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Timex/Sinclair 1000 "America's First Afforadable Personal Computer" By Euphrates
The Timex/Sinclair 1000 was available in stores in 1981 for $99. It was really
one of the earliest versions of the home computer and certainly the first
affordable computer. Its novel size (just 12 ounces!) and the fact that
it is nearly 20 years old now makes it quite collectible. It was about the size
of a large calculator and had multi-functional bubble keys. It came with a
whopping 2K of RAM. An earlier version of the machine only came with 1K! Of
course, like all early computers, the Timex/Sinclair used your television as a
monitor, and programs or data were loaded from and saved to cassette tape.
Next, the folks at T/S released a 16K RAM pack that plugged into the back of the computer and a small adding machine type printer. This module was very expensive but greatly expanded the functionality of the computer. As you can imagine or may even remember, with 1K of memory and no hard drive the computer did not come with any pre-loaded games or programs. You could buy pre-programmed cassettes that had BASIC versions of popular games like Space Invaders. These cassettes required the 16K RAM pack to run. Each cassette package had a replica of the Timex/Sinclair 1000 keyboard printed on it and cost around $15. There were also several paperback books with BASIC programs that you could type in and run. Later, the 1000 was repackaged with the memory module and 3 software cartridges for over $200! The 1000 and its accessories are still quite affordable and can be picked up with their original packaging for $25-$50, less than half of the original retail price. Grab one up if you can. You'll never have more fun displaying your name on the television or playing tic tac toe and after time, you may find yourself weaned off of your Playstation. Playstation? Hmmmmm, will those things ever be collectible? Timex/Sinclair Hardware - Partial List
ZX80 - 1980 Software - The Home or Blue Series
The Budgeter
The Computer Coach
Alien Invasion
Critical Path Analysis
Chess
Crazy Bugs
2K Games Pack Timex/Sinclair Literature - Partial List
Magazine - SYNC (Dedicated to the Timex/Sinclair 2000) Other Classic Microcomputers and Accessories - Partial List
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