| news |
THE ZX Microdrive is to be a floppy tape. Despite the assumption for so long that the much-heralded memory storage would be some kind of disc we can reveal exclusively that it is a tape loop.
That would explain why the average response time is 3.5 seconds. Information will have to be stored in series so that if a piece of data is needed the whole tape has to be sorted through. A disc system would allow random access and would reduce the response times greatly.
The cost of attaching the first Microdrive will be £80. The drive will cost £50 but an interface is needed which, with the RS-232 and networked interfaces, will cost £30.
The floppy tape is in a black case measuring 2 in. by 1 in. by ¼ in. deep. The tape inside is an endless loop, similar to that on a telephone answering machine, and it is narrower that normal cassette tape.
The latest news available on when it will be on sale is that it will be some time in the New Year, but it is unlikely to be early in that period.
HAROLD MAYES, production editor of SINCLAIR USER, pictured outside Buckingham Palace after receiving the MBE for services to journalism. Mayes began his 52-year career as a 15-year old reporter on the CHRONICLE AND ECHO at Northampton, becoming sports editor by the age of 19. It was the beginning of a lifetime's connection with sports coverage which has included being Press and Publicity Officer for the 1966 World Cup. He began his association with electronics in 1962 when he became publicity manager of Ultra Electronics. After a number of other associated posts he joined ECC Publications in 1977 as production editor of WHICH COMPUTER? and took the same job on SINCLAIR USER when it was started nine months ago. |
SEVEN days' production was lost at the Timex factory in Dundee because of a dispute. Sinclair Research says, however, that it is not expected to affect deliveries despite the increase in orders before Christmas.
The workforce went on strike on Wednesday November 10 and, following strenuous efforts by both management and unions, production resumed on Monday, November 22.
According to management the dispute involved the suspension of five workers. The unions said that a shop steward had been sacked without the agreed procedure having been followed.
A spokesman for Sinclair Research said that stocks had been building up before the strike and there should be no problem with deliveries.
THE SPECTRUM is lagging behind its competitors in the Department of Industry's Micros in Primaries scheme.
A spokesman for the Department said that 1,200 applications had been received for the scheme but only a few had been for the Spectrum. He added, however, that the scheme had not been running for long and thought the Sinclair machine may catch up later.
It seems that little help in this will be coming from schools in the country's largest education authority, the Inner London Education Authority. The staff inspector for educational computing, Derek Esterson, said that schools were being advised to buy the Research Machines 380-Z rather than the Spectrum or the BBC Model B.
"They are free to buy the other machines but they will not be able to take advantage of the authority's support services," he said. They have been based on the Research Machines Link 480-Z which had been available in the Department of Industry's earlier scheme for secondary schools and the cost of adapting that to other machines would be too great.
Another factor may be a rumour that Sinclair Research was demanding payment before delivery, which was not usual practice in education. That was denied by a spokesman for Sinclair, who said that, in common with all educational suppliers, the company is invoicing after delivery.
PRODUCTION delays with the Spectrum resulted in the Advertising Standards Authority receiving a record number of complaints.
That is revealed in the authority's latest report, which showed that there had been 109 complaints about delivery of Sinclair machines, the majority of which concerned the Spectrum.
The authority noted that Sinclair Research failed to withdraw the advertisements when it became clear that there were supply problems. It was also concerned that despite the seriousness of the objections, a number of organisations continued to publish the advertisements.
One of those was Sinclair User. Terry Cartwright, managing director of ECC Publications which publishes Sinclair User, said that the magazine acted in good faith on the basis of assurances about the supply position from Sinclair Research.
THERE ARE moves for a big expansion in retailing of software for the ZX-81. W H Smith and a number of retailers, like Buffer Micro Shop in London and Microware of Leicester, have been selling a wide range of cassettes for some months. The number of outlets is likely to grow quickly in the next few months.
The large chains, such as Boots, Greens and Menzies, have also been selling the Sinclair range of software and are expected to be taking cassettes from other producers soon.
Prism Microproducts is considering expanding into the distribution of software through outlets it supplies and Sinclair Research is expanding its range.
A NEW COURSE is being started by a London polytechnic to train sales staff for the growing number of high-street computer retailers. It is being run by the Polytechnic of North London and it intended to give people a thorough grounding in selling micro computers and associated computer systems.
Applications are being taken now for the course, run as part of the Government TOPS scheme. It will start in February and last five months. There are places for about 25 students.