Sinclair Research
| Sinclair Research Ltd.
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|---|---|
 |
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| legal form | Limited |
| founding | 1962 (as Sinclair Radionics) |
| Seat |
 United Kingdom
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| Branch | Information technology, electronics |
Sinclair Research Ltd. is the name of a British company founded by Sir Clive Sinclair . Sinclair Research Ltd. was founded as Sinclair Radionics in 1962 to sell radios and calculators .
Company history
The first years were characterized by the development and sale of miniaturized radio and television sets. The first pocket television, the Sinclair Microvision , was developed by Radionics, but was never manufactured in large numbers.
During the 1970s, Sinclair shifted its manufacturing and development to inexpensive pocket calculators. In 1972 Sinclair introduced the world's first slim pocket calculator, the Sinclair Executive .
After some success with pocket calculators and digital wristwatches and combinations of both, each with an LED display, Sinclair named his company Science of Cambridge Ltd in order to release his first real computer, the MK 14 , in June 1978 .
Sinclair's success in the field of home computers began in 1979 with the development of the Sinclair Sinclair ZX80 and the Sinclair ZX81, which was presented a year later .
Some of the computers consisted of only four integrated components. Hobbyists were even able to assemble the first computers themselves from sets of parts. The simple structure required inexpensive production and thus also a good selling price. Sinclair achieved good distribution in the initially empty market. Quality problems and technical defects were among the downsides of the company, plus there were other technical peculiarities such as a multiple-use membrane or rubber keyboard and the well-known, wear -prone ZX Microdrive plug-in modules .
The models of the Spectrum were reproduced worldwide in various more or less compatible forms. The Timex models from the United States and the "unofficial replica models" from the USSR , the GDR and South America are particularly well known . Smaller productions were found in Asia and Portugal.
Nothing came of a future computer with the project name LOKI . The project was halted after Sinclair sold the computer division to Amstrad in 1986 . LOKI should become a direct competitor to the Commodore Amiga . The last really new model was the Sinclair QL released in 1984 , which was already equipped with the modern CPU from Motorola (68008) .
As Sir Clive later pointed out on one occasion, the success of the early computers and the necessary (if not achieved) compatibility was a major obstacle to further development.
Sinclair Research Ltd. still exists today and primarily develops and markets locomotion devices.
Computer models
- Sinclair ZX80 (1980), membrane keyboard , light-colored housing, also available as a kit
- Sinclair ZX81 (1981), with black housing and membrane keyboard, see also Sinclair Computer Logic
- Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1982), initially with 16 kB , later with 48 kB RAM , rubber keyboard
- Sinclair ZX Spectrum + (1984), still 48 kB RAM, keyboard with hard caps ex works, which was retained in the following computers; a reset switch has been added
- Sinclair QL (1984, QL stands for QuantumLeap, quantum leap), keyboard, two integrated microdrive drives
- Sinclair Spectrum 128 (1985), same keyboard as the Spectrum +, AY-3-8910 sound chip, optional numeric keypad , cooling radiator on the right of the housing, 128 KB memory, RS232 / MIDI connection
- The successor models of the Spectrum 2 series, each with the correct keyboard (with caps), integrated cassette drive, after the takeover by Amstrad:
- Sinclair Spectrum 2 (all 1987 models, original type the only one with a light gray housing), model +2 a / b) , the a / b variants from other places of manufacture, with a different circuit board and different designation)
- Sinclair Spectrum +3 (1988) with an integrated 3 ″ floppy disk drive , which was also used in Amstrad's own computers such as the 664 or 6128.
Further, later computers
Based on the technology of the Sinclair QL, a kind of telephone terminal for offices was developed, produced and marketed in Great Britain and Canada as ICL One Per Desk or BT Merlin Tonto . Specially designed as a terminal, with a built-in handset and special software, the device was again incompatible with the earlier Sinclair computers. Here, too, two microdrives were installed.
Later the Sinclair company tried a simple IBM-compatible one. The PC200 was a small computer in a keyboard case, outwardly not unlike an Atari-ST or Amiga. Expansion cards could only be inserted and operated with the housing open. The computer was also marketed by Amstrad, but according to some sources it was not particularly successful.
Sir Sinclair himself later produced the early Notepad Z88 under the company name Cambridge Computers , which was followed by the Amstrad models NC100 ff. And other replica models from other manufacturers.
Friends of Retrocomputing can with games and programs for ZX81, ZX Spectrum and QL emulators to run.
Sinclair Microdrives
The ZX Microdrive mass storage devices were miniaturized tape drives with plug-in modules with a capacity of approx. 80–100 kB. They represented a significant advantage over the datasettes that were still common in the home at that time , because they transferred the data just as quickly and conveniently as a floppy disk drive, but the drives were considerably cheaper. However, the plug-in modules were prone to wear and tear and expensive. The triumphant advance of the floppy disk drives, however, soon replaced the microdrives.
Computer accessories and other Sinclair inventions
In addition to the computers, there were other interesting projects and (often unsuccessful) products for the hobbyist Sinclair. Here is a small, incomplete list:
- a small printer for ZX81 and the Spectrum range. Two circumferential contact springs eroded away an aluminum coating on special silver paper. It was easy and cheap, but not very permanent. The printed paper often had to be photocopied. B. Colored fingerprints quickly.
- a 100 Kbaud network between Sinclair computers, permanently built into the QL or MicroDrive adapter
- an early memory card computer memory (on the Z88)
- Pocket TV in various designs
- an early pocket radio
- Black Watch , an early digital wristwatch
- one ear-clip radio, several versions
- two pocket calculators with UPN input , one of which is programmable
- a first wristwatch pocket calculator
- Sinclair C5 , a futuristic electric tricycle with a wedge-shaped plastic panel
- another kind of small underwater torpedo for divers together with an Asian company
- electric bicycle auxiliary motors
- electric folding wheelchair auxiliary motors
- Folding bicycles (A-bike) or electric folding bicycles
- Sinclair X-1 , a fully faired pedelec (announced November 2010 for July 2011, but not yet released)
- Scientific, a calculator
Web links
- History of the company Sinclair Research in the 8Bit-Museum.de
- zock.com
- computermuseum-muenchen.de