The Timex/Sinclair 1000 is the North American version of the Sinclair ZX81 computer. After demand for the ZX81 exceeded Sinclair's production capacity, Sinclair contracted with Timex to produce the ZX81. This relationship with Sinclair led Timex to enter the home computer market with its own version of the ZX81, which was sold through retail stores that already carried other Timex products.
The T/S 1000 is nearly identical to its ZX81 counterpart. The primary difference between the two systems is the amount of standard RAM - 1Kbyte (2 512x8 SRAMS) in the ZX81, and 2Kbytes (1 2048 x 8 SRAM) in the T/S 1000. The T/S 1000 is also configured for US NTSC video by default.
With a suggested retail price of $99.95 at introduction, the T/S 1000 was the first assembled home computer that was sold through normal retail channels in the US for less than $100. The 16K RAM expansion pack was available for an extra $49.
As the home computer market became glutted, the price of the T/S
1000 continued to fall until they were widely available for less
than $20. Timex introduced two additional models - the T/S 1500, which was a 16K ZX81 repackaged in a
Spectrum-like case, and the T/S 2068,
which was an enhanced (and somewhat incompatible) version of the
Spectrum. Neither of these machines were successful, and Timex
exited the North American home computer market.
Other Timex/Sinclair computers in the collection
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