====== Sinclair QL (1984) ======
===== Features =====
* CPU: Motorola MC 68008 7.5 MHz
* Co-Processor: Intel 8049 IPC (RS232, speaker, joysticks, keyboard), Sinclair ZX8301 (Peripheral Control), Sinclair ZX8302 (Peripheral Chip)
* RAM: 128 kb (up to 728 kb without additional CPU), 85 kb free under Super Basic
* VRAM: 32 kb
* ROM: 48 kb (up to 64 kb)
* Text Modes: 40 x 25, 64 x 25, 85 x 25
* Graphic Modes: 256 x 256 (8 colors), 512 x 256 (4 colors)
* Colors: 256 color effects
* Sound: Beeper
* I/O Ports: 2 x Serial sockets (RS232), 2 x Sinclair Network sockets, 2 x Controllers sockets, ROM connector, Expansion bus, External microdrives bus, RGB video output, RF video output,
* Keyboard: QWERTY / AZERTY pseudo full-stroke keyboard, 5 function keys
* Built In Media: 2 x microdrives (100 kb each)
* OS: QDOS
* Built In Language: Sinclair Super Basic
===== Usage =====
MESS supports several different QL (UK) revisions: v1.10 (JS), v1.0? (TB), v1.03 (JM), v1.02 (AH), v2.05 (Tyche), Minerva v1.89. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios js" = v1.10 (JS)
"-bios 1" or "-bios tb" = v1.0? (TB)
"-bios 2" or "-bios jm" = v1.03 (JM)
"-bios 3" or "-bios ah" = v1.02 (AH)
"-bios 6" or "-bios tyche" = v2.05 (Tyche)
"-bios 7" or "-bios min189" = Minerva v1.89
MESS also supports three different QL (Germany) revisions: v1.10 (MG), v1.14 (MF), Ultrasoft. You can switch between them, changing the -bios parameter. At command line,
"-bios 0" or "-bios mg" = v1.10 (MG)
"-bios 1" or "-bios mf" = v1.14 (MF)
"-bios 2" or "-bios ultramg" = Ultrasoft
Finally, MESS supports few other non-UK versions, one revision each: ql_us (US version), ql_es (Spanish version), ql_fr (French version), ql_it (Italian version), ql_se (Swedish version), ql_dk (Danish version) and ql_gr (Greek version).
===== History and Trivia =====
The Sinclair QL (which stands for Quantum Leap) was the first attempt for Clive Sinclair to produce a computer for business. But after the success of the ZX-81 and ZX Spectrum, the QL can also be regarded as the first failure of Sinclair. In January 1984, Clive Sinclair presents the QL to the press, unveiling a very promising and inventive machine, based on the 68008 processor from Motorola. Indeed it was the first home computer based on a 32 bits CPU, just a few days before the Apple Macintosh. It was important for Clive Sinclair to unveil the QL before the Macintosh, but that was also one of the main reasons for the QL's failure...
The British ICL company conceived a desktop information system based on the QL mainboard. It was sold in the U.K. under the names One Per Desk and Merlin Tonto. The same model was also sold in Australia, with the name Telecom Computerphone.
//(info from old-computers.com)//
===== Links =====
* Club QL International -- http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/4807/
* Thierry Godefroy's Page -- http://qdos.dyns.net/
* Planet Sinclair -- http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/computers/ql/ql.htm
* QL at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=199
===== Other Emulators =====
* QLAY -- http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/A.Jaw.Venema/
* QPC2 -- http://www.kilgus.net/qpc/
Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009