Meet the man who clogged up Connecticut’s phone system

In our premier issue, Timex Sinclair User features an exclusive interview with Dan Ross, the man who heads up the Timex computer division. His decisions will hopefully make T/S computing ever more fascinating in the future. Managing Editor Joe Gladstone reports.

Probably the man most difficult to reach in the computer business is Dan Ross, Chief Operating Officer of Timex Computer Corporation. Sinclair Research in the U.K. brought out the hardware and Timex added the marketing skills. Together they produced the Timex Sinclair 1000 computer. It entered the marketplace last summer and by the end of 1982 was a major force, according to industrial sources, Timex sold more than 600,000 units, which translates into more than 30 per cent of the market. This tremendous penetration into the market place means Dan is trying to be everywhere at once.

In its first year of operation under Dan Ross, Timex Computers built a base of over 15,000 retail outlets for their products. This figure is as of the end of 1982.

“We’re expanding our base and we’re also entering new markets that we didn’t specifically go after last year,” Dan says, “In addition, we’re moving off geographically into some new markets. We’re planning a launch in Europe in 1983.”

Many of those 600,000 new computer owners have expressed frustration in trying to get through to Timex to ask about the problems they have encountered with their machines. Many of those 600,000 new computer owners were firsttime computer buyers and expected some back up from Timex. How did Timex respond to their legitimate needs?

“Well, it’s certainly something we’re trying to address.” Ross said. “We try to be responsive to any correspondence; we opened the 1-800-24 TIMEX telephone number to allow people to call in, and we’ve staffed it. I know initially last year when we started that number, there was such a deluge of calls coming in, it virtually clogged up the entire Connecticut phone system. I don’t think any organization, including the Bell Telephone Company, could handle that type of volume, but we have increased our staff.”

The mass of new owners created an “instant market” for software to put into the computer. There was a great deal of good material available from the U.K. where the original computer, the ZX81, had been on the market for over a year.

But what about in the U.S.? How were American companies fitted in to fill an American need?

Dan Ross on available software: “We have at this time over 70 titles that are available with our label on it, and of course there are literally hundreds of other titles that a user can buy. The other sources that we get software from are houses that we contract to develop specific software for us as well as our own internally developed software.”

The questions that is on the lips of the nation are, “When will the T/S2000 be on sale in North America?” And secondly “Why is it so different from the Spectrum in the U.K. that the Spectrum software is incompatible?”

Dan Ross on the T/S2000 line: “It will be out about mid-year. The 16K version will sell for $144.95, the 48K for $199.95.

“We have headed the design objective to make the product as compatible as possible to the Spectrum, but we wanted to add features to it that we felt were essential to our market. Specifically, we enhanced the product to accept solid-base software.”

Beyond software, Dan specifically talked about users’ groups. He felt they were a major way in which novice or expert computer users could get much more from their machine.

“Quite frankly, they’re quite a resource for us.”

“We’re setting up user groups. These have come on-stream slower than we had hoped, but we’re setting up user groups throughout the country.

“I’ve spoken at a number of meetings myself personally to reflect our support of what they’re doing. We don’t want to control these, but we certainly want to be involved.”

Ross seemed also exceptionally interested in establishing the T/S1000 as a valuable tool in the education market. He felt the Timex Sinclair computer was especially suited to schools. It is light, inexpensive, easy to use, and a good tool to use to introduce programming to children.

Dan Ross on education: “We’re really excited about this market because it relates to our products. Computers in the classroom, computer literacy is something we’re certainly committed to. Our product is very well suited for use in education.”

“We recently launched a program in the state of Connecticut. This program is unique in that it is a curriculum-first, teacher training, as well as the classroom training for the student. It’s software, courseware, literature, as well as the hardware. Our product is targeted more to computer literacy than, say, the computerized system of instruction. But this is a program that we have developed in conjunction with some of the leading educators in the country. Specifically, we’ve been working with some of the educators of Villanova University.”

“I think it’ll certainly aid in our objective of providing computer literacy to the masses.”

The next question was about the new machine everyone is buzzing about, the T/S1500.

“We haven’t announced any product like that,” Dan said.

Well, that may be Dan, but in our news report we do have some “unofficial” information about that “non” machine.

Dan allowed that Timex and Sinclair were still actively working together to bring new products to the U.S. When asked about the much-publicized Sinclair flat screen monitor, he replied, “I’d prefer to let him (Clive Sinclair) speak to you on that particular device.” Then what products can we expect soon?

Dan Ross on the new products: “The printer was launched a couple of weeks ago at major department stores. We’re developing a MODEM for the 1000 and the 2000. In addition, we’re moving off geographically into some new markets. We’re planning to launch a program in Europe in 1983 in conjunction with Sinclair.”

This magazine is a new product. While not connected to Timex Computers, we certainly are heavily involved with them and their related products, Have you any kind words to say about us?

“Certainly we endorse having people put together magazines about our product. I think it offers our users a range of documents that they can go to to get information, to find out about new products, to find out and continue to build that interest that you alluded to in our products.”

Dan seems to be very sincere when he expresses concern that those people who want an inexpensive computer to join the computer age deserve the best available.

Dan Ross on personal computers: “We are committed to making sure that we are the price-value leaders in our particular segment. I think that we’re going to continue to try to bring the best price performance, price-value computers to the market place.”

Dan Ross on Dan Ross: “I’m from Atlanta. I went to school in Louisiana. My background is math and computer science from Louisiana Tech,

“I’ve been in data processing now for 17 years, at IBM mainly in the mainframe area. My career has spanned IBM, Itel Corp., and Memorex. I was brought on board (hired by Timex) actually about a year ago to start the Timex Computer Corporation. It’s been a wild ride since.”

Starting with the T/S1000, Dan Ross with Timex made history. It was the first computer in the United States to retail for under $100.00. To honor this fact, the Smithsonian Institute has selected the T/S1000 for its permanent collection. Dan Ross made the formal presentation in Washington, D.C.

On March 15, an ad in the Wall Street Journal showed the T/S1000 for sale for $49.95. From under $100.00 to under $50.00 in 7 months … not bad, Dan Ross, not bad, but what’s left to do?

“I think we’ve just scratched the surface. I think it’s vastly important that people become involved with computers. Our product is especially suited to provide them their first step into computers, to learn about what computers are all about, and I think the market will continue to explode as it did in 1982 for the rest of this decade.”