This fourth episode of “Timex Connection” opens with major news from João Ramos about filming a documentary on Timex Portugal with the national TV station RTP. They filmed at the former Timex facilities, interviewing original employees and receiving a massive donation of materials including dozens of floppy disks from a former commercial director.
David Anderson presents his chronological collection of TS1500 development boards, showing the evolution from early prototypes with crystals to production versions with cost-reduced two-RAM-chip designs. The boards reveal the transition from prototype modulators to final Aztec versions.
The documentation review covers March 1983, revealing intense project management with critical path charts showing tight deadlines just two months before launch. Key discoveries include Portugal’s alternative version proposal with detailed cost breakdowns ($36 landed cost), RFI testing delays, and technical modifications for improved tape operations. The documents show both US and Portuguese teams still competing with different versions while racing toward the May 1983 launch deadline.