SYNC in the Home Office
Our theme section “SYNC in the Home Office” offers help for several financial questions most of us have to face sooner or later. In “Building Your Own Spreadsheet” Gordon Young gives an introduction to spreadsheets for record keeping. “Hatching Your Nest Egg” by David Draker lets you consider various options and conditions in evaluating savings plans. “Tax Shelter Time Bomb” from David Lipman finds the point at which a tax saving investment begins to produce taxable income. With “Home Control on a Budget” Bruce Taylor shows how to use your computer to turn devices on and off around the house. Since word processing is part of the modern office, we have a comparative review by Sharon Aker of eight of the packages available. Of course, in using such programs an auxiliary keyboard is very helpful. Lawrence Kelly’s roundup and discussion covers most of the options available. Then Sheldon Maloff gives you a break from all this hard work with “Highway Robbery,” a fantasy for increasing your capital.
Coming Issues
Our theme section for March/April will be “SYNC at the keyboard.” This will focus on programs, programming, and programming tips both in Basic and machine code.
Theme sections under consideration for subsequent issues include a return to “SYNC on the Job,” showing how the ZX/TS computers are used in job related situations; “SYNC Goes Shopping,” a buyer’s guide to products for the TS2068/Spectrum computers; and “SYNC in the Classroom.”
Writing for SYNC
SYNC welcomes articles of interest to users of the ZX/TS computers. If you have an article or an idea for one, we would like to see it. Submissions will be returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed envelope with postage attached. If you want acknowledgement of receipt, enclose a self-addressed postcard. Programs must be accompanied by a tutorial article discussing at a minimum how the program works. Listings must be submitted on tape unless they are very short. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope for a copy of “Writing for SYNC” which will help you make your manuscript more “editor friendly.”
TS1500 and TS2068
By the time you read this the Timex Sinclair 2068 Color Computer and the Timex Sinclair 1500 should be widely available. We have already received enthusiastic reports from various locations around the country.
SYNC will include these new machines in its coverage. We will welcome articles on their use and reviews of hardware and software available for them. Wherever possible we ask that writers include either program listings for both machine types (TS1000/TS2068) or suggestions of where changes may be made.
In SYNC 3:4 we ran pictures and a brief description of these new machines. David Ornstein’s “Perceptions” column in SYNC 3:5 gave a look at the new Basic for the TS2000 series with brief descriptions of what the various commands would do. In SYNC 2:4 we published an extended review of the Spectrum from which the TS2068 is adapted.
We just received a production model of the TS2068, and we want to share with you some initial observations and descriptions.
Size and Appearance
Upon opening the box, my first reaction was “It’s so big!”—but that reaction comes only if you are used to using the TS1000. The TS2068 measures 17 3/4″ x 7 1/2″ x 1 3/4”. All the plug-ins are made in the rear. An on/off switch is on the left side, and the channel (2 or 3) switch is recessed on the bottom. On the right is the port for Timex’s new plug-in software. If you like to work with the computer on your lap, this is just the right size.
Power Supply
The AC power adaptor that comes with the computer is about twice the size of the ZX/TS power packs. The output is 1A at 15VDC.
The Keyboard
All users will find that the keyboard is a significant improvement over the membrane keyboard. The keys are 3/8 x 1/2″ chiclet style with spacing slightly wider than the IBM Selectric II keyboard. Although the key action is good, the keyboard obviously will not have the feel of a typewriter keyboard. When a key is pressed, the speaker makes a little noise and provides audio feedback. This makes up partly for the lack of tactile feedback. A full size space bar, shift key on both sides, and the ENTER key at the carriage return position on the IBM typewriters are much more convenient for typing. Touch typists will find this keyboard usable, but still not like a regular typewriter keyboard. The raised dots on the F and J keys compensate somewhat for the lack of the extra key row on the right of the typewriter keyboard which typists use to help locate the home keys. Touch typists will have to retrain their finger patterns a bit because of the location of some important keys for touch typing such as the period and comma, but this is normal when you switch to another machine.
LOADing and SAVEing
One of the biggest problems ZX/TS users have had is in LOADing and SAVEing. The TS2068 is improved in that regard. We tried three different tape recorders. All loaded at volume settings from 7-10 with the prerecorded tapes from Timex and with tapes of test programs we made, SAVEd, and then LOADed. (We should note though that all three recorders have been generally reliable with the ZX/TS computers also, but not in the range found here. Also, Timex has released its own tape recorder for computer use for $49.95. Preliminary comments on its capabilities have been very favorable.)
The LOADing process is much more convenient. It goes through three steps which are shown by color changes on the screen. First is the searching pattern. The borders alternate between red and cyan. When the computer finds the program, it goes into the finding pattern. The borders go to a red/blue horizontal strip pattern while the computer is picking up the name of the program. The name is displayed. If that is the program sought, the LOADing process begins and the loading pattern shows. The border shifts to a blue/yellow stripe pattern. If the LOAD is unsuccessful, a screen message alerts you. If the program you want is not the first, the computer continues searching and adding program names to the list on the screen until it finds the program instructed. In this way you end up with a directory of the tape on the screen.
Computer Output
The TS2068 will output to either a TV or a monitor. Timex has included a statement pointing out that color TV sets which have total solid state tuning probably cannot be used with the TS2068 and that the AFT control, if any, must be off. If your present set cannot be hand tuned, you may have display problems.
Since other family members may not want to share color TV time with the computer, this may be a good time to consider adding a dedicated screen. A monitor would certainly enable you to take full advantage of the hi res graphics capabilities of the machine.
Color
The quality of the color depends greatly on whether you can adjust your TV to get the proper colors for the various keys. The hi res color graphics on several tapes from Timex were very well done.
Programming
Since SYNC is wholly devoted to helping users of the Sinclair and Timex Sinclair computers get more out of their computers, we will not go into programming at this time. That will be the topic of many future articles in SYNC. However, we will note a few new features that will be of special interest to ZX81 and TS1000 users.
1) The FREE command will give you the amount of memory remaining for use. With PRINT FREE, you can find the number of bytes in a line or a whole program. This is much more convenient than the byte checkers we have had for the TS1000.
2) The MERGE command will do from the keyboard what our “Chaining Programs” article in this issue does. You still must be sure that you have no lines with the same number in the programs to be merged.
3) Both upper and lower case letters are available from the keyboard. The commands are printed on the screen in all capitals, but all other letter input will be lower case unless you put the computer in the CAPS LOCK mode. See the listings in “Bubbles” and “Where Are You Going?” in this issue.
4) All keys have repeat capabilities. No more hitting the delete key once for each character or hitting the right arrow key 32 times to get the cursor to the next line of the program for editing!
5) Inverse video is available directly from the keyboard. You can alternate between true and inverse by using these two commands.
6) Twenty locations are available for programming your own characters. The BIT command allows you to arrange all 64 bits of the character matrix into whatever character you want. You assign your character to one of the 20 keys, and then you can use it from that key whenever you want.
Documentation
The users manual for the TS2068 is a significant improvement over the ZX81/TS1000 manuals. It is much more comprehensive and much better illustrated. While it is not a complete course in Basic, it will give you a good start in using this computer. There is a rush among the book publishers to convert the well-developed Spectrum bookshelf (see SYNC 3:5) to the TS2068.
TS1000 Convertability
Programs for the TS1000 can be entered on the TS2068, but modifications have to be made since there are some important differences. For example, the character sets are numbered differently so character numbers will have to be changed in program transition. The display file works differently also. See the “Try This” column in this issue.
Spectrum Convertability
Spectrum tapes cannot be LOADed into the TS2068. Many Spectrum software suppliers are busy converting the programs, and we anticipate that by our next issue a number of software packages will be available.
Conclusion
The TS2068 will let you take what you have already learned for the ZX81 or TS1000 as a base to build on. Some adjustments will have to be made, but you do not have to start from scratch in areas that both types of machine share. Working from this base, you can move on to color, sound, and hi res graphics.