Review Responses: Timex fan

I was delighed, finally, to see InfoWorld acknowledge the existence of the new Timex 2068 Personal Color Computer (Vol. 5, No. 51). Michael Wiesenberg rightfully rated is tops in all categories, but his text could only begin to cover some of its features and capabilities. Since the announcement of the Timex Sinclair 2000 last January, enormous changes were made before the recent introduction of the T/S 2068, but Timex has just started its advertising. I think that this is a “dark horse” in the low-end home computer field. With a selling price below $150 at Best Products, it’s a remarkable value.

InfoWorld and the other magazines have ignored Timex announcements of 2068 peripherals. The T/S 2068 already has an under-$100 printer, and under-$50 tape recorder, fancy joysticks and a great flight simulator. Software originally designed for the Sinclair Spectrum, much of it usable “as is,” is starting to pour in from England. Already released in England for the Spectrum is a local-area-network interface (LAN) that allows up to 64 2068s to be tied together, communicating at 100K baud! Each LAN contains an RS-232C interface and the capability to use eight Microdrives, also soon to be announced by Timex. And day now Timex will be releasing its auto-answer, auto-dial $120 modem, which can be used with not only the 2068, but the older Timex/Sinclair 1000 and the new Timex/Sinclair 1500 as well. Also, to support the 64-character line mode built-in to the 2068, Timex will soon announce a letter-quality printer and full-feature word-processing program.

The new Timex computers (the 1500 black-and-white upgrade of the 1000 and the entirely new color 2068) have suffered from timid marketing by Timex and a general ho-hum “toy” attitude by most of the computer press. Darn shame! While the Adam and PCjr get loads of free publicity, the Timex 2068 has gone virtually ignored because Timex chose to “cool it” on the publicity until it could deliver. It has cost Timex dearly to maintain its integrity.

Wait’ll you see the Timex Microdrives in action! I have, at a private demonstration. Wow!

Fred Blechman
Canoga Park, CA