computers developed by him either. In fact, the long awaited portable computer he had been developing is now close to general release. Of course due to the terms of the sale to Amstrad it will not be marketed under the Sinclair name. The Z88 will be Sir Clive’s first post Amstrad computer. This portable will eventually be expandable four megabytes. A laptop computer, it will bear the well known rubber keyboard enabling it to be quite silent. This is definitely not being designed as a game playing computer, but as the computer for the traveling businessman. The anticipated retail is about the equivalent of approximately $300. Whether or not it finds its way to our shores is yet to be seen.

Two interesting non-Sinclair items are being shown in England, which can connect to Sinclair computers. The first is the Seiko RC-1000 Wrist terminal. With an RS-232 connection, it can connect to a Spectrum which in turn can enter a small database containing information such as a diary, calendar and a telephone listing. In addition it is a working watch containing an alarm and knowledge of international times. Although the software is for the Spectrum, those of you with Spectrum to emulation of any sort on your T/S 2068 should be able to use this watch as well, as long as you have installed the proper RS-232 port via existing peripherals. If anyone already has attempted and/or accomplished this, I would like to hear about it.

The second device comes from our old friends at Psion. The Psion Organizer is a pocket PC which can, with optional RS-232 connector and software from Eidersoft, communicate with your QL (or Thor for those British users who have that new QL clone) and store an entire Archive database. This communication, by the way, is two way so that any editing of that database file done on the Psion Organizer can be sent back to your QL. The Psion Organizer also has its own built-in programming language.

While we are on the subject of the QL, a look towards England gives us an idea of some of the software (at least) we can expect to see finding its way to North America. A number of these have already started showing up in the catalogues of American QL dealers, and word has it that there will be some new introductions shown at the Computer Fest in Indianapolis.

Not every QL software program is developed in the U.K. and then exported to the United States. At least two homegrown programs have made the reverse trip. Both have been reviewed in this column shortly after their initial North American release. If refer to Concept 3-D and War in the East. Both were developed here by programmers familiar to the American Sinclair community, received favorable reviews here and have been marketed in Britian.

With the advent of the popularity of desktop publishing on the major personal computers, a program of that type was sought after for the QL. The first of these programs is now available—not only in the U.K., but from American QL dealers as well. This program is Front Page. If you have ever wanted to produce a columnar newsletter for your club or organization, you would want a program of this sort. With Front Page you have the ability to mix text and graphics, create your own user defined graphics for inclusion in your publication, use all of the QL’s text sizes as well as special print options with Epson compatible printers. This program is compatible with all forms of mass storage in use on QLs today, and can work with either a standard or expanded QL. In the coming months we will be doing a full review of this program.

How about those of you who use the QL spreadsheet— Abacus—and are frustrated at having to print your long spreadsheets in sections because your printer cannot handle enough columns to print it all in one pass? How often have you envied those “other” computers for which a sideways printing utility was available. Such a utility now exists for the QL as well, and it too is available from U.S. dealers. Called—originally enough— Sideways, it allows you to print any text file, including those long spreadsheets, sideways on your printer. There are a number of options with this package which allows you to determine the method of printing which suits your particular needs. There is even a “booklet” mode which allows you to print over two letter size pages and then bind them in the center. Look for a review of this in the coming months as well.

One item in Britain which has not yet shown up in the United States is a replacement keyboard. In the days of the T/S 1000 there were many alternate keyboards appearing in this country. Although that computer was truly amazing and capable of much more than its miniscule appearance might lead one to believe, the small membrane keyboard was hard to get used to, and often difficult to use. In addition it had the annoying habit of becoming so overused so quickly that it soon became inoperable. For this reason, replacement keyboards for the T/S 1000 became popular items. Almost anyone who was doing any kind of work on this computer upgraded the keyboard.

When the ZX Spectrum was introduced in England, it had a slightly improved keyboard with rubber keys, but still was a far cry from a typewriter type keyboard. Practically from the day of its British release, companies started producing substitute keyboards for the Spectrum. In fact, so bad was the public reaction to this so-called chicklet style keyboard that Sinclair itself (still under the direction of Sir Clive at that point in time) had to upgrade the design and introduced the Spectrum + which was the old Spectrum in a new case with a more traditional keyboard. For a fee you could have Sinclair place your old Spectrum into the new Spectrum + case. After saying that they would not release a do it yourself upgrade kit, Sinclair finally relented and marketed such a kit. All newer models of the Spectrum (Spectrum + 128; Spectrum + 2; and the upcoming Spectrum + 3) have had this type of keyboard.

The original American ver¬ sion of the Spectrum, the T/S 2000, was nothing more than a Spectrum with an American RF modulator, so it offered the unpopular chicklet keyboard. However, by the time that the production model—T/S 2068—hit the market it had a hard key type keyboard which more closely resembled the comfortable typewriter keyboard. (Actually it most closely resembles the keyboard of a Brother personal printer than a typewriter or IBM type keyboard.) After the membrane keyboard on the T/S 1000, this newly designed keyboard was a welcome modification and as such replacement keyboards never appeared for this computer.

The QL, when it appeared, had a full travel typewriter keyboard in a full size case, but as many QL owners can tell you, this disguised membrane keyboard (there is a membrane beneath the key caps) has a tendency to stick—or worse. For this reason we are starting to see replacement keyboards for the QL in the U.K. There are four front runners in the field which has a price range from the equivalent of about $80.00 to $150.00. At the mo¬ ment they have not shown up in general distribution in North America.

Earlier in this article I mentioned a QL clone by the name of Thor. Although I have mentioned this computer in earlier columns, I have not had much to say about it as it was not yet available. It now is being sold in England, so let’s have a first look.

The CST Thor is being distributed by Eidersoft, who interestingly is listing addresses in England, France, Germany and the United States! (Does this have implications not yet spoken?) Thor looks like a standard IBM type computer and lists the following features;

• Totally QL compatible
• 640K RAM SuperBASIC
• 128K user EPROM space Extended operating system
• Battery backed clock IBM style keyboard with numeric keypad
• Centronics and serial ports
• Mouse port
• I.C.E. front end
• Full user port at rear
• 3.5” floppy disk storage
• Networking capability
• Improved speed of operation (over the QL)
• Optional 20Mb hard disk
• Psion Exchange (a much enhanced version of the Psion programs supplied with the QL)

The basic Thor with a single 720K disk drive is selling for the equivalent of about $900.00. A Thor with a single 720K 3.5” floppy disk drive and a 20 Mb hard drive is selling for the equivalent of $2100.00. Eidersoft is allowing an 80 pound ($120.00) trade in on QLs.

Well, it seems that there still may be some interesting developments in our fourth year in Computer Shopper and once again I thank Stan Veit and Patch Communications for giving us a home in this publication. I look forward to some exciting new products making their debut at the Second Annual Timex/Sinclair Computer Fest which I can report on here. Stick around!