---
title: "Winter Doldrums, Rumors Mark Current QL Scene"
type: "article"
slug: "winter-doldrums-rumors-mark-current-ql-scene"
url: "http://localhost/article/winter-doldrums-rumors-mark-current-ql-scene/"
markdown_url: "http://localhost/article/winter-doldrums-rumors-mark-current-ql-scene.md"
published_at: "2026-03-14T13:34:10+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-14T13:34:10+00:00"
featured_image:
  url: "http://localhost/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/20230809-041332.jpg"
excerpt: "QL industry report for early 1986: steady trickle of QL sales; CompuServe conference active; Tom Bent (SyncWare News) argues QL superior to Atari ST with comparable investment; Sinclair US reportedly not answering phones; Mark Fendrick hints at improved US distribution deal. Miracle Systems Modaptor with QCODE terminal software enables RS-232 modem use up to 1200…"
category:
  - name: "Timelinez"
    slug: "timelinez"
    taxonomy: "category"
    url: "http://localhost/category/periodicals/timelinez/"
post_tag:
  - name: "Editorial"
    slug: "editorial"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/editorial/"
  - name: "QL"
    slug: "ql"
    taxonomy: "post_tag"
    url: "http://localhost/tag/ql/"
model:
  - name: "Sinclair QL"
    slug: "sinclair-ql"
    taxonomy: "model"
    url: "http://localhost/model/sinclair-ql/"
indiv:
  - name: "Norm Lehfeldt"
    slug: "norm-lehfeldt"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/norm-lehfeldt/"
publication_r:
  id: 21571
  title: "Timelinez"
  type: "periodical"
  url: "http://localhost/periodical/timelinez/"
authors_r:
  - name: "Norm Lehfeldt"
    slug: "norm-lehfeldt"
    taxonomy: "indiv"
    url: "http://localhost/indiv/norm-lehfeldt/"
volume: "4"
issue: "4"
issues_articles:
  - id: 38833
    title: "Timelinez v4 n4"
    type: "issue"
    url: "http://localhost/issue/timelinez-v4-n4/"
pages: "5"
pubdate: "April 1986"
archive_link: false
---

QL industry report for early 1986: steady trickle of QL sales; CompuServe conference active; Tom Bent (SyncWare News) argues QL superior to Atari ST with comparable investment; Sinclair US reportedly not answering phones; Mark Fendrick hints at improved US distribution deal. Miracle Systems Modaptor with QCODE terminal software enables RS-232 modem use up to 1200 baud; QCODE v4.0 allows saving incoming data directly to microdrive. Microdrive reliability assessed as good. SuperBASIC string slicing and LET coercion differences from ZX81/2068 BASIC discussed.