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Sinclair QL..Background HardwareSoftware |
BACKGROUND
************************************************************************************ 1984 - 2008 24 Years and still running strong !! Details of Forthcoming QL SHOWS Quanta and the QL Community want to hear from you - please complete
this
questionnaire ************************************************************************************ Although first
announced in 1983, the Sinclair QL
was first released on 12th January 1984 by Sinclair Research Limited, following their
successful range of home computers (the ZX80, ZX81 and ZX Spectrum).
Unfortunately, the launch was dogged by delays and poor quality build,
with only a partially complete operating system which had an infamous
plug in dongle to hold part of the code which would not fit onto the
on-board chips. The standard Sinclair QL
provided a massive (at the time) 128K memory, two network ports to allow
up to 64 QLs and/or Sinclair ZX Spectrums to be connected
together (the ZX Spectrums will each need a
Sinclair ZX Interface 1), and built in microdrives
for storage (a big improvement over the need for cassette tapes used by
all other computers at the time). The Sinclair QL could be used
with a TV set or a TTL colour monitor, and had a full-sized keyboard.
Supporting two display modes, 256x256 pixels in 8 colours and 512x256
pixels in 4 colours, the Sinclair QL was aimed at the small business
market. Various versions of the operating system and main-board were produced,
each more reliable than the last (look out for JS ROMs in the UK/US and
MG in other countries and at least a D-15 series board).
After a few changes to the
computer, the Sinclair QL was eventually heralded by the market as one of the
first mass-produced home computers to have a real multi-tasking
operating system, it was affordable, had built in mass storage
facilities and featured a highly structured on-board version of BASIC,
called SuperBASIC, all of which helped contribute to the Sinclair QL managing to
retain a loyal user base to this day, more than a decade after the
original Sinclair QL was discontinued (following the acquisition of the
rights to the Sinclair QL by Amstrad).
Today, there are several
computers in use which are derived from the original Sinclair QL, and
the operating system has itself spawned several derivatives. There are
several emulators available for various hardware platforms to ensure
that QL users can continue to use their existing software and operating
system on more up to date hardware. We have even started re-releasing
some of the QL software for Windows, using a runtime version of one of the many
emulators available.
Amongst the add-ons produced
for the Sinclair QL, were Toolkit II (which fast became a standard
add-on), memory expansion cards (up to 512K), disk
drive interfaces, digitisers, monitors, hard disk interfaces, modem packages,
replacement keyboards and even replacement motherboards, most notably
Aurora which supports MODE 4 and MODE 8 in resolutions of up to 1024 x 768
pixels and up to 256 colours in a resolution of up to
512x480 pixels. The Aurora replacement motherboard also supports a 16 colour
mode, although at present no drivers exist for that mode.
However, if you want to use the extended colour modes available on Aurora, you
will need to use a Super Gold Card as the Gold Card uses some of the memory
addresses required to enable this. Our program QWord
gives an indication of just what is now possible on the humble QL.
Major innovations included the Trump Card (which
had a built in Toolkit II, RAMdisk, disk interface and 768K memory), the Gold
Card (which was similar but provided 2Mb of memory and used the faster
68000 processor) and the Super Gold Card (which was the same as the Gold
Card but a provided 4Mb of memory plus a 68020 chip on board which made
the Sinclair QL incredibly fast. Both the Gold Card and Super Gold
Card added the ability to the QL to use HD and even 3.2Mb ED disk drives.
To find out more about the history of the Sinclair QL, visit the QL
Homepage. Keeping Up to Date
If you have recently acquired a Sinclair QL second hand, or have returned to
it after many years, you may find the
guide to returning to the QL useful. RWAP Services is one of several traders who still continue to support
the Sinclair QL on a commercial basis. There is also still a user
group (Quanta)
and a dedicated magazine (QL-Today)
and even a QL users discussion list. We are pleased to answer any
questions on the Sinclair QL and related topics - just contact
us. You can also subscribe to the QL users mailing list to receive details of forthcoming shows as they are announced.
PRINTERSOne of the main problems which QL users face is finding a compatible printer. When the QL was originally launched, the best printers available were daisywheel or dot matrix printers. However in today's world of colour inkjet and laser printers, the QL has struggled to keep up with technology. As more and more printer manufacturers strive to reduce costs by removing components, they presume that computer users have a Windows or MAC based operating system which will translate all text into the graphics code for them. As a result many printers no longer support a parallel or serial port (which is required by the QL) and do not allow text to be sent to the printer direct. The Sinclair QL will require a serial to parallel converter if it is to connect to a parallel printer. These come in several versions and are readily available second hand. The standard version connects to the QL's built-in serial ports (BT style plug), although there are versions for a standard 9 pin serial socket too (as used on the US version of the QL and later derivatives). The Gold Card and Super Gold Card expansion cards have a parallel port in-built. About the best supported printers are those manufactured by HP and Epson, although you have to be extremely careful about which model you have - a full Epson ESC/P2 or HP PCL-4 control set are required for the Sinclair QL to fully support the printer. About the best inkjet which can be obtained fairly reasonably and is fully compatible with the QL for both text and graphics, has to be the Epson 850 or Epson 900 printers. We can sometimes provide compatible printers second hand and can also provide enhanced drivers to support the higher density colour graphics available under the ProWeSs software system. REPLACEMENT PARTS/UPGRADES /REPAIRSAlthough there are currently no manufacturers of major add on hardware (do not worry, some new ones are in development), a wide range of second hand items are always available on eBay
Fixed Price Repairs for the Sinclair QLWe have now made arrangements to provide easily accessible repairs for your favourite machine. Repairs are undertaken at a fixed price of £35 plus parts and return post and packing. On receipt of your order, we will inform you of the address where to send the item (UK based) and once the item has been tested we can provide details of the total cost of the repair. Items are all returned using DHL courier for security and speed - allow 2 weeks for any repair. The repairs also come with a three month warranty - button below secures your repair with UK return postage. Please supply your telephone number when ordering. SINCLAIR QL SOFTWAREUnfortunately, over the years, many of the original software houses and authors who supported the Sinclair QL have fallen by the wayside or moved onto other markets. However, there is still a blossoming trade in second hand software on eBay (as well as on our own second hand pages) and there are still several software houses (including ourselves) who continue to support the Sinclair QL and release new software. There is also a wide range of public domain software available, and even emulators to allow you to run 90% of QL software on other computers. We ourselves are happy to provide working copies of older software to people who can prove that they have the originals, as well as having released a wide range of both original programs and software formerly sold by from Talent Computer Systems of Glasgow. Our software range includes business orientated software, games, adventures and general leisure software at affordable prices - more than enough to keep most families happy. Shipping All items are listed exclusive of post and packing and are all fully tested before shipping. We ensure that they are well protected against the rigours of parcel delivery and send them by Royal Mail First Class post, Parcelforce 48 hour delivery (in the UK) or Parcel2Go (whichever is the cheaper option). Although we attempt to keep our lists as current as possible, please check on availability of any item prior to ordering. We also offer a 14 day money back warranty on all goods (excluding shipping charges), provided that they are returned in the same condition and packaging.
The main problem with maintaining the Sinclair QL is that the keyboard membrane is very fragile and tends to become brittle with age. Although we have arranged for a new batch of membranes to be manufactured, many users have opted to add a replacement keyboard (SuperHermes still provides a keyboard interface - see below). Another option may be to look for a second hand system, or switch to one of the excellent QL emulators which are available, or, for the ultimate QL system, obtain one of the new Q40i or Q60 replacement QL systems. Replacement parts and
repairs/spares The QLs operating system continues to be developed in the form of SMSQ/E (which will not work on a standard QL without at least a Gold Card). This operating system has an improved multitasking SuperBASIC and is much much faster than either the original Sinclair operating system or even the Minerva operating system. SMSQ/E has been integrated into the QPC emulator for Windows and the Atari emulators and is also available for the QXL QL hardware emulator (which plugs into an ISA slot on a PC). Versions for QPC and the Q40/Q60 computer are even able to handle 24 bit colour, bringing a whole new dimension to the QL. For more details on the features of SMSQ/E, please visit Jochen Merz's website. NEW Sinclair QLsAlthough the production of the Sinclair QL finished several years ago, the development of the QL continues apace, with two new hardware compatibles available (the Q40i and Q60) and several emulators to enable you to run QL software on other computers. For details of the emulators available, please refer to our separate emulators page.Although we can supply working QLs, these are second hand and may not be in pristine condition.
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