In search of a golden memory

The Most important hardware device you can add to your computer is a memory unit. In this article we analyse three memory units for design, flexibility, durability and cost: the Memopak 16K, the Sinclair !6K RAM and the Panda 16K.

These connect to the T/S1000 via the expansion port at the rear of the computer. The design of the unit is very important because it must fit tightly to the computer. If the fit is loose, programs may be lost easily by any movement. This can be very annoying when you are trying to change the tape recorder leads to save a program. We have lost many programs this way.

From the pictures, you can see that the Memopak unit stretches right across the length of the computer. The unit comes with velcro tabs to help make the connection firmer. We have also used tape and elastic bands for the same purpose.

The Sinclair RAM is a smaller unit. It does not fit to the back of the computer as well as the Memopak. We have had great difficulty inventing ways to prevent this unit from wobbling.

The Panda RAM is built similarly to the Sinclair RAM but its fit on the expansion bus is much tighter. We used this unit extensively for two weeks and found no problem with its design.

For design, we feel the best unit is the Memopak. Its structure is best suited for the T/S1000. We like its appearance best, although the polar bear on the Panda is a nice touch. The second category we have defined is flexibility. A memory unit must allow external devices such as printers easy access to the expansion bus. All three memory units allow this but the Memopak has a slight advantage because it also has an edge connector behind it, allowing a printer to be attached in front or behind it.

The third category rating memory units is durability. How long will it work? We have used many Sinclair and Memopak memory units and can rate them fairly. The Panda has been only tested for a two week period, so its durability is still questionable.

When we first began using Sinclair computers, we used the Sinclair RAM.

After much use, they began getting warm easily and frequently lost programs. We tried many types of memory units, finding most of them to be unreliable, until we found the Memopak.

The Memopak lasts much longer than the Sinclair RAM. For people with larger memory needs, Memotech also sells 32K and 64K Memopaks. They are of equal quality.

The table shows our rating of the memory units discussed here. We have not rated the Panda for durability after only two weeks of testing, but we will say it hasn’t yet caused a single problem. (Stonechip Electronics, a British firm, is currently looking for an American distributor for ZX- Panda, which sells for about £20 in Britain.)

Product	Design	Flexibility	Durability	Cost (approx)
Memopak 16K (Memotech)	9	9	8	$60
16K RAM (Sinclair)	6	8	6	$50
ZX-Panda (Stonechip)	8	8	7	?