We bought it, and took it home, and I used it non-stop for the next week, maybe two. My Mom bought me a book called "101 Tricks and Tips for the Timex/Sinclair" (I still have it) and I just typed in these programs and played with them - it was hooked up to a crummy black and white 13" TV we still have in my dad's basement. I got extremely sick during this, and I remember Mom thinking that the computer had made me sick - but she couldn't get the doctor to agree with her that I shouldn't touch the computer for a few days. I couldn't get the computer to save or load anything though - it was supposed to just hook up to any old tape deck with line in and out. I remember even going over to my Aunt Judy's boyfriend at the time, Bill, and he couldn't get it to work either. He had a VIC-20, and showed me a bunch of BASIC programs that he had made (I think). Anyway, we eventually took the computer back, and got our money back. I remember looking through the Consumer's Distributing catalogue shortly afterwards, and seeing that they were selling these computers now, and they had an official cassette deck for it - for a little while, I actually regretted returning it, thinking that this deck might have solved my save/load problems. Shortly afterwards, we went to Duluth, Minnesota, and almost bought a VIC-20, but instead bought the C-64. I was a lot happier with that computer than the Sinclair.
When I was in Florida in 1992, I found a couple more Sinclairs at a table at a big flea market (the lady was very cool, and had loads of cool old computer stuff, even helped give me some addresses of places still supporting the Commodore at that time.)
I've also collected (what I think is) a pretty impressive book collection regarding these computers, including quite a few assembly books for it. I've also got the ROM disassembly books.
Last Update: 2001.03.11
Robin Harbron - macbeth@tbaytel.net