SINCLAIR NEWS
Sinclair Research Ltd. suffering from severe cash-flow problems has been bailed out by Robert Maxwell, owner of the Daily Mirror Newspaper in London. Mr. Maxwell will input about $15 million into Sinclair in return for about 75% of the company. Sir Clive will step down as chairman, and Maxwell will take his place. Sir Clive will only be a research consultant to the company, which he founded. His holding interests will drop from 85% to only 15%. This story was reported in the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal on Tues. June 18. It was also confirmed by a representative at Sinclair Research U.S. Div. The general consensus is that business will continue as usual at least for the time present.
Sir Clive has been faced with a bad market situation that parallels the U.S. computer market back in 1984. Several U.K. computer firms have gone out of business. The Sinclair Spectrum + has been slashed in price now for a couple of months, to compete with the Commodore C64 and Atari. Along with personal computers, Sinclair also markets a portable Flat-Screen TV (that is smaller than a paperback book), a digital wristwatch with a built in FM radio, and a small electric vehicle.
The QL finally became available to U.S. customers in May, nearly one year later than it’s original expected release date. It is being sold by mail order from Sinclair’s branch office/shipping center at One Sinclair Plaza, Nashua, NH 03061 for $499.00 plus $12.00 s & h. American Express Corp. was involved in a market survey with Sinclair, and sold QLs to their customers for a short time. The QL, a 32-bit 128k small business computer, complete with twin microdrives and four software packages, will be the topic of much discussion in the months to come.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
A new TIMEX NETWORK is available, thanks to the groudwork layed down by Ed Grey of Inglewood, CA (who is also SYSOP of the TIME |X| CHANGE), and also Dave Clifford (of Z-LINK fame) from Gardena, CA. The TIMEX NETWORK uses the nationwide and international FIDO-NET. The cost is very low…25 cents per message sent to most nodes in the U.S. and Canada. England and other foreign countries cost more. Messages are exchanged between nodes each late night, therefore a message could be sent and an answer received back (from across the country or across an ocean), in a little over 24 hours. Fido-Net is a group of independently owned and operated computers, running Fido software (MS-DOS), which is designed to handle (BBS) and transmit (network) messages. The system will work with any computer/modem combination, including T/S 1000/1500 and the T/S 2068. The Fido network is now 268 nodes strong (each individual computer in the network is called a node) and growing at a rate of 15 per week. If you are interested in joining the Timex Network, you must locate and contact (by modem) a Fido node in your local area and log-on. If you cannot find a Fido-Net BBS, then send a S.A.S.E. to: PO Box 2186, Inglewood, CA 90305, and Ed will send you a current list of international Fido phone numbers. You should find the information needed to send mail on your local Fido. Any suggestions or questions, ect. can be sent to-
Name: Ed Grey
Node Name: Switch Pak #1,
Hawthorne, CA
Node Number: 411 in Net #1
Bill Ferrebee of T-S Horizons contacted us and reported that the T/S SIG on the River Cities BBS is no longer in operation, but that a new Timex BBS is in the works. It will feature a sytem using the T/S 2068 and some special software that is presently being programmed for it. For further information, contact Bill at: 115 N 7th Ave, Paden City, WV 26159.
SOFTAID
There is a cassette tape available featuring ten top hit game programs from England, for the Spectrum computer. All proceeds from the sale of the software go to the BAND-AID TRUST FUND to aid starving Ethiopians. The Band-Aid project was first implemented when British Pop Music Stars recorded and donated a Christmas song for the effort. The “greatest hits” tape is called SOFTAID, and contains the following games: Spellbound (Beyond), Starbike (The Edge), Kokotoni Wilf (Elite), The Pyramid (Fantasy), Horace Goes Ski-ing (Melbourne House/Psion), Gilligan’s Gold (Ocean), Ant Attack (Quicksilva), 3D Tank Duel (Real-Time), Sorcery (Virgin), and Jack and the Beanstalk (Thor). On the “flip” side of the tape is the recorded version of the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”
Rod Cousens of Quicksilva organised the software relief project, and hopes that it will raise some £200,000 for the Ethiopians. Here in the U.S. the SOFTAID Spectrum tape is available from Susan Ziegler, Software Services, 14307 BenBrush, San Antonio, TX 78248, for a mere $6.25 plus $2.00 for first class p & h. Bob Dyl of the English Micro Connection, 15 kilburn Ct., Newport, RI 02840 will also have substantial supplies of SOFTAID shortly. The British software producers have been very generous in their efforts. The tape is very reasonably priced, and everyone should obtain their own copy…pirated versions won’t help dying people one bit. Note: There is also a version for the Commodore 64.
TIMEX PORTUGAL
Several lucky T/S users in the U.S. have acquired imported models of the Timex Disk Drive Sytem for the Timex 2068, from Portugal. This 3″ Hitachi floppy sytem, is smartly styled in a silver case to match the 2068 perfectly. The drives are not presently available here in the U.S. Very favorable reviews have appeared in the British magazine SINCLAIR USER (April 85), in the May/June newsletter of the L.I.S.T. Group from New York, and in the very nice May 85 issue of SUM from Gainesville, FL (complete with very detailed photos).
Future availability here for 2068 owners, was still under negotiation as we went to press (and the concerned parties requested that we hold the information until something substantial materialized). It appears that when supplys of this great system are made available, it will be “wait in line time”. Look for more details in the next issue.
MISC.
The MSCRIPT Word Processor for the 2068 is available for only $24.95 from Zebra Systems, Inc. 78-06 Jamaica Ave., Woodhaven, NY 11421. Include $3.00 for total order postage and handling. Also, request their free catalog.
RMG Enterprises, 1419 1/2 7th St., Oregon City, OR 97045 has picked up the CRICKET HOUSE line of products for the T/S 1000/ZX81. There is a complete keyboard kit (T/I type) with shifted function keys diode pak, stick-on keytops, and detailed instructions, for $24.95 plus $2.00 for postage and handling. A T/S word processor is also offered for $9.95 (+ $.50 p & h). Send S.A.S.E. for further details.
Interested in a RS-232 port for your T/S 1000/ZX81? Edward Loxterkamp, [address omitted], Fairborn, OH 45324 is willing to answer questions, give details or more information regarding his article that was published in Spring ’85 issue of HANDS-ON ELECTRONICS.
Software for T/S Computers, including a digitized speech synthesizer program ($16.95 for 2068 version), are available from Tad Painter, Box 1666055, Irving, TX 75016. Send S.A.S.E. for more information.
Frank Lockhart, PO Box 4095, Ormond Beach, FL 32075-4095 is an engineer and computer programmer, who offers a comprehensive list of software for all T/S Computers, that he has written. Everything from games and utilities to mathmatical and engineering programs. Send S.A.S.E. for descriptions and price list.
Jim Clatfelter, who sells his own software programs for the 2068, has a new address: 3361 Sand Ridge Rd., Placerville, CA 95667.
The new version of the classic ZX81 word processor called WORD SINC II.5, is now available from Peter McMullin, 2340 Queen St. E, Toronto, Ont., Canada M4E 1G9. Peter re-wrote this version in cooperation with Powell Hargrave the author of the original. It is “ready to load and start printing” with any Epson code compatible printer. It is however, extremely versatile and can be modified easily to accomodate any commonly used printer. Send $30.00 (Canadian) + $1.00 p & h. A comprehensive manual is planned and will be made available soon. Other related software is also available. Write for details.
Contrary to popular belief, the repair and service center at Timex Corp., Little Rock, Arkansas, is still very much in business for your computer problems. They will continue to repair 2068, 1000, and 1500s for a nominal fee. Of course, if your computer is still under warranty, the fee will be waivered.
USERS GROUP UPDATE
If your group hasn’t been listed in TIME DESIGNS before, such as the directory in issue #3, or another issue’s update… please send us the information so that we can mention you. Here are some new ones to add to your list:
Atlanta Timex Users Group
[address omitted]
Riverdale, GA 30274
Contact: David Butkovich
Southern VA Timex Users Network (STUN)
[address omitted]
Glade Hill, VA 24092
Contact: Gary S. Preston II
(Several publications including ours, have been inadvertently calling the STUN group SLUG!?!)