New to the Sinclair 2068
1 message · 2007-01-23 → 2007-01-23 · Yahoo Group era · View archive on archive.org
Participants: johndraugr
Preserved from the Timex/Sinclair 2068 Yahoo Group (2001–2019), which is no longer online. Text reproduced from the archive.org archive; email addresses masked.
Messages
1. New to the Sinclair 2068
johndraugr · Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:40
Hello Everyone.
I just joined this list today, and wanted to say hello to everyone.
I'd like to give a brief summary or bio of myself, but keeping it
brief might be hard. :) (Warning, It was!) :(
Anyhow, I am a classic video game and computer collector, but I
just don't collect the software and hardware, I actually use most of
my systems quite often. I also do lots of research on each system that
I own. I guess I'm kind of like a computer historian, at least to
myself. I love reading about the pros and cons, what impact a
particular computer or console had on the early days of the home
computer revolution. My favorite systems are the Commodore 8-Bit
computers and have been since my birthday in 1985 when I got my first
Commodore 64. While I have many fond memories of that system, the
truth is that it wasn't my first computer. A year or two before 1985 I
was visiting my grandfather and he had a shiny piece of new equipment
at his home. It looked like a typewriter and used carts and tapes. It
was called a computer. I was immediately hooked on it and loved going
over there to play computer golf, and other games. Thats probably the
last time I played any Golf video game. *LOL* Some of the cartridges
that I recall playing were States & Capitals, and some Math carts or
tapes. There was also some battleship type game that I can't recall
for the life of me. Anyhow, I'm sure by listing those software titles
most of you know which computer I'm talking about. *hehe* I remember
one day hearing or thinking grandpa got the system off the back of a
truck. Now I know that wasn't so, but to me this new gadget must have
been really expensive. I didn't understand that at the time my
Grandfather's Heating and Air Conditioning company was doing very well
and he had customers all over lower NY and some even out of state.
Anyway, I'm getting off topic. So, thinking my grandfather could get
another computer off the truck, I asked if he might be able to get me
one of these Timex Sinclair computers. He said maybe one day. That was
the last I thought of it. That was until Christmas of 83 or 84. My
grandparents came over and I honestly don't remember the exact
specifics like I do when I got my first Commodore 64, but needless to
say I opened my gifts and received the 2068, a tape player, the small
printer that used a small roll of paper like old calculators. I also
received a bunch of programs with Golf being one of them and even the
Auto Analyzer or something like that. It wasn't a game but I remember
enjoying it for a while as I just fiddled with it and at the same time
was learning for the first time on my own computer. Well, that was 23
or 24 years ago and I was 11 or 12. Before that all I knew was the
Atari 2600. I used the Time Sinclair computer for quite a while until
I got bored I guess. I don't actually recall when or why I stopped
using it, but I remember thinking there wasn't much software for it
and there weren't any computer stores at that time, unlike those that
would begin popping up a few years later. Even then I never saw Timex
Sinclair software in a store. So, sometime before my birthday in 1985
I stopped using the 2068 and put it up in the attic. It stayed there
for many years until 2002 or so when I started getting into collecting
old computer and video game systems. I found my old 2068, but no other
parts, not even the power supply. :( I did keep the unit because of
the sentimental value it contained for being my first computer, and
the most memorable gift my grandfather (and Grandmother) gave me as a
child. Anyhow, just before my grandfather moved down to Florida about
2 or 3 years ago he called me over his house and gave me something. It
was a box full of sealed Timex 1000 hardware and software. Immediately
I looked at it and had flashbacks of that happy time so long ago. I
said to him "Thank you, Gramps. I still remember when you bought me
that first Timex Sinclair when I was a child. I'll never forget those
days and how exciting it was." My grandfather smiled and agreed. He
then turned away to get some more things. Thats when I looked at my
grandfather and it hit me that he was much older now and I probably
would not see him again once he left for Florida. I remember wiping
tears away before my grandfather would turn around and see me. I
didn't want him to see me with tears in my eyes because of the
memories and the fact that I'd probably never see him again. To this
day that Timex Sinclair 2068 was one of the greatest Christmas gifts I
ever received. It's amazing how thinking about those days as I'm
writing this message brings back those same feelings of excitement and
happiness as I experienced them that first time as a child. Well,
getting back to the Timex 1000, I took that Timex 1000 collection and
put it in a large Tupperware like container and placed it in my
storage closet as I did not want to open or use any of that classic
equipment, more because it was the last thing my grandfather gave me
than because it was an old computer system that I'd add to my
collection. Sadly, in 2005 my grandfather did pass away and I do
believe the last time I may have seen him was the day he gave me the
Timex 1000 to take home.
Fast forward to this past weekend. I was reading one of the Retro
Gamer magazines that I have and they mentioned the Timex Sinclair
1000. I thought "I wonder if the 2068 might be found on eBay?" I'd
like to go back and enjoy that system again, even though I think for
the rest of my life, the Sinclair will always bring back memories of
my grandfather. So, I did search eBay and saw that there was some
stuff for auction. Before I bid on anything I figured I should look
into the system and the community first. That is when I started
looking the other day for Timex Sinclair 2068 websites, or mailing
lists and found this list. I hope I won't be too much of a pain, but I
do have a few questions that I'll ask in a separate email. I really
don't know too much about the system and what equipment may have come
out for it other than what I received for Christmas in 83/84. For now,
I think I've spoken enough. :)
Well, as I said, I'd try to keep this short, but unfortunately that
didn't happen. I guess that since I'm new and joined the Timex
Sinclair 2068 group/community it might be proper to give a little
history of myself and my past with the 2068 system. I hope I didn't
bore anybody, but I probably did. Sorry! :)
Sincerely,
John S Sozio
Yonkers, NY
http://www.soznet.net/commodore