Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!isgate!krafla!adamd
From: adamd@rhi.hi.is (Adam David)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: British systems
Message-ID: <3066@krafla.rhi.hi.is>
Date: 21 Apr 91 16:29:32 GMT
References: <12556@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>
Organization: University of Iceland
Lines: 45

In <12556@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> kiki@uhunix1.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu writes:
>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(?!)

This sounds like the 256k spectrum 'compatible' that Miles Gordon Technology
might even still be making.

>+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.

8 years later!!! That's certainly not failure, even if only meagre success.
The OS design is beautiful and still being advanced today.

>640x400/480 graphics (4 colors)

Not so. The QL has 512*256 (4 colour) or 256*256 (8 colour + flashing).
68000 and 68020 (with optional FPU) 'compatibles' exist, and prototypes must
have been built with higher screen resolutions. The Thor XVI (was manufactured
in Denmark) has a 2-layer design with a seperate I/O processor to reduce CPU
load while communicating beyond the CPU bus. This gives a marked improvement
in throughput on such a multiprocessing environment.

>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.

For D.I.Y. types:
There is a redesigned circuit board and kit/plans for a QL compatible,
available from QUANTA, a worldwide QL user group based in U.K. with membership
around 5,000 to 10,000 people.
The main improvements are a built-in floppy disk interface and a keyboard
interface to connect up standard PC-type keyboards, maybe also mouse and
parallel ports. As far as I know, the kit is available to members only.
The QUANTA newsletter is full of good quality material, also lots of special
offers to members. The QL is far from dead.

[exit QL mode before I get flamed]

>Maybe not TOS, but TAOS?

Good move! Let's see it, Atari.

--
Adam David. (adamd@rhi.hi.is)