website/content/museum/sinclair-ql-quantum-leap.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Sinclair QL (Quantum Leap)	Computers	Home Computer	United Kingdom	1984	Motorola MC 68008	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware screenshots emulators links comments oc_id source QL (Quantum Leap) /companies/sinclair Sinclair label value NAME QL (Quantum Leap) label value MANUFACTURER Sinclair label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN United Kingdom label value YEAR 1984 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Sinclair Super Basic label value KEYBOARD QWERTY / AZERTY pseudo full-stroke keyboard\ 5 function keys label value CPU Motorola MC 68008 label value SPEED 7.5 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR Intel 8049 IPC (RS232, speaker, joysticks, keyboard)\ Sinclair ZX8301 (Peripheral Control)\ Sinclair ZX8302 (Peripheral Chip) label value RAM 128 kb (up to 728 kb without additional CPU)\ 85 kb free under Super Basic label value VRAM 32 kb label value ROM 48 kb (up to 64 kb) label value TEXT MODES 40 x 25, 64 x 25, 85 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 256 x 256 (8 colors)\ 512 x 256 (4 colors) label value COLORS 256 color effects label value SOUND Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT 47,2 x 13,8 x 4,6 cm / 1,4 kg label value 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 label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 x microdrives (100 kb each) label value OS QDOS label value POWER SUPPLY External PSU label value PRICE 399£ (UK, february 1984) photos adverts hardware software emulators links title subtitle text image FRONT null title subtitle text image SIDE null title subtitle text image SIDE 2 null title subtitle text image SIDE 3 null title subtitle text image IN BOX null title subtitle text image BOX null title subtitle text image MICRODRIVES CLOSEUP null title subtitle text image MICRODRIVES OPENED null title subtitle text image MICRODRIVE TAPES null title subtitle text image BLANK MICRODRIVES TAPES This little box with 4 blank microdrive tapes was delivered with the Sinclair QL null title subtitle text image REAR null title subtitle text image REAR null title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD null title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD EXPLAINED This is one of the very first pictures of the inside of a QL. The motherboard, still in beta-version, will undergo several modifications during the difficult birth of the QL and also during the QL's life. **(1)** Expansion connector for external peripherals and internal 512 Kb. RAM extension.\ **(2)** Connector for 32 Kb. ROM software cartridges.\ **(3)** Two 9-pin joystick connectors.\ **(4)** Two 9-pin serial RS-232 connectors.\ **(5)** TV aerial RF modulator. Through this video output, only 60 char. per line are allowed.\ **(6)** RGB video output connector. 85 char. per line allowed.\ **(7)** Sinclair local network connector. Up to 64 QLs or Spectrums can be connected together.\ **(8)** Up to six additional microdrives can be connected here.\ **(9)** Integrated microdrives.\ **(10)** Intel 8049 microprocessor in charge of keyboard, sound and serial port management.\ **(11)** Two chipsets specially designed for the QL (ZX-8301/02), in charge of video display and various Inputs/Outputs.\ **(12)** Motorola 68008 microprocessor. A 16-bit processing unit, but only an 8-bit data bus. null title subtitle text image KEYBOARD EXPLAINED The QL keyboard is made of two semi-flexible plastic sheets with a wire network connecting each key. Under each key, the 2 sheets are separated by a ''bubble'' which keeps the wires from each sheet separated. When the key is pressed, the bubble is flattened and makes a contact between two wires. This bubble is also used to ensure the normal position of the key. This process makes it possible for the QL to offer a keyboard touch practically identical to a mechanical keyboard while keeping a very low profile. **(1)** Superior key caps.\ **(2)** Vertical guide of the key.\ **(3)** Bubble which keeps the key raised and breaks the contact between two wires.\ **(4)** Two superimposed plastic sheets.\ **(5)** Wires connecting each key of the keyboard. null title subtitle text image MECHANICAL KEYBOARD This model is not a new mysterious version of the QL, but only a mechanical keyboard addon sold to replace the original and fragile keyboard. As it was very expensive, only a few QLs have been upgraded like this. The funcion keys are red, the letters keys (A - Z) are dark brown and the rest of the keys are black. Thanks to [oldcomput.8k.com](http://oldcomput.8k.com) for this picture. null title subtitle text image QL MONITOR AD. It was actually a rebadged Taxan monitor null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #1 Thanks to [fuzzbucket](http://blogs.linux.ie/fuzzbucket/archives/p/7/more/1/c/1/Vintage-Sinclair-QL-catalogue) for this complete QL catalogue. null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #2 null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #3 null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #4 null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #5 null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #6 null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #7 null title subtitle text image QL CATALOGUE #8 null title subtitle text image TRUMP CARD from Miracle Systems This famous card allows to add a floppy disk controller to the standard QL and to add Tony Tebby's QJUMP Toolkit II commands to the standard QL's somewhat limited internal QDOS commands. null title subtitle text image 512K EXPANDERAM from Miracle Systems This card adds 512k RAM to the QL. null title subtitle text image SINCLAIR 512K RAM EXPANSION null title subtitle text image JASMIN DISK-DRIVE This is the Jasmin disk-drive for the QL. It is the same as the Oric Jasmin II. 3'' floppies, double head, 80 tracks, 800kb formated. This thing cost 3500fr in 1985. null title subtitle text image DOUBLE 5''1/4 DISK-DRIVES null title subtitle text image MONOPOLY null title subtitle text image LANDS OF HAVOC null title subtitle text image PIRATE null title subtitle text image QL CHESS null title subtitle text image PHARAO ? null title subtitle text image VROOM null title subtitle text image TENNIS null title subtitle text image SPOOK Pac-man clone null title subtitle text image THE LOST KINGDOM OF SKUL null title subtitle text image SLIME null title subtitle text image ICE Graphical User Interface (GUI) null title url platform text Q-Emulator for Windows 95 http://users.infoconex.com/DANIELE/WINQL.HTML Windows QL emulator for Windows title url platform text QLAY - SINCLAIR QL EMULATOR for Windows95, DOS http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/A.Jaw.Venema/ Windows (Available for Linux) title url platform text QPC http://www.kilgus.net/qpc/ Windows Featureful QL emulator by Marcel Kilgus title url platform text QEmulator http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/1296/q-emulator.html Apple title url platform text UQLX Homepage http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Bay/2602/uqlx_main.html Unix / Linux title url platform text QLem http://rand.thn.htu.se/~johan/qlem.html Atari The QL Emulator for Atari ST/TT/Falcon title url platform text Sinclair Emulation Homepage http://users.aol.com/autismuk/sinclair.htm Other platform title url text Club QL International http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Vista/4807/ Newsletter title url text Dilwyn Jones' Sinclair QL Home Page http://www.soft.net.uk/dj/index.html Impressive content. You'll find what you are seeking here ! title url text Petas Sinclair QL support page http://www.sinclairql.de/ title url text Planet Sinclair http://www.nvg.unit.no/sinclair/planet/index.html title url text QL FAQ http://www.uni-mainz.de/~roklein/ql/ title url text QL Users Mailing List http://www.soft.net.uk/dj/emaillst/maillist.html So you want to exchange mails with QL fans around the world ?! title url text QL Webring http://t.webring.com/hub?list&ring=the_quantum Official webring title url text Sinclair QL Spanish Resources http://sinclairql.es Sinclair QL and compatible Spanish Resources title url text Speccyalista http://www.sinclair.hu/ Hungarian Sinclair page title url text TF Services http://www.firshman.co.uk Tony Firshman's Home Page - Sinclair QL support title url text Thierry Godegroy's Home Page http://www.imaginet.fr/~godefroy/english All you need to know about the Sinclair QL is here ! title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Sinclair computers author date text Yan (Brazil) Thursday 28th November 2019 The year was 1984 and I had a TS-2068 equipped with a backyard made ZX-Spectrum cartridge. I remember to browse the personal computers magazines and literally drool over the pages wondering when I would be able to have my own QL, that supposed to be the natural next step for 2068 owners. Unluckily it was the big failure that everybody is aware of and no one of these fantastic computers have arrived in my country that I know. A couple years later I moved from the 2068 to MSX and it was a big meh for me. Quickly I got rid of it and moved to my first PC-XT. Good old times! :) author date text zozo (france) Thursday 30th October 2014 j''en ai eu un dans les 90''s mais rien fait avec manuel en anglais... c''était a mon grand frere.dommage qu''il n''est pas eu plus de couleur et des sprites... author date text Trevor Harvey (UK) Sunday 21st April 2013 My first computer, before I went PC mad. QL had the big breakthrough - after using BBC micros - in its bundled advanced suite of Psion programs called Xchange, plus an advanced BASIC. Tony Tebby was the software engineer - I met him at QL meets, a very enthusiastic man with long hair and glasses who thought in assembly language. The excellent Xchange word processor, database, spreadsheet and business graphics, were let down by the printers of the day, but programming the printer driver taught me loads about ASCII and serial/parallel comms. No USB then! Until the Amstrad WPs came a long, the Xchange Quill WP was many people''s first choice. We somehow got used to the clunky keyboard. I still have my QL, plus its Microvitec monitor. Somehow, I feel affectionate to the old thing. author date text Clay Bowen (USA) Thursday 18th April 2013 This computer was my upgrade from the 2068. I had the extended memory card, a pair of external quad density 5.25" drives. I did a lot of programming on this machine with a QL version of Pascal (ISO, not Borland). I may still have it in the closet... I have to admit, even after all this time, the microdrive was one of the coolest media ever. author date text Gordon McIntosh (UK) Wednesday 6th April 2011 I used a QL all the way through university - the 2 built in microdrives were surprisingly reliable. I also remember playing quite a good adventure game on it called "The legend of Zkul" author date text Urs Koenig (Switzerland) Monday 19th October 2009 2009 is the year of the 25th anniversary of breaking innovations in personal computing. Early 1984 two milestones were unfolded on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Europe was first with the launch of the 32bit multitasking/multiwindowing Sinclair QL. 12 days later America saw the launch of the 32bit GUI/multiwindowing Apple Macintosh. They both entered the field to compete with IBM''s PC. Even the Sinclair QL failed in the designated market with only about 150000 machines sold, it inspired many experts and influenced today''s products in one way or another. Most prominent example is Linux, where its creator Linus Torvalds was a QL crack back in the 80s and learned the basics about preemptive multitasking on the QL. To know more about all that, please follow the full 25th anniversary story. http://www.tinyurl.com/9ryma3 author date text Francisco Martín (Spain) Saturday 27th September 2008 There are new QL versions available today, have changed a lot (into a some format of mix between PC and Spectrum) but if you are a QL fan, you have to visit this link: http://www.q40.de/q40.dedownload.html This versions have been called "Q40", "Q60" and "Q80", and have also a nick "The Super QL''s" Greetings from Spain. author date text Ian Gillman (UK) Tuesday 8th March 2005 I used a Sinclair QL at university in 1994. I needed a cheap computer that I could use to type up my final year project and Dr Buist sold me a QL for £50. The QL he sold me had an external floppy drive that could read and write PC disks. Once I had typed up the project I could transfer it to a PC for formatting and final printing. I even taught myself 68K assembly language so that I could play with the internals of the machine. There was one chip (I think it was the I/O chip) that used nybbles (half of a byte) to communicate. 199 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230609174746/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=199 2023-06-09

The Sinclair QL 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.