Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!uhccux!uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu!kiki
From: kiki@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: British systems
Message-ID: <12556@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Date: 19 Apr 91 06:59:37 GMT
Sender: news@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu
Organization: University of Hawaii
Lines: 80


+zuschlag@diku.dk (Jesper Zuschlag Madsen) writes:
+I just have to correct you at this subject!

+The Timex computers where special versions of the sinclair ZX 81 
+and ZX Spectrum. Perhaps they didn't sell very well in USA, but were
+some of the best selling micro(home) computers ever in europa (the spectrum 
+and its succesor the Sam Coupe, are still selling quite well).

Thanks for the corrections!  Something does not seem clear though; I can under-
stand Sinclair naming their machines ZX 81 and Spectrum, but... Sam Coupe(?!)

+The sinclair QL (the name is NOT Quantum QL) where fare ahead from
+all other compters in it's days. Ok it was not as great succes! but there 
+is still about 100.000 users around the world.

There is a Timex/Sinclair SIG forum on FREENET, so people can exchange info
about their machines.  A dealer called Sharp's [Box 326, Mechanicsville, VA
23111, (804) 730-9697, Fax: (804) 746-1978] sells the Sinclair QL for $99.95.
The specs for it are pretty good for that price: Motorola 68008 32-bit cpu with
8-bit data bus, 2 serial ports, 2 Atari-compatible joystick ports, ROM and
expansion port, RGB/composite/TV output, network i/o, micro (tape) drive con-
nector, 640x400/480 graphics (4 colors), SuperBasic ROM.  Wordprocessing, data-
base and spreadsheet programs are included.

Some detractions of the QL are the marginal design (must be kept cool), non-
standard keyboard, archaic tape drive and limited memory expansion.  Support
is hard to find in the U.S., and declining, so you get what you pay for it.

+Neither Clive Sinclair or Chris Shelton has anything to do with the Psion 
+computers (organiser I and II, MC200/400/600). All very fine computers,
+but overpriced. On the other hand is the Cambridge Computer Z88 one of the
+best selling notebook computer ever, and is still going strong (rumors says
+that we soon will see a new version, perhaps the Z91?).

Psion developed the software included with the Sinclair QL, so I was confused
about their affiliation with Sir Clive.  The portable Psions do have a lot of
good features: 

	The three models each weigh about 4.5 lbs and are the size of a 8"x11"
	sheet of paper.  All come with a 7.68 Mhz 80C86 cpu, eight batteries,
	and Intel solid-state flash EPROM memory cards.

	Models MC-200 and MC-400 use a proprietary multitasking graphical OS.
	They also have a microphone and speaker to allow voice and sound pro-
	cessing.  The MC-400 comes with more memory as standard (256K).

	The MC-600 is MS-DOS compatible and has 768K RAM and a 1MB RAM disk,
	Award BIOS, flash-card slots and a CGA-type display.  Battery life is
	about 30 hours and a 3.5" 1.44MB exteral floppy drive is optional.

	Prices for the MC-200/400/600 are $799, $1499 and $2499 respectively.
	Contact Psion Inc, 118 Echo Lake Rd, Watertown CT 06795, (203) 274-
	7521.  In U.K. call 44 71-262-5580.

The situation for the Cambridge portable isn't too good in the US and Cambridge
North America [Portland, ME] seems to be no longer in business.  There is a
firm called Cambridge Direct [1419 Lake Cook Rd., Deerfield, IL 60015, (312)
940-0843], where some Z88s might be found.

A recent Znet article said that the new ST Notebook was about 1 kg (~2 lbs),
so it would be seem to be in a class by itself.  I'm not sure if the battery
weight was included, because it would be extremely difficult to pack all the
features into a package of that weight.  If so, then a better name for it
might be ST DataBook or ST PortsGalore (James Bond's nemesis!?)  

>I think Atari might be in a better position to deliver and support a marketable
>product based on the PgC chips, because of their experience with the Inmos 
>transputer and Helios OS, which culminated in the ATW computer.

+I totaly disagree! With a PgC7xxx in their hands, Atari would just make some
+kind of ST compatible (with TOS and GEM- don't joke me!)... 

Maybe not TOS, but TAOS?  From the article on TAOS by Dick Pountain: "Taos is
now committed to producing translators for the Inmos T800 transputer, Motorola
680x0, PgC7600, Intel 386/486, Acorn RISC, and Sun SPARC microprocessors.  The
first three of these have already been written."


Jack