Computer Workout: TS 2068

While many computer companies play “Waiting For Peanut” before upgrading their current machines, Timex Sinclair has forged ahead with the 2068 Personal Color Computer, which should be readily available by the time you read this. The TS 2068 is a 48K computer that is based on the extremely successful Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer, introduced a year ago in Great Britain. Today, the price of the ZX Spectrum in Britain is £129.95 for a 48K machine. Considering that the TS 1000 (known in Britain as the ZX-81) currently sells here for $45 and in Britain for £45, if we just replaced the pound sign with a dollar sign, we’d have what should be the American price for this system a year from now. In the mean time, Timex is selling the computer at $199.95.

The TS 2068 is an excellent step up for the person who already owns the TS 1000, ZX-81 or ZX-80. This is especially true since it retains some of the features of these earlier machines, such as the automatic entry of BASIC keywords from the keyboard, while adding many additional features.

The newcomer to computing, however, should take a closer look. Timex hits the nail right on the head on page 12 of the 2068 User Manual when they say, “‘At first glance, the keyboard looks impossibly complicated—each key has five or six labels…’’ It not only looks complicated, it is complicated. While they go on to say that ‘…you’ll quickly learn how to use it….’, what they’re really saying is that they’re going to quickly explain to you how to use it. Actually learning to use this keyboard will take extensive practice. With so many functions assigned to each key, you have to wade through a jungle of labels on the keyboard. The idea of assigning a key to each BASIC keyword is a good one and could be enormously helpful, if its use was optional and not mandatory. Thus if you couldn’t quickly locate the key you wanted, you could type in the keyword itself. But forcing the user to press from one to four keys, either simultaneously or in sequence, to enter the desired BASIC keyword, is not a particularly friendly way of doing things.

The keyboard consists of 42 fulltravel push-button keys. Although it does not look or feel like the standard typewriter keyboard, it isa satisfactory alternative. Both upper and lower case letters are available from the keyboard. Each of the 42 keys has an automatic repeat function if the key is held down longer than a second. The F and J key each have a raised spot on them to help the user locate his fingers on the keyboard. This is a feature you’d expect to find on a typewriter-like keyboard and looks a little out of place here since it is clear that this keyboard is not designed for the touch-typist. The main problem for typing or word processing applications is that there aren’t enough keys on the keyboard and the punctuation marks are located in nonstandard positions.

The heart of the TS 2068 is the 8-bit Z80A microprocessor which operates at 3.5 MHz, which is 3.5 times faster than the microprocessors used in many other home computers. The computer features 24K of internal ROM and 48K of RAM. In addition, the TS 2068 has a slot into which minicartridges, that can contain as much as 56K of ROM, can be inserted.

While the TS 2068 comes with 72K of memory (48K RAM plus 24K ROM), it can handle much more. This is possible because built into the computer is a bank switching capability that can selectively activate different blocks of memory. While frequently used on more expensive computers, this is the first implementation of this advanced memory management technique in low-cost computers. The bank switching technique makes it possible for the TS 2068 to work with as many as 256 blocks of memory that each contain 64K. With the computer’s sleek, compact design, it’s obvious that this additional memory would have to be contained in external devices. However, the bank switching combined with the capability of having 56K cartridges means that some pretty powerful programs could be run on the computer.

Timex has indicated that one of them will be a word processing program which will be available on both tape and cartridge. The company also indicated that it is working on a low-cost printer to go along with the word processing package. The normal text display of the TS 2068 is 32 characters per line and 24 lines per screen. However, if you wish to connect a video monitor to the computer, using a separate monitor jack, the display can be increased to 24 lines of 64 characters each. Text can be displayed in any of the eight available colors. Another feature of the display is the split-screen capability which allows the user to look at one of two 32-by-24 displays (right or left). This makes it possible to run 64-column applications on an ordinary TV display which can only show 32 columns of data at a time.

The TS 2068 features color graphics with a range of eight selectable colors. The computer permits separate control of foreground, background and border colors. Normal high-resolution graphics capability is 256 dots horizontally by 192 dots vertically. An enhanced high-resolution mode is also available that features 512 dots horizontally and 192 dots vertically.

In addition to the color graphics, this computer also has a programmable sound capability that is implemented through a built-in loudspeaker. The computer is capable of generating 130 semitones with a range of 10 octaves. It has three separate sound channels which can all be active at once and a noise generator which can be used to generate special effects such as gun shots or explosions. The BASIC used in the computer has sound commands that can vary the pitch, duration and volume of the generated sound, which makes it possible to compose music with the computer. A very useful section of the manual is a chart that shows the various musical tones and how to generate them.

Aside from the confusion associated with the keyboard, the only other big weak point with the TS 2068 is its tape system. The computer uses an ordinary audio cassette tape recorder to store programs on and the system is extremely finicky. The recorder used should have a tone control, which should be set to the extreme treble position. The volume adjustment is critical. If it is set too high or too low, the tape simply won’t load. The problem is so bad, that out of the six sample tape programs provided with the computer, only two of them would load properly, and even these two were exceptional because they were apparently made by hand and not mass-produced. None of the four mass-produced tapes provided would load properly. This could represent a serious problem, but the folks at Timex are trying to remedy it. With the success of the ZX Spectrum computer in Britain, which uses the same cassette tapes, it’s probably only a matter of time before they have the tape bugs worked out. In the meantime there are other ways to bypass the tape.

One solution is to use a disk drive. A special micro-floppy drive is currently being developed that could not only solve the problem, but would be low-cost as well. That’s not due out for some time, however. The other solution is to buy cart versions of the programs you re interested in. In addition to avoiding tape sensitivity problems, you gain the added advantage of speed because the program is instantly available.

With the initial introduction of the TS 2068 there will be 40 pieces of software available from Timex. Cassette programs will range in price from $9.95 to $19.95, while cartridge versions will be priced from $12.95 to $29.95. In addition to the programs offered by Timex, you can expect a broad range of applications from independent software developers. One reason for this is wide availability of programs for the ZX Spectrum, which are directly compatible and will undoubtedly be imported into this country. You can expect to see some excellent graphics-oriented games for this computer, if the software | saw at a British computer show is any sample.

The versions of BASIC provided with the TS 2068 is impressive. It is an extended BASIC with a rich set of commands. Among some of the more unusual commands included are BRIGHT, which sets the brightness of characters printed to the video screen to normal, high intensity or transparent; COPY, which sends the top 22 lines of the display to a printer; INK, which sets the color (foreground) of the characters subsequently printed; PAPER, which controls the background color; OVER, which permits the overprinting of characters; PI, which gives the mathematical value of 3.14159…and more.

This version of BASIC also has special commands that make it easy to load and save data variables. In addition, it is possible to save a program together with its already entered or calculated data. And programs can be saved out and a starting line number specified, so that when they are loaded back into memory they automatically start running the program on the line indicated.

Overall, the TS 2068 makes a very favorable impression. Technically it appears to be a sturdy and well-built machine, with a very capable extended BASIC, and the price is good, although within a year it will probably drop to between $130 and $100 dollars. The two major factors that are preventing a whole-hearted recommendation of this machine are the rigid and confusing keyboard interface and the very finicky tape system. If you already own a TS 1000, you’ve encountered these problems before and will be able to handle them, in which case this is an excellent machine for you to step up to. If this is going to be your first computer, you might become exasperated with it, which would be a pity. The machine is quite capable once these obstacles are overcome.