Other retro computers
Other retro computers mentioned in passing — C64, Apple II, TRS-80, Atari, MSX, etc.
107 threads · 894 messages · 2001-12-21 → 2026-04-30
The TS2068 community has always defined itself in relation to its 8-bit neighbors, and the off-topic-but-not-really discussions about C64s, Apple IIs, TRS-80 CoCos, Ataris, MSX machines, Kaypros, and other Sinclairs run the full length of the archive. The Yahoo-era set the comparative tone with very practical problems: a 2002 thread from an Australian Spectrum owner moving to the U.S. (#1000105) became a tutorial on PAL/NTSC mismatches, VCR conversion tricks, multi-standard Commodore 1084 monitors, and why you should never sacrifice an MC-10's RF modulator to feed a Spectrum. A 2007 follow-up about "Other Sinclairs" (#1001208) catalogued what was and wasn't sold in North America, surfaced the rumored NTSC Spectrum prototype, and noted East-Coast importer English Micro Connection — context the recent era still leans on.
The groups.io era picked those threads back up at a deeper technical level. The 2022 "What makes Z80 special?" discussion (#1218) walked through the 8080→Z80→CP/M lineage versus the 6502 family, dual-CPU oddities (Commodore 128, BBC Micro second processors), and the surprising Z80 cameos in Fidelity Chess Challengers. Adam, Ryan and David's 2023 Apple IIGS / Timex Computer 3256 thread (#4317) used the IIGS and the never-shipped Commodore 65 as yardsticks for imagining a late-1980s Timex successor — which Johnny Red's photos of the actual 3256 prototype eventually anchored to something real. By 2026, Adam's "Gaming the Iron Curtain" thread (#8888) extended this outward into the Pentagon 128 and other Eastern Bloc Spectrum clones, with first-person memories from members who grew up on Czechoslovak and Soviet hardware (and a tangent on why Soviet KM capacitors contained harvestable palladium).
When modern retro releases show up, the group treats them as a mirror for the Timex/Sinclair scene rather than a distraction. Adrian's Digital Basement covering the ZX81/TS1000 (#7913, 2025) prompted price-history corrections — the TS1000 launched at $99 and Sinclair cut the ZX81 to match to clear U.S. inventory — and Crazy Eddie's / Fry's nostalgia. The 2025 C64 "Ultimate" reissue thread (#8636) turned into a sharp debate between the bread-bin's nostalgic pull and the more open ZX Spectrum Next ecosystem (XBerry Pi, N-Go, 3D-printed cases), with David arguing the C64's larger nostalgic base, not technical merit, drives the excitement gap.
The throughline across both eras is a recurring "why did we stay?" conversation. The 2012 Yahoo thread "What if Timex stayed in the market" (#1003316) defended the 2068's industrial design against ugly Ataris and Commodores while admitting the keyword-entry keyboard cost it touch-typists — a complaint partially answered years later by SE Basic and similar Spectrum ROM replacements. David's January 2026 "Why people stuck with their Timex computers for so long" (#8924) reframed this through Computer Shopper pricing: switching costs (money, but mostly accumulated skill in a non-portable BASIC) made staying rational long after the IBM PC era began. The group's robotics, museum, Kaypro/CP/M, and Sinclair QL/HiSoft BASIC threads (#4801, #6863, #5879, #8912) all reinforce the same point — the Timex/Sinclair story only makes sense in the company of the other 8-bits it grew up alongside.
Key threads
- What if Timex stayed in the market (archive.org) — Yahoo-era 2012 hypothetical that frames the 2068's industrial design and keyword keyboard against the Atari/Commodore aesthetic, with later SE Basic answer to the touch-typing complaint.
- Other Sinclairs (archive.org) — 2007 Yahoo thread that established what Sinclair variants were and weren't available in North America, including the NTSC Spectrum prototype rumor and importer English Micro Connection — still the reference for that history.
- Old Spectrum Newbie TS2068 (archive.org) — 2002 Yahoo discussion that produced the community's working knowledge of PAL/NTSC mismatches, multi-standard monitors (Commodore 1084), and VCR-based conversion — practical lore reused throughout the groups.io era.
- What makes Z80 special? (#1218 on groups.io) — 2022 deep dive into the 8080/Z80/CP/M lineage vs 6502, dual-CPU machines (C128, BBC Micro), and Z80 use in Fidelity Chess Challengers — the technical baseline for later cross-platform discussions.
- Timex Computer 3256 Prototype (#4317 on groups.io) — Uses the Apple IIGS and Commodore 65 as concrete yardsticks for imagining a late-1980s Timex successor, then grounds it in Johnny Red's photos of the real 3256 prototype.
- Gaming the Iron Curtain Book and Eastern Bloc Spectrum Clones (#8888 on groups.io) — Brings the Soviet/Eastern Bloc Spectrum clone universe into the group with first-person memories, ties into Pentagon 128 emulation on the Spectrum Next, and surfaces oddities like palladium-rich KM capacitors.
- C64 (#8636 on groups.io) — The 2025 Commodore 64 Ultimate reissue thread that crystallized the group's view of why C64 nostalgia outpaces ZX Spectrum Next excitement despite the Next's more open ecosystem.
- Why people stuck with their Timex computers for so long (#8924 on groups.io) — David's 2026 synthesis using Computer Shopper pricing to explain switching costs, with Adam's counterpoint that non-transferable BASIC skill — not just money — kept users on Timex/Sinclair well into the IBM PC era.
All threads (107)
↳ marks a thread where this topic begins mid-conversation — the link jumps to the message where it starts.
| Thread |
Msgs |
Activity |
Started by |
| ⭐ Bill Miller Collection ↳ #4605 📎 |
169 💬 |
2024-01-13 |
Timothy Swenson |
| ⭐ ZX Spectrum 48K Repair - Jan 2024 - Ryan got a ZX Spectrum 48K from the Bill Mil 📎 |
65 💬 |
2024-02-13 |
Carl Miles |
| ⭐ Timex Computer 3256 Prototype 📎 |
47 💬 |
2023-12-09 |
Adam Trionfo |
| ⭐ ABQ User Group Meeting - Sat. Feb. 3, 2024 📎 |
40 💬 |
2024-02-08 |
Adam Trionfo |
| ⭐ My New 2068 Toys/RGB Monitor Adapter Works - Hooray! 📎 |
26 💬 |
2024-05-17 |
Adam Trionfo |
| ⭐ What makes Z80 special? |
12 💬 |
2022-04-14 |
Adam Trionfo |
| C64 📎 |
31 💬 |
2025-10-22 |
Adam Trionfo |
| An American museum? |
27 💬 |
2024-08-19 |
David Anderson |
| Why people stuck with their Timex computers for so long 📎 |
23 💬 |
2026-01-21 |
Adam Trionfo |
| What if Timex stayed in the market |
21 💬 |
2012-08-22 |
Marvio Santos |
| Other Sinclairs |
17 💬 |
2007-06-16 |
Al Hartman |
| Good Morning and a strange question |
16 💬 |
2023-11-11 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Robotics 📎 |
12 💬 |
2023-11-14 |
Adam Trionfo |
| "Gaming the Iron Curtain Book" and Eastern Bloc Spectrum Clones 📎 |
10 💬 |
2026-01-04 |
Brett Hallen |
| ZX81 and TS1000 on Adrian’s Digital Basement 📎 |
10 💬 |
2025-04-07 |
Timothy Swenson |
| Long Shot… 📎 |
10 💬 |
2023-09-27 |
David Anderson |
| Timex/Sinclair Yule Log |
10 💬 |
2024-12-04 |
David Anderson |
| Mourning the "Death" of Timex Computers - February 22, 1984 📎 |
9 💬 |
2026-02-05 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Events and Organzations 📎 |
9 💬 |
2024-02-26 |
John Mobley |
| Old Spectrum Newbie TS2068 ↳ |
9 💬 |
2002-09-26 |
William McBrine |
| The Sinclair QL and HiSoft BASIC for the Atari ST and Amiga |
8 💬 |
2026-01-07 |
David Anderson |
| Those Russian Sinclair Computers 📎 |
8 💬 |
2022-02-23 |
Adam Trionfo |
| CoCoFEST! 📎 |
8 💬 |
2023-05-16 |
John Mobley |
| 1000, 1500, 2068 Font |
7 💬 |
2024-08-01 |
David Anderson |
| VCF East 📎 |
7 💬 |
2026-04-21 |
SuperMikeNJ |
| retro TV/Monitor 📎 |
7 💬 |
2024-02-22 |
Paul Holmgren |
| Sat. May 13, 2023: ABQ User Group Meeting ↳ #3613 📎 |
7 💬 |
2023-05-23 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Looks like Retro Games is coming out with a new "The Spectrum" computer later th 📎 |
6 💬 |
2024-08-27 |
Carl Miles |
| Timex and States and Capitals |
6 💬 |
2026-04-03 |
David Anderson |
| Neat YouTube Video about early computer Emulation including the ZX81 / TS1000 an |
6 💬 |
2023-01-04 |
Carl Miles |
| Didatik Gamma |
6 💬 |
2010-01-09 |
Mark Scheck |
| My 2068 and MC-10 |
6 💬 |
2025-04-28 |
Christian Mann |
| Robots and Timex Computers 📎 |
6 💬 |
2025-01-29 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Home Computing Pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair passes away Age 81 |
6 💬 |
2021-09-17 |
Luis Alberto D'Ardis |
| Sinclair related but not a personal computer... 📎 |
5 💬 |
2024-01-13 |
Carl Miles |
| ABQ Retro Computer Meetup Video Overview 📎 |
5 💬 |
2025-07-30 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Tom Woods and the Astrocade? |
5 💬 |
2022-06-14 |
Adam Trionfo |
| A little bit of Timex Sinclair history.. 📎 |
5 💬 |
2022-03-21 |
Scott Hardin |
| QL picture on television |
4 💬 |
2012-07-24 |
Mark Scheck |
| 5.25 floppy drive for a Tandy 1000 HX |
4 💬 |
2025-08-19 |
Christian Mann |
| Zilog Acquired by Littelfuse |
4 💬 |
2022-06-22 |
Adam Trionfo |
| BASIC Games; was: Re: Compute magazine |
4 💬 |
2025-04-19 |
qwertyfan2000 |
| Brazilian CP400 Computer |
3 💬 |
2015-08-09 |
alhartman6 |
| A Star Wars TI-59 Calculator Game |
3 💬 |
2024-07-20 |
Adam Trionfo |
| For the PASCAL afflicted |
3 💬 |
2025-10-21 |
David Anderson |
| 8 Bit Workshop |
3 💬 |
2022-09-14 |
David Anderson |
| Familiar loading noise and font in Netflix's "Choose or Die" |
3 💬 |
2022-04-19 |
zxspectrum128 |
| Home Console BASIC in Japan |
3 💬 |
2022-02-08 |
David Anderson |
| Custom Timex/Sinclair Controllers? 📎 |
3 💬 |
2023-07-23 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Z88 & ZX81 On TV today! |
3 💬 |
2008-01-03 |
doidy1 |
| Tim and Paul’s Rhode Island Road Trip |
2 💬 |
2023-03-25 |
David Anderson |
| Simple Telephone System for the CoCoFEST! |
2 💬 |
2024-04-30 |
John Mobley |
| One Per Desk Computer/Telecommunications Terminal 📎 |
2 💬 |
2024-01-02 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Linux in TS computers. |
2 💬 |
2025-06-11 |
Christian Mann |
| CP/M on the Timex or Atari? |
2 💬 |
2022-04-18 |
Adam Trionfo |
| RC2014 Pro - Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit |
2 💬 |
2023-09-27 |
John Mobley |
| Somewhat related to Adam’s lite exploration 📎 |
2 💬 |
2022-02-28 |
David Anderson |
| CP 400 |
2 💬 |
2023-05-31 |
John Mobley |
| The Elwro 800 Junior emulator |
1 💬 |
2006-02-06 |
Jarek Adamski |
| Spectrum Handheld by hypermegatech |
1 💬 |
2026-04-30 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Sinclair QL anyone? |
1 💬 |
2005-04-29 |
senen71 |
| Z80 is Being Discontinued |
1 💬 |
2024-04-19 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Talking to an AI about a Classic Game Console or Computer |
1 💬 |
2022-12-06 |
Adam Trionfo |
| "Lemonade Stand" for Timex and C64 Computers |
1 💬 |
2025-09-18 |
Adam Trionfo |
| BackBit MicroSD Cart on my Atari 8-Bit Computer 📎 |
1 💬 |
2022-09-01 |
Adam Trionfo |
| The right Time for Looking into the Timex 1000 Game Changer Interface to the Ata |
1 💬 |
2023-10-18 |
kevin.personal |
| RCR Episode 266: The Apple II Age (And a word form Timex) |
1 💬 |
2023-08-15 |
John Mobley |
| Christmas wish lists 📎 |
21 💬 |
2023-12-11 |
Adam Trionfo |
| A terrible mistake.. |
7 💬 |
2026-02-28 |
Christian Mann |
| Joining Ryan 📎 |
7 💬 |
2023-11-21 |
Ryan Gray |
| Update on the 8 bit game consoles. |
7 💬 |
2025-05-03 |
Christian Mann |
| Not really related to Timex or Sinclair, but this is a documentary about the cre |
7 💬 |
2023-06-16 |
Adam Trionfo |
| From a parallel universe |
6 💬 |
2022-10-02 |
David Anderson |
| genius 1980s inventions that failed massively |
6 💬 |
2023-12-15 |
larry lorenson |
| Added storage capacity and a few subgroups |
6 💬 |
2023-12-05 |
David Ellis |
| My ASD is showing again and I am on a DE-HOARDING binge today - but this came to 📎 |
6 💬 |
2025-05-29 |
Thomas Hynes |
| Recent finds via the Retrocomputing Roundtable Podcast 📎 |
6 💬 |
2025-05-25 |
Adam Trionfo |
| I am sure that the Cleaning Fluids have really effected me today - But I nailed 📎 |
6 💬 |
2025-05-17 |
Thomas Hynes |
| Book Nook Segment on Atari Show 📎 |
5 💬 |
2023-01-02 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Bally/Timex connection |
5 💬 |
2022-10-07 |
David Anderson |
| Tear-Jerker 2000 Cartridge; or Adam's Away-Image 📎 |
4 💬 |
2022-04-06 |
Adam Trionfo |
| QL birthday |
3 💬 |
2024-01-17 |
Mark Scheck |
| 8 bit game consoles. |
3 💬 |
2025-04-29 |
Christian Mann |
| MiPS |
3 💬 |
2023-07-27 |
Mark Scheck |
| Ferranti/Astrocade Connection, well... kinda; was: RIP Jim Guerin, one of the pe |
2 💬 |
2023-03-02 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Added "Star Wahs" by Dale from Astrogames' Tape A3. |
2 💬 |
2023-02-22 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Timex Data-Link Watch 📎 |
2 💬 |
2026-01-08 |
Adam Trionfo |
| British computers in America ft. Timex Sinclair |
2 💬 |
2025-11-14 |
T2 |
| Robots built using the RCA 1802 processor/ELF computer 📎 |
2 💬 |
2025-11-06 |
David Anderson |
| Another off-topic? |
2 💬 |
2025-11-05 |
Ricardo Calcagno |
| 8bitnews email |
2 💬 |
2022-10-18 |
David Anderson |
| Computes Gazzette 📎 |
2 💬 |
2025-07-21 |
SuperMikeNJ |
| Zoom meeting with Jeri Ellsworth |
2 💬 |
2023-11-03 |
David Anderson |
| Giant Cassette Tape Recorder 📎 |
2 💬 |
2022-03-29 |
Adam Trionfo |
| Retro Directory |
2 💬 |
2023-05-13 |
John Mobley |
| Just watched an Apple video |
1 💬 |
2014-07-02 |
Mark Scheck |
| Need a Second Life - Yes you do, but in my explorations I found something cool 📎 |
1 💬 |
2026-02-05 |
Thomas Hynes |
| Before it gets recycled |
1 💬 |
2024-02-25 |
Paul Holmgren |
| Not the Q*Bert Mini-Arcade, but the Dragon's Lair One |
1 💬 |
2022-09-25 |
Adam Trionfo |
| PyThon learn programming stuff "Books" |
1 💬 |
2025-09-09 |
Paul Holmgren |
| Computer parts for sale or trade. |
1 💬 |
2025-06-24 |
Christian Mann |
| CNN Article on vintage computing... |
1 💬 |
2001-12-21 |
Louis Florit |
| Last update on the 8 bit consoles. |
1 💬 |
2025-05-16 |
Christian Mann |
| Floppy Days Podcast with Forrest Mims III |
1 💬 |
2023-10-14 |
John Mobley |
| New episode of Floppy Days Podcast with TS2068 content |
1 💬 |
2023-09-25 |
Floppy Days Podcast - Ra |
| Terminal Emulator Idea |
1 💬 |
2023-09-18 |
John Mobley |
| 8-Bit Guy... |
1 💬 |
2018-05-27 |
alhartman6 |