WALLINGFORD, CT – The lowest- priced personal computer is getting less expensive and is gaining features. In England, Clive Sinclair, originator of the Sinclair ZX80 computer, recently introduced a revised version of his system, the ZX81.
Introduced at a price about 30% lower than the original, the ZX81 adds features to and corrects several of the faults of ZX80.
One gripe ZX80 users frequently voice is that the video display goes blank anytime the computer is actually performing calculations. The ZX81 corrects this problem by introducing FAST and SLOW commands in BASIC. If the user specifies the fast speed, the computer will blank the video screen while performing an activity. If the user specifies the slow mode, the video display remains intact. Benchmarks show that the slow mode is approximately four times slower than the fast.
A second improvement apparent in the ZX81 is the new, extended 8K-BASIC interpreter. In addition to the commands listed above, the new BASIC features full floating-point numeric operations.
The price of the ZX81 is lower than that of its predecessor for two reasons. First, the extended BASIC is stored in a single 8K-ROM memory chip. Second, Sinclair had a custom integrated circuit made that combines the functions of about a dozen other chips. This parts reduction means that the basic ZX81 contains only four integrated-circuit chips, making it not only the lowest-priced personal computer, but the simplest, as well.
The new machine is not yet available but should be soon. spokesman for the American Sinclair Research office was not able to say exactly when the new computer will appear on this side of the Atlantic or at what price.
Meanwhile, a companion printer for the ZX80 that lists for 50 pounds in Britain and is expected to list for under $100 in the United States should begin deliveries in June.