New Zealand Vintage Computer Forums

(Just shifted this to a separate posting - Tezza (Admin))

Not sure I should introduce myself as I do not actually live in NZ! I live in Melbourne but originally come from the UK.I was a kid when the home computer boom occured in the early 80's. My first machine was a ZX81 and then a ZX Spectrum followed by the Sinclair QL. My parents were convinced that computers were the future and so their boys had better learn all about them. Guess it worked, because I became a software developer and my older brother a database consultant working for Oracle. I started collecting Sinclair machines a few years ago because of the good memories I have from my childhood. I recently managed to buy an item high on my wish list. A fully working ICL One Per Desk. It is currently in the UK with the seller but as luck would have it I leave for a 6 weeks holiday in the UK very soon and so I can pick it up in person. I then need to organize it to be shipped back to Oz along with other items I have still in the UK. Fingers crossed the delicate machines survive the weeks on being shipped.

NotCliveSinclair

NotCliveSinclair wrote:I started collecting Sinclair machines a few years ago because of the good memories I have from my childhood.

My primary interest is Sinclair as well, for much the same reason. I will duel to the death for a MK14 so be careful what you bid on

NotCliveSinclair wrote:I recently managed to buy an item high on my wish list. A fully working ICL One Per Desk. It is currently in the UK with the seller but as luck would have it I leave for a 6 weeks holiday in the UK very soon and so I can pick it up in person. I then need to organize it to be shipped back to Oz along with other items I have still in the UK. Fingers crossed the delicate machines survive the weeks on being shipped.

I recently shipped a box of stuff - specifically an Oric-1 and a Dragon 32 - from the UK and it cost a pretty penny. If you're bringing back a bulk shipment it will hopefully be a bit cheaper.

Good luck with the shipping. Bring me back a Jupiter Ace

Ahh...Jupiter Ace.

That's one of the few left on my list. Imagine the bidding war if ever one of THOSE appears on Trade Me

tezza wrote:Ahh...Jupiter Ace.

That's one of the few left on my list. Imagine the bidding war if ever one of THOSE appears on Trade Me

There was a guy in Christchurch who listed one on eBay a few weeks ago. It sold for several hundred pounds.

Yes, he sent me a link to the auction when he put it on. I just couldn't afford the going rate unfortunately.

Nor I.

I too have a few Sinclair machines. 2 x ZX80's, 3 x ZX81, 2 spectrums 48k, Spectrum +, QL.

The ZX81 was my first ever machine and I love it. Here is my main ZX81 now:

http://web.mac.com/lord_philip/sinclair ... _ZX81.html
(I need to mount it all in a proper enclosure)

...It has a ZX1541 and SD card interface that I built, and I store most of my favorite programs and games on this.
As ZX81 basic is the only basic I know inside and out, I also wrote a game called Chopperdrop 3000 which I then compiled to Machine Code using Mcoder2. You can download from here:

http://web.mac.com/lord_philip/sinclair ... _3000.html

I even once won ('buy it now') an ebay auction for MK14 for super cheap (30 UK pounds), but the seller backed out of the deal once he realized what he had. I guess he got a lot of email on it. Sucks!

Phil

Please excuse my curiosity guys, but was the MK14 marketed in New Zealand then? My first machine was a MK14, and after a month of complete bafflement, I suddenly "got" machine code, and away I went. It launched a career in tech for me, and, from what I hear through my MK14 website, a lot of other people too.

I'm trying to piece together a history of this amazing machine, and wonder if you could help? Apart from the UK, it was marketed in France somewhat, and one or two machines made it to Germany, but I'm not aware of it being promoted anywhere else.

I see the Jupiter Ace got mentioned. I never had one of these, but I was always intrigued by FORTH. There's a build your own version on the web, which I'd like to try sometime. For the MK14, there's a PIC based hardware emulator from Karen Orton, I'm working on an AVR one, or there is a DOS based emulator.

How did the home computing market get started in NZ? Anywhere that would be a good starting point to go read about this?

Sorry if any of this is too off-topic - my first post here, and as a Brit I hope you'll excuse any ignorance on my part about correct etiquette.

mk14man

Hi Colin,

I just took a wander through your website at http://www.mymk14.co.uk. Wonderful stuff and congratulations! I wish I had the skills for a rebuild like that. I loved the Technology Value/Worth curve.

I'd never heard of the Mk14 and don't know if it was ever sold in New Zealand. Some others on this board (Andrew?) know more about the Sinclair heritage than I do though, and might shed some more light.

New Zealand's personal computer revolution saw influences from both the USA and Britain. Things changed quickly from year to year but in the early 80s, the Commodore Vic-20, 64, Sinclair ZX81 and spectrum were all successful in the home market. Tandy (hence TRS-80s) never had much of the presence here. Apple IIs were around but were very expensive as was the BBC. The Dick Smith System 80 filled an affordable niche for hobbyists from about 1981 to 1982, just before home computers really got going. Although there were exceptions (using Apple II's, Disk-based DS System 80s (Video Genies to you) and American 8-bit CP/M machines), most businesses didn't really get going with computers until a little later, and by that time the IBM-PC/XT (and more significantly Asian clones) had dominance.

If you really do want to read up about the market in New Zealand a good place to start would be New Zealand Bits and Bytes. It only starts late 1982 though. In my opinion, the home market in NZ didn't really start until the ZX-81 (1981?) and Commodore Vic-20 (1982?) were introduced here. The latter in particular was aimed squarely at the home and the ZX-81 was affordable. You might also be interested in this article on my blog site.

Thanks for dropping in and joining up.