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MAGAZINE

THE COMPUTER THAT WAS JUST too good die !1!

INSIDE: NEWS AND VIEWS, WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS

NOV.— DEC.

1984

Editor/Publisher:Tim Woods

Assistant Editor:Stephanie Woods Photography:Thomas Judd

Special Assistance:Tom Lundgren,M. Marsh

The contents of Time Designs Magazine are provided by various contributing Editors.

Time Designs Magazine is published bi-monthly and is copyrighted © 1984 by Time Designs Magazine Company.

Subscriptions:$15 for one year. (six issues) Single issue price is $3. Postage is included and paid by Time Designs Magazine for each issue. Direct all subscription correspondence to Time Designs Magazine, 29722 Hult Rd., Colton, OR, 97017.

Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part, by electronic, mechanical, or other means, without permission is prohibited.

CONTENTS

Editorial:"Timex/Sinclair Lives!",. 2 BLES ‘and PLOCES ss csi ¥ Force pguerece ns 3

The Rise and Fall of the Timex .»

Computer Corporation Part One: "What Happened?"...............000 6 The Rise and Fall of the Timex

Computer Corporation Part Two

"On the Drawing Board"............. 9 The TS 2068 Software Directory. so sz 12 Project Number One:"A Portable TS COMPUT AI iaidasn,-etensiya. «abated a ds atintics, 4. 30ers 15 PROS TAM: LUSHAN S enya is svete a ein aws + Ke acide ¥ 17 Computer Basics:"Languages"........ 19 Pro Shop:"How To Make Music On

The TS 2068 Part One"......escaaeee 20 The Shopping Mart.....ccceeccseneos ae

The TS computer family. Read "The Rise and Fall" starting on page 6

EDITORIAL

TIMEX/SINCLAIR LIVES!!!

Welcome to the premier issue of Time Designs Magazine. It has been over six months now since the depart- ure of Timex Corporation from the home computer market, and several good things have come out of the or- deal. First of all, there is a real feeling of unity among the TS users and user groups. They have banded together and are distributing infor- mation, and are supporting one an- other. Second, Sinclair Research is still with us, and their computer line is still going strong. As a re- sult of this, we in the U.S.A. may benefit directly from software and add-ons, that may soon become com- patible and available for our own TS computers. Sinclair has also just introduced their new "Quantum Leap" computer, and will be one piece of equipment to watch. Also many of our friends are still around such as thomas B. Woods of the 2X Pro/File fame. Companies like Byte Back Co. and Softsync,Inc. are still going strong.

So the good news is Timex/Sin- clair Computers still live! This magazine is dedicated to that ideal As our policy says, we are devoted =o the TS 2068 and other Timex and Sinclair computers. We do however, have a heavy emphasis on the 2068. This is because in a way it was short changed as far as published infor- mation goes, and it was primarily in it's infancy, when Timex decided to abandon it. But we won't forget the old stand bys either; the ZX81, the TS 1000 and 1500. We will feature them also, from time to time.

: Our goal here at Time Designs

is two-fold. First, we want to keep the interest of the newer Timex/ Sinclair user, by providing interest- ing and informative articles that teach, but won't confuse. For them

we will contain a good deal of

features on BASIC. Then on the othe hand, we want to offer our long-tim users a useful magazine with specia features such as equipment reviews, construction projects, and articles ranging in subjects from machine coc to mass storage devices.

We have a lot of neat plans fo: our future issues and we hope that you will take advantage of our sub- scription offer in the back of our magazine. I would also like to point out the software and article offer that is in our Shopping Mart sectior This is a great opportunity for any potential authors who would like to have their features published in ou: magazine.

If there is ever any questions comments, or helpful suggestion that you would like to make about our magazine, please feel free to drop me a line. We would appreciate any response from our readers. In our second issue we will have a feature called "The Mail Box" where we will publish selected correspondence fron our readers.

We here at Time Designs Magazin are excited to serve you in this capacity and look forward to a long and friendly relationship. We are proud of our magazine and we hope that you are pleased also. And re- member..... Timex/Sinclair lives!

Fim (ood.

Tim Woods Editor/Publisher

p-s. We would like to compile a con- plete directory of any Timex/Sinclai user groups in the U.S. and Canada If you have such a group or know of one, please send the name and cor- rect address of the group to Time De- signs Magazine.

2050 MODEM IS HERE

The Westridge TS 2050 Tele- comunications Modem is at last really here. It is exactly the same modem that Timex promised and took orders for, but never came through on. It is manufactured and sold by Westridge communications, a division of Anchor Automation in Marina Del Ray, Calif- ornia. Westridge has set up several authorized dealers around the U.S. to merchandise the modems. For the purchase price of $120 you get the modem, ribbon connector with a piggy- back connector, power supply, 28 page manual, and cassette software for either the TS 1000/1500, or 2068 com- puters. The unit is quite small and matches the 2068 in color. It is a direct connect modem, and comes with an extra long telephone connect cord The TS 2050 is fairly easy to use and has some rather nice features like auto-dial from the keyboard, and user friendly menu driven software. You can also set the modem up to auto- answer calls from other users who want to leave messages on your monitor screen. Westridge also plans to re- lease some other software in the fu- ture, which would allow up-loading and down-loading of programs and text, and also memory storage/recall of frequently dialed phone numbers. In some of the TS 2050 units being cur- rently shipped, there is a limited offer for a free membership in the data base "The Source". If you would like to get the phone number of a local dealer in your area who carries the Westride TS 2050 Modem, call (213) 306-4103 or write to Westridge Communications, Inc., Marina Del Ray, Ca., 90292.

AND PIBCRY

GOOD NEWS (FOR TS 2068 OWNERS)

It appears that the software famine for TS 2068 computer owners may soon be over. A device called the Spectrum Emulator has been intyrotluced here in the U.S. It will allow soft- ware produced for the English Sin- clair Spectrum to run on the 2068. The heart of the Emulator is the Spectrum ROM chip. Hobbyists for some time now have been opening up their computers and internally re- placing the 2068 ROM chip with the Spectrum chip. This however could be quite risky for the novice, and would most certainly void any warranties The Spectrum Emulator however, is reported to be a plug-in configur- ation, using the Timex Command Cart- ridge port instead.

The Emulator idea is not nec- essarily a new one. Timex had devel- oped a device for production called the "Chameleon" which was capable of making the Spectrum software trans- lation.

Timex users will be able to choose from the vast liabrary of software titles available for the Spectrum. This will most certainly bring the English software suppliers here to the United States. One com- pany, Quicksilva has decided to re- lease several new titles with the advent of the Spectrum Emulator.

As we went to press, it was re- ported that there are two suppliers

here in the U.S. that carry two different models of the Spectrum Emulator for the TS 2068. It was also reported that several outlets are stocking a variety of Spectrum software titles. We will be re- porting further information on the subject in our next issue.

a

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IT REALLY IS A “QUANTUM LEAP”!!!

Sinclair Research has done it again! Their new personal computer vith 128k RAM, two micro-drives, and four software packages, sells for the almost unheard of price of $499. It will be available here in the U.S. ometime this fall, and will be sold y mail and at a few retail outlets. The QL has a real full size type- writer keyboard, five fu ion keys, and four seperate cursor keys. It also features 85 characters/line on the screen, RGB monitor output with high resolution graphics, two R232c

ports, and six additional micro-drive units may be connected to the ex- pansion port. Unlike many personal

computers, the QL is based on the Motorola 68008 32-bit microprocessor with an eight bit data bus. Trad- itional Sinclair engineering provides for a sophisticated design with a reduced number of internal parts. The micro-drive cassette packages include a word processor, a heet, ja data base/file manager, a graphics design program, When compared feature to feature with anything else in the same category, the Sinclair QL has everything beat, with over twice the power, and a host of features. This really is one computer to be reckoned with.

NOTE: We here at Ti excited about the release of the

new Sinclair QL. We will be cover- ing it in our pages on a more or less frequent basis. Look for future articles on business applications and in depth programming. We want

to welcome the QL to the family of quality and afordable Sinclair de- Signed personal computers

me Designs are

FACTORY SERVICE STILL AVAILABLE

"Factory service will continue more or less indefinitely...at this time, there are no immediate plans to discontinue this service," re- ported a Timex spokesperson.

Timex has promised to honor all warranties and service contracts at the companies service center in Littl Rock, Arkansas. Repairs of computers not under warranty will also be han- dled at the center for a nominal fee. A full compliment of parts and elec- tronics are kept in inventory by Timex. If you need information on repairs, warranty matters, or just technical advice, contact Timex by writing to 7000 Murray St., P.O. Box 2858, Little Rock, Ark., 72203, or by calling (501) 372-1111.

2068 TECHNICAL MANUAL RELEASED

At last! Here is the one that has been promised for some time now. The 2068 Technical Manual isn't fancy, but it is big. Over 280 pages! It is crammed with detailed information on the in and outs of the 2068 logic circuitry, and also the enhanced dis- play modes. This was the information that Timex was to release to the third party companies for software and hard- ware development. It is also the man- ual mentioned briefly in the 2068 User Guide entitled "Advanced Pro- gramming Concepts Manual", Among the many features is a simple circuit that hobbyists can build, to connect a RGB monitor to their computer. There is also drawings and comprehensive information on the "insides" of the now defunct Timex Command Cartridge, showing the PC board, connector dia- gram, and all the associated com- ponents. Perhaps someone will start developing the cartridges as a result of the availability of this infor- mation. The Technical Manual is prob- ably not much use to the beginner 2068 user, but an advanced user will find it an invaluable resource. You can order the manual by mail for $25 which includes postage and handling from Timex Material Sales, P.O. Box 1378, Little Rock, Ar., 72203, Allow at least six weeks for delivery.

FROM OUTER SPACE???

Is it a power pack from one of the George Lucas space fantasies, or is it a miniature magnetic tape drive from an IBM main frame? No to both. It is a new data cassette from Recoton Corporation. The first thing you will notice is the clear plastic housing which allows complete inspection and viewing of the tape reels. Recoton Data Cassettes are precision manu- factured with a premium high density magnetic tape in a durable close tol- erance plastic shell. Adhesive labels are packed with each data cassette for cataloging and marking each pro- gram. The Recoton Cassettes can be found in the electronics section of most variety stores, and are available in two formats. Ten and Twenty min- ute lengths. They come two in a pack and a C-10 data cassette pack lists for around $4.87, Recoton Corp. is based in Long Island City, New york, and manufacturers a line of computer accessories along with their premium data cassettes.

UPCORING

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL *Comparing the Data Base Services *The Smart II Software Reviewed

and *The Tasword II Software Reviewed *A Flight Instructor's Views on the Timex Color Flight Simulator Cart- ridge Software *More on the Spectrum Emulator *All of the regular features and USER WRITTEN PROGRAMS *Plus much more!

s PART WHAT

I don't know exactly what came to your mind when you heard the news, but as for myself, I experienced the five classic reactions to a death. First denial, then anger, and so on. It crept suddenly up on us all like

a trap catches a mouse. We should have seen it coming. We should have only known. Quick phone calls to oth-

ers only confirmed that I was joined by many others who were just as sup- rised.

Several large Timex retail ven- dors mysteriously vanished into thin air overnite and were never heard from again. The ball kept on rolling By the end of the month only a hand- ful of the previous vast majority of third party companies planned to stay on; the others only hoping to elim- inate their large inventories. All of the major gloss magazines finally split for good. Watching the TS 2068 personal computer sell for under $100 was also a little hard to swallow.

Perhaps the entire situation

-ld have been forseen by someone with sharp intuition and a feel for high flying finances in the electron- ics trade. Some of the details that finally came out of the disbanding of Timex Computer Corporation were quite possibly hinted at earlier, from time to time. But we were unaware of what was going on.

° The story goes back to some years ago when Timex Corporation was manufacturing Sinclair computers to their specifications for the Europ- ean market, in a Timex owned factory in Scotland. Out of this partnership, most certainly brought the ZX81 to the American retailers in the form of the TS 1000. Sinclair Research of England, founded by Clive Sinclair, was responsible for the engineering and design of the computer, and Timex made and distributed it. The

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE TIMEX COMPUTER CORPORATION

1

HAPPENED ?

original ZX however, had been avail- able in the United States for some months previously. It was sold by mail in a kit package.

The TS 1000 with it's black and white video display, flat membrane keyboard and 2K RAM, was the first computer in the U.S. to sell for un- der $100. It was to be found in al- most every discount house and drug- store, or as one might say, wherever a Timex watch would be sold. Support and user groups were quickly formed and the modest little computer even- tually became a hit. Within two years, over a million were sold.

Meanwhile, something was hap- pening in the marketplace. Amidst a mirad of Apple, Atari and Commodore computers, Texas Instruments announ- ced that they were dropping their personal computer line (i.e. the TI 994/A). It was 1983, and a wild orgy of price reductions throughout the home computer industry was respon- sible. Originally sold for $750, the TI 994/A was finally discounted and cleared for a mere $50. Many analysts had predicted that there would be a personal computer in every home by 1984. As the time approached, it was evident that this speculation would not come true, at least for the time being.

Several other companies saw heavy price reductions and as a re- sult there were large profit losses Not only were there price changes, but also a shift in consumer interest It appeared that the more affordable or beginner models were losing ground to the more sophisticated and feature-packed computers. The once popular video cartridge game machines were slowly fading away, while games were still thriving and being played on home computers that provided high resolution graphics

and up to 48K memory.

Since profit is the name of the game in any commercial venture, watching the TS 1000 sell for less than $50 by Christmas‘of 1983, left some large questions to be answered Where would it all end? One thing was certain. The little TS 1000 had begun to loose it's popularity and was on it's way out. There were however, those who would refuse to Support anything but their Timex computer, and would not agree to the criticism that it was simply a toy.

Timex Computer Corporation had made some what of a success with the TS 1000, but had been hinting for some time about a new line of com- puters with more advanced features. Other companies were busy upgrading their lines and developing some sophisticated models. Even Sinclair Research back in England had re- leased a color computer called the Spectrum, which was available with increased RAM capacity. Just as the TS 1000 was an offspring of the ZX 81, The Timex 2068 was based on the Sinclair Spectrum.

Originally entitled the 2000 series, and was planned as two sep- erate models (the 2048 and 2072), Timex released only a single model, the 2068. It was produced and dist- ributed several months before the original projected date, in order for Timex to relieve some of the pressure they were receiving from dealers and consumers who demanded something new. Production of the TS 1000 finally ceased for good, and all attention was given to the 2068. It was a physically larger model high resolution color graphics, sound capabilities, 48K RAM, and a real keyboard.

For unknown reasons, another computer model was also briefly marketed. The TS 1500, which was to some degree, an updated TS 1000. It had onboard 16K RAM, and a push- button keyboard for the retail price of $80. One can only conclude that

the TS 1500 was produced as either a beginners model or to fill the gap for users who still utilized the black and white software.

So with the new TS 2068 and all of the planned add-ons and ex- tras, it appeared that Timex Corp. was back on the right track again. From time to time, there would be some criticism as to the manner in which a Timex customer would sohe- times be left out in the cold after the purchase, It was said that Timex was simply out to sell computers in the same manner as their watches and to make a quick profit. If a customer needed some further help or assistance, there was little that could be obtained. There was the toll-free telephone number, bu getting adequate information from it was quite difficult, if not im- possible. The so called third-party vendors of after-market Timex prod- ucts also spoke of the frustrating "closed-door" policy they received from Timex. However, with the re- lease of the TS 2068, it appeared that this situation was slowly im- proving and mending.

It was management that had been blamed for the heavy emphasis on marketing rather than customer follow up and support. This was for the most part speculation, but when word came that Dan Ross, dir- ector of the computer division at Timex, had been relieved of his duties, it was evident that there was a sincere effort in progress to clean the slate.

Then on February 22, 1984, Timex Computer Corp. announced that it was calling it quits. C.M. Jacobi vice-president of marketing and sales gave the official statement. "We believe instability in the | (home computer) market will cause the value of inventories to decline, making it difficult to make a reas- onable profit. Further, we are con- cerned that those conditions will strain trade relations between

i | | | '

manufacturers and retailers, a |

relationship which Timex values very highly. These factors, coupled with strong demand in our other product lines, have indicated that Timex can now better utilize it's resources

in those areas." Jacobi also stated that, "consequently Timex has de- cided to withdraw from the retail portion of the home computer business. Consumer warranties will be honored and out-of-warranty service will con- tinue. The company will continue as a manufacturer and parts supplier

to several large companies in the computer industry." Another spokes- person for Timex added, "while we selieve that our 1500 and 2068 con- puter systems represent fine value for both the consumer and the re- tailer, our overall analysis of the business led us to the conclusion that 1984 would be another year of turmoil in the market-place...... making it difficult to make a reason- able profit."

Some of the more out-spoken Timex user groups were outraged over the decision, primarily because it was based on the assumption that there would be little profit made in 1984, Timex has perhaps always been a conservative company, and taking any sort of risk was always out of the question. Selling cheap but re- liable watches for thirty years cer- tainly doesn't take a lot of nerve, when considering a wristwatch is a popular and necessary commodity. When the home computer market ap- peared to be a blossoming business venture a few years ago, Timex jumped at the chance, but when the water became a little rough, they abandoned the ship. Most likely the decision to withdraw was a mistake, and somewhat premature. The records have now shown that 1984 became a stabilizing year for the computer industry. Instead of price cuts, there were a few price raises on some models.

Consider that nearly 500,000 TS 2068 computers were sold before

the announcement was made. Also, take into consideration the exciting per- ipherals that were to be released like the micro-drive, and think of the 400 third-party companies that were thriving. Add the 200 or more Timex user groups in North America, and the numerous magazined devoted primarily to TS computers. If you were to add all of the positive pros- pects of the business, they certainly would outweigh the dismal forecasts of the analyists. It all leads to

the fact that Timex Computer Corp. made a bad decision.

Sinclair Research is still mov- ing full steam ahead with a new com- puter called the "Quantum Leap"

It is somewhat ironic for Timex to quit, when the company that was ins- trumental in designing the very com- puters that they sold, are doing very well. They make up about 48% of the computer market in England. Sinclair decided not to take over marketing the Timex computers here in the U.S., but would continue to release their new products here in- stead.

It appeared that the marketing rights for the TS computer line were up for negotiation. As of this writ- ing, no significant deal has been struck. As much time has passed since Timex made the announcement, the possibility of such a deal is not very likely to happen. Rumors will continue to abound. There was even one story circulating, that a small corporation was buying the TS computer rights, and were going to market them all over the U.S. in small franchise-type computer stores, complete with thousands of software titles and lots of add-ons. We won't hold our breath.

One interesting and final note about the fall of Timex Computer Corp. is that to my knowledge, not one person has given up using their TS computer, or placed it on some

(continued on pagell)

———

TIMEX

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE COMPUTER CORPORATION PART 2

ON THE DRAWING BOARD

Throughout the month of January and even into the early part of Feb- ruary, before the bad news had hit, the product planning department at Timex was bustling. Led by director Billy Skyrme, a long time company employee, this division was creating a bit of excitement among TS user groups and in the computer press. Speculation and rumor ran high as to what hardware would soon accompany the newly released 2068 personal color computer. Timex Corporation was vague and secretive as usual over much of the situation, although a few sneak previews and demos were set up with some equipment proto- types for a select few. Several of the larger TS vendors even featured catalogs complete with prices and projected release dates of the much anticipated peripherals.

After the crash had occurred, the dust had cleared, and Timex Com- puter Corp. had nailed their doors shut for good, one could only look back to what was being developed on the engineers drawing board, because what we actually had in our hands, was very little.

Almost simultaneously with the release of the 2068 came an accom- panying data cassette recorder, the 2020, and a “command" joystick, the 2090. The 2020 is a very compact cassette recorder/player unit and is styled in the same silver color as the 2068, and looks suspicously like a certain Radio Shack model. It's record of reliability is quite good. It loads and saves programs on all of the TS computers without missing a lick, including on the finicky 1000. The 2090 Command Stick was manufactured by the producers of the Zircon joystick. Outside of slight modification to the control handle and the vinyl TS sticker, it is primarily the same controller The 2090 is a hand-held type joystick

as opposed to a table top model, and operates quite smoothly, although the operators hands may tire with prolonged useage.

Soon Timex was running a modest advertising campaign, extolling the benefits of telecomunication and heralding the long awaited arrival of their 2050 Modem. The modem was designed by Timex and manufactured by Westridge Communications, a div- ision of Anchor Automation in Calif- ornia. Not until recently, did the modem ever see the light of day, and it never did with the Timex name stamped on the front, Orders were taken, but the initial 8,000 units never budged from their Connecticut warehouse. When Timex folded, every unit was shipped back to the manu- facturer. The TS 2050 Modem was built into a small silver plastic case with a black plastic front panel. Timex intended to include a software pack- age on a quick-load cartridge. It was to be called the "Smart Terminal One", and featured auto-dial, and auto-answer. Other software was in the works also. The 2050 was a direct connect modem (as opposed to an ac- oustic design) and worked at a baud rate of 300.

The old TS 2040 32 column ther- mal printer with it's 4.33 inch wide paper, took over printing duties upon introduction of the 2068. Not only did it work well with the 1000 and 1500, but was totally compatible with the new computer also. The 2040 was introduced in the U.S. some time ago, instead of the English ZX printer for a variety of reasons including the high radio-frequency interference that the ZX was alluded to emit. The Timex printer was made by Alphaconm,

a California electronics firm.

The creators of the 2068 quickly recognized the eventual needs of it's users, and decided to bring out a full size 80 column dot matrix print-

9

A-TS 2080 B-TS 2065 C-TS 2050 D-TS 2060 E-TS 2020 F-TS 2068

80 Column Printer

Micro-Drive Storage Unit Telecommunications Modem System Expansion Unit Cassette Program Recorder Personal Color Computer

er. What with the advanced capabil- ities of the new computer, and the planned word processing software,

the enlarged printer was a must. How- ever, not one TS 2080 printer (app- ropriately named) came off the as- sembly line. A deal was struck with

a Japanese company to produce the printer and some hand-assembled pro- totypes were shown, but the final go- ahead for full production never came. The TS 2080 was to be a letter qual- ity printer with 100 cps, and featur- ing both tractor feed and single sheet roller. It also required a Centronics parallel interface which would have been available in the proposed TS 2060 System Expansion Unit. The ex- pansion unit would have been simul- taneouly released with the 2080 print- er. The Timex printer would have been a low cost alternative for a variety of other computer systems as well as the 2068. It would have more than adequately handled text and graphic duties.

Perhaps one of the most signif- icant and anticipated peripheral that Timex had plans for was the TS 2065 Micro-drive mass storage unit. Using Sinclair Research's wafer tape tech- nology, the micro-drive would have been a vast improvement over standard cassette storage. It would have stor- ed up to 100k and an average load time of four to ten seconds! Along with their small compact size and a projected retail price of $100, the micro-drive certainly would have been a hot item. Up to eight individual micro-drives could be chained together, The 2065 Micro-drives also required the TS 2060 System Expansion Unit, which contained the controller card The expansion unit also would have included a CP/M card, a RGB monitor output, and the Centronics interface. One can only imagine such a system combined with a 2068 computer, several micro-drives, and the expansion unit!

Further plans on the drawing board included CP/M cartridge soft- ware, and the immensly popular LOGO software on cartridge, specially de-

Signed by Digital Research. Some other languages on the cartridge format were considered as well, such as Forth and Pascal.

An inexpensive, but fairly high quality color monitor was also in the works. It would have been an in- ported model, with some features de- signed specifically by Timex.

The word processing software, touted so highly in the 2068 liter- ature, never came to light. It would have been on a cartridge, and would have operated in conjunction with the 80 column printer. The program itself was based on a processor writ- ten for the Sinclair Spectrum, and translated for the TS 2068.

Finaily, some thought was given towards the production of a disk drive device using a special floppy disk measuring under four inches in dia- meter. Such mini-disk designs are ex- pected to be used more widely in the future, and are already being manu- factured by several other computer firms.

Regardless of the multitude of ideas and engineering designs that never came about at Timex, we still ended up receiving perhaps the most important part of the deal...the cornerstone or brain of the whole system, the 2068 personal color com-

puter. ©

(continued from page g )

dusty closet shelf. Let this be a ghostly reminder to those corporate decision makers who pulled the plug. The hard-core TS 1000 users still very fondly type in their machine codes and modify or "hot-rod" them. TS 1500 owners proudly continue

to program their little computers. TS 2068 owners are still very much enthused about their sophisticated machines, knowing that they have one of the best that money can buy. Though the company has died, their computers live on. No one has stop- ped because of the Timex decision. There may even be a stronger banding together of the users now that the storm has passed.

(C) 11

THE TS 2068

SOFTWARE DIRECTORY

This is your TS 2068 Software Directory for the rest of 1984. It features many interesting titles from an assortment of dedicated companies. Titles range in subject from educational to business, and even enter- tainment. The Software Directory was made as complete as possible at the time of printing to our knowledge. However, on page15 are a few more companies listed that offer several new titles. These companies have just recently announced their new products, and this information was not available to us at the time of printing. Before any purchase is considered, the ap- propriate company should be contacted to obtain in- formation on shipping and postage, and the most cur- rent price. Great care was made to supply the correct address and current price, but pricing has been known to change. Software prices are in parenthesis. It should be pointed out that the world of TS computers is constantly changing. Software availability for the TS 2068 is looking up. A substantial amount may soon be arriving from England. We will in the future offer an updated Directory. As for now, do investigate what is being offered. The software companies listed will be more than happy to accomadate you

Gesso Software c/o Bob Orrfelt 3436 Bay Road Redwood City, CA.

94063 6. Xadom 3-D Zz 24. 1. WP32_32 col word processor (24.88) 7. 3D Pia Ming Eg Reena 2. WP64 64 col word processor (29.88) (4.95) 8. Mined-Out ade-ty z Heath Computer Services ee UE SERS CE RYDE pame, 0-25) 950 East-52 South Raviex , Green town, IN. 48945 Vandyk yke Road 46936 Utica, MI. ; . 48087 1. Sales File up to 600 entries (14.95) 1. Tasmath educational (19.95) 2. Checking 2068 100 deposits/up to 2. Save Mr. Bill educational like 350 checks (9.95) Rangman (9.95) 3. Inventory 2068 up to 600 entries 3. Kool-Aid educational (9.95) 9.95 : a2 4. Fraction Fun educational (9.95) 4, Financial Record Keeper Plus 2068 5 Polynomials educational (9.95) i ‘ Y ‘ home finance package (19.95) 6. Fraction Zap educational (9.95) 5. Invoice Control 2068 up to 100 7. Word Arcade educational (9.95) invoices (14.95) . 8. Biorythms (9.95) 6. Cash Register turns computer into 9. Personality Profile (9.95) e casm meetste (9.200! 10. Mr. Clock educational (9.95) 7. Mailing List 2068 up to 300 Is vement Profile educational/ is gee reeees ae 7 ay math testing (19.95) . ppointmen atendar Save @ 12. Compass compiler-assembler appointment on tape (9.95) (24.95) - 9. ES ae Tables educational 13. Digital Circuit Designer 31:95 a r F electrical engineering (24.95) 10. Math Quiz ed. -:ational (9.95) 14. A.C. Network Analyser 11, Flash Spelling educational (9.95) electrical engineering (24.95) , . 15. Up-Load 2000 converts 2X81 into Quacksalvis., Inc. 2068 language (28.95) 426 West Nakoma 16. Battleship game (14.95) San Antonio, Texas 17. Yahtzee game (19.95) 78216 18. Pentominoes game (19.95) 19. Star Ship arcade-type space game 1. Bugaboo arcade-type game (24.95) (9.95) ae e 2. Time gate arcade-type space game 20. Sub Attack arcade-type game (24.95) (9.95) 3. Cybird Assault arcade-type game 21. Sub Hunt arcade-type game (9.95) (19.95) . 22. Brain Strain game, like card game 4. The Chess player chess game with Concentration (9.95) voice (24.95) Richard Shepard Adventure Games 5. Smuggler's Cove adventure game 23. Super Spy (24.95) with graphics (24.95) 24, Transylvanian Tower (24.95)

25. Ship of the Line (24.95) 26. Everest Ascent (24.95)

37

Little Black Book address lists

T.95).~SOOtSOS™S

Appointment Planner 2068

calander program (12.95)

Billmaster 2068 financial

timtable (12.95)

Purchase Ledger business (24.95)

Sales Ledger business (24.95)

Business Bank Account business (24.95)

CPA includes all three programs

‘above (59.95)

S.C.A.M. 5 accounting programs 69.95)

Tasword Two 64 col word

processor (49,95)

Tasprint expands your printer (24.95)

Tas wide expands BASIC to

output in 64 col (19.95)

Sharp's 127 Nine Mile Rd. Sandston, Va.

2

3

4

Sa

6.

23150

War in the East strategic war

game 19.95

Fall of the Third Reich

Strategic war game (19.95)

Ardennes strategic war game 19.95

LDISAM decimal disassembler

(14.95)

BAS LOAD converts 75 1000

basic to 2068 (14.95)

Word-Most word processor (19.95)

Softsync, Inc. 14 East 34 st. New York, N.Y.

10016

Personal Accountant finance program (24.95)

Cyberzone arcade-type space game, voice control (19.95)

Gulpman arcade-type maze game D295

Voice Chess chess game with voice (24.95)

Zeus Assembler machine code assembler (19.95)

7

Moonsweeper arcade-type space game (19.95)

Dragonfire arcade-type game (19.95)

Sourceware, Inc.

POs.

Box 1579

Vernal, Utah

20.

84078

The Great Graphic Show Package five entertaining programs (26.95)

Doctor Psycho entertainment test (16.95)

Play The Slot Machine Vegas style entertainment (9.95) Draw Poker card type game (12.95

Bank Raid arcade-type maze game (9.95)

The Game of Nim entertainment game program (9.95)

-Speller Bee educational (14.95)

The Board Show educational

quiz (14.95)

Tic Tac Toad educational game 14.95

Words to Know and Understand

educatiénal (14.95)

Physical Fitness Analysis

health program (9.95

U.S.A educational (10.95)

Sincbasic 2000 teaches Sinclair

BASIC (34.95)

Text Writer 2000 (21.95)

Home Finance Manager 2000

home record keeper (18.95)

Accounts Receivable up to 100

charge accounts (18.95)

Payroll business program 18.95

Payoff 2000 finance managment

word processoxz

(18.95)

Assembler and Integer Basic Compiler 26.95

User Graph user defined

graphics aide (12.95)

Thomas B. Woods

P.O.

Box 64

Jefferson, NH

1

03583

Pro/file 2068 file manager,

data base (28.95)

sap =

other suppliers

E, Arthur Brown Company Department EBS 3404 Pawnee Drive Alexandria, MN

56308

Games To Learn By

P.O. Box 78

Collinsville, CT 06022

Pheonix Enterprises 1780 N. Dupont Hwy. No. 17 Dover, DE

19901

Banta Softwa-e

8088 Highwood Way

Orangevale, CA 95662

Foote Software

P.O. Box 14655

Gainesville, FL 32604

Knighted Computers 707 Highland St. Fulton, N.Y.

13069

Hawg Wild Software

P.O. Box 7668

Little Rock, AR 72217

PROJECT HUMBER Of

A PORTABLE TS COMPUTER ?

Portable computer models have been around for some time now. They are quite popular in the business field and especially where travel is a definite factor, Features range from built in disk drives, video monitor displays, telecommunications small thermal printers, and some models even boast built-in software packages. They usually fold up into a fairly lightweight carry around unit with a handle. The TRS-80 Mode! 100 from Radio Shack is perhaps the most popular portable on the market today. Portables range in price from about $600 to well over $2,000.

TS computer owners have always considered their exceptionally small micros to be portable, to some degr While perhaps lacking in slick pack- aging, the power and flexibility is all there. The special mathmatic functions would be especially useful in business, engineering, and edu- cational applications.

Often our computers and hardware are carted here and there in any handy container including cardboard boxes. We take them to our offices, to the classroom, to a friends home, and even to the computer club meeting. With AC adaptors for both computer and cassette recorder, and all the accompanying patchcords, we have on our hands a real "wire and gadget" nightmare.

There is a solution. It's not anew idea, but it is a good one.

It involves packaging your computer set up into one standard size attache case.

You can find a good used attache case reasonably priced at a second hand sore, as opposed to buying a new one for around $100. A used one usually goes for $10 to $20. Or you could purchase a new cheaper hard

°

AS

16

plastic model for around $15. Next you will need to get a piece of foam rubber for the inside, to hold the contents in during transport. The foam should be as thick as the bottom section of the case. You can find all types of foam rubber at a hobby or craft store. Once you have de- cided what will be included in your portable set up, you can cut the appropriate holes in the foam, using your equipment as the pattern, so each item will ride snuggly inside. Cut the holes with a sharp utility or carpet type knife.

A nice thing about rigging up a portable set up, is that it just might give a new use to that spare TS 1000 or 2X81 that has been laying around since you bought that new 2068. The TS 1500 is also a good choice, since the 16k