The Sinclair QL computer is a great small business and home productivity computer. However it lacks a few iteis that would greatly enhance its usefulness. It has no centronics parallel printer port. Its memory is too small for much serious work. And it has only microdrives for mass storage and retrieval.
Technology Research, a leader in the production of disk drive systems for the Spectrum in England, has introduced the “Delta 3-in-1″ Interface to address tnese deficiencies. Consisting of a board about 6″ long, the 3-in-1 plugs into the left end of the QL at its expansion buss. Only about 3” extends outside the QL case and is covered with a black plastic shroud to blend in with the design of the computer.
The interface is appropriately named “3-in-1” because if its built-in printer interface, disk interface and additional memory. Another version is available without the extra memory but which can be upgraded later. SUM’s version came with 128K on board.
This board is a very welcome addition to our QL. The extra memory greatly expands the workspace available for use with Quill and the other QL software. For example, without extra memory, Quill can only produce documents of about 1100 words before “Memory Full” comes up. With the extra 128K, text files in excess of 11,000 words were created (about 41 double-spaced typed pages) in memory at one time! The extra memory can also be configured as a “Ram Disk”, setting aside a part of memory where programs or data can be saved or loaded to and then quickly accessed. Of course, you must save to microdrive any- thing put into Ram Drive as it is erased when the computer is turned off. Working in conjunction with the on-board parallel interface, part of memory can be set aside for use as a printer buffer. For example, 2K of memory could be designated as a buffer, meaning that once something is sent to the printer, control of the computer is returned to the user while the job to be printed is being fed to the printer from this buffer.
The parallel interface is more useful than the serial ports which come with the QL since most inexpensive printers available today have the parallel port. An error in the Delta documentation prevented the use of the interface for several days. In an effort to make up a printer cable to match the pinouts of the interface, it was discovered tnat the pinouts listed were not correct. Instead a standard printer cable can be used of the type used on the Tasman interface and LPrint III Spectrum interfaces. This particular cable is also available at Radio Shack for the Model 100 computer. An added extra is the ability to use the parallel output in programs that call for serial by typing “PAR USE ser”.
The disk drive interface is basically identical to the system reviewed in the December issue of SUM made by Kempston. It seems that the operating system for both was written by the same person. The disk interface will support up to 4 single or double sided, single or double density, 3″ or 3.5″ or 5.25″ disk drives. By using a simple command, the drives can fully emulate the QL microdrives. Supplied on a 5.25″ diskette with the Delta interface is a conversion program which claims to automatically transfer software from microdrive to disk. A 28 page user’s manual is supplied with the systen.
English Micro Connection and Knighted Computers carry the Technology Research Delta Interface at about $270.00 with 128K of memory. Other configurations are available. As compared to buying a parallel interface, disk interface, and 128K of extra memory all separately, this is a great price.