TS-1500/2000 RELEASES
The most reliable information we have regarding the expected date of availability is that the TS-1500 will be released around September 15th, 1983 and the TS-2000 around October 15th, 1983.
Supporting companies should find this good news. Look for major TV and publication advertising starting soon with more emphasis on the 2000.
Also, look for some pleasant suprises in the 2000. A program such as:
10 FOR N=1 TO 10
20 PRINT N
30 NEXT Ncan be written as:
10 FOR N=1 TO 10 :PRINT N :NEXT NIn other words, command formats need no longer be separated by line numbers. You can put as many command formats into a line as that line can hold. A certain logic unveils itself as new programming techniques unfold. A sample would be:
1000 IF A>B THEN GOSUB 1500: PRINT
"A IS LARGER THAN B"In this example, if “A” is larger than “B”, a truism occurs. Subroutine 1500 will be executed and the message “A IS LARGER THAN B” will be displayed. If “A” is not larger than “B”, the entire line will be ignored. This allows a whole bunch of command formats to be executed if a truism occurs from the same line.
Have you ever had to set a whole bunch of variables equal to numbers? On the 1000, a program line has to be used for every variable. On the 2000, the following line would be legal:
10 LET A=5:LET B=7:LET
CN=38:
LET A$="HELLO":LET
ZN$="GOODBYE"That’s right, double letter string variables are allowed, making for 676 potential string variables rather than the 26 limit on the 1000. The strings are dimensionalized differently, too. On the 1000, a variable might be dimensioned as “A$(100,10)” where 100 inputs can be made of a maximum of 10 characters each. On the 2000 “A$(100)” will do the job. Each “A$” string will self-dimensionalize to the amount of characters inputted.
Want to save a file of data? With the 1000, data and program are saved together. What if you write another program that could use the same data? With the 1000, you have to enter the same data over again. Not with the 2000. You can save just the data on tape and recall that same data with another program. Music, sound effects and fast color graphics make this an exciting machine.
One source that has tested it says that it is superior to the Commodore 64. We have a 64 and it is a lovely machine so we can hardly wait to see the 2000.
TS-1000 MARKET ALMOST NON-EXISTENT
Sales of TS-1000s have dropped to extremely low levels. Almost all major stores have dropped the 1000 from their inventory or are clearing their stock by selling them for as little as 29.95. This is mostly due to the premature anouncement of the 1500 and 2000 and that relationship with the discounted Commodore 64 ($199 at many stores). One store sells thirty 64s for every 1000
It looks like by year’s end that the 2000 and 64 will represent the main contenders in a battle for the low-end market. Both have small-mid business capabilities. A price war will probably ensue with both dropping below the $150 level. It is not hard to find a dealer, even now, that will sell you a C-64 computer with a 170K storage disk drive and graphics dot-matrix ink printer for under $800. This price could drop by as much as 35% within 6 months.
Meanwhile, supporting companies of the 1000 are suffering from lack of sales of related software and hardware products. Look for the market to improve slowly toward the end of September, and more so soon after the 2000 becomes available.
CONVERT 1000 TO 2000
Have all those neat ZX-81 or TS-1000 programs that you want to put into your TS-2000 when you get it? Do you envision sitting in front of your 2000 for many evenings typing in each program?
Maybe you won’t have to! An English company offers a software program that enables ZX-81 BASIC or MACHINE CODE programs to be loaded and converted into the SPECTRUM (Sinclair’s European version of the TS-2000) for 10 pounds (about $18). For more info or a free catalog, contact:
East London Robotics
No 11 Gate
Royal Albert Dock
London E 16
Tel:01-474 4430
Thanks to Albert Pela, Jr. of Saudi, Arabia for this bit of information.
2040 PAPER AVAILABLE
For all of you asking where to get paper for your TS-2040 thermal printers, Kopak has plenty in stock. Blue print on white (#DR1-401) is $7.80 for 4 rolls or $46.80 for 24 rolls. Black print on white (#DR#2-402) is $9.15 for 4 rolls or $54.90 for 24 rolls. Kopak also has a large number of software and hardware items. A 52 page catalog is available by writing:
KOPAK INC
119 Peter St.
Union City, NJ, 07087
(201)864-4410
Attn: Robert Schiller
For orders call (800)864-4410 Visa/MC/Amer.Exp. accepted
TAS BAM – THE FIRST
I knew it would eventually happen! KEYBOARD, a bi-monthly Users’ Group newsletter, is printed almost entirely with the TS-2040 printer. It is a neat and very “homey” publication describing news and events around the Tampa Bay area. An interesting eye catcher is the use of inverse characters and graphic symbols to accent the copy. If interested, send $15 for a year’s subscription to:
Tas Bam Users’ Group
PO BOX 644
Safety Harbor, FL, 33572
DICK TRACY INSPIRED?
A Pennsylvania State University professor proclaims that police of the future may have wrist-computers to enable them to check the past history of crime-ridden areas. This could give the officer the edge between life and death by giving information about that location for the past six months.
Most U.S.A. departments employ 10 to 15 people but do not or will not use computers due possibly to an anxiety toward them. Many of today’s computer enthusiasts, however, are children who in 10 years may enter police work. This stigma should cease to exist.