The Timex Computer 2048 or TC 2048 is a 1984 computer developed by Timex Portugal (the Portuguese branch of

Timex Corporation Timex Group USA, Inc. (formerly known as Timex Corporation) is an American global watch manufacturing company founded in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company in Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1944, the company became insolvent but was reformed into ...

), at the time part of Timex Sinclair. It was based on the Timex Sinclair 2048 prototype (see below), with a similar redesign case,

composite video Composite video is an analog video signal format that carries standard-definition video (typically at 525 lines or 625 lines) as a single channel. Video information is encoded on one channel, unlike the higher-quality S-Video (two channels) a ...

output,

Kempston joystick Kempston Micro Electronics was an electronics company based in Kempston, Bedfordshire, England specialising in computer joysticks and related home computer peripherals during the 1980s. The Kempston Interface, a peripheral which allowed a joys ...

interface, and additional video modes, while being highly compatible with the

Sinclair Sinclair may refer to: Places * Lake Sinclair, near Milledgeville, Georgia * Sinclair, Iowa * Sinclair, West Virginia * Sinclair, Wyoming * Sinclair Mills, British Columbia * Sinclair Township, Minnesota * Sinclair, Manitoba People * Sin ...

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

computer (although

ROM Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * R ...

differences prevented 100% compatibility). After connecting an external disk drive,

Timex FDD3000 The Timex FDD 3000 in 1982 was a nearly complete computer by Timex of Portugal. It began its development at Timex Computer Corporation in the U.S., but it was at Timex of Portugal that the work was finished. The Timex FDD 3000 is an upgraded ...

, the computer could work under TOS - Timex Operating System or

CP/M CP/M, originally standing for Control Program/Monitor and later Control Program for Microcomputers, is a mass-market operating system created in 1974 for Intel 8080/ 85-based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. Initial ...

. As Timex Portugal sold the Timex Sinclair models in Portugal and Poland under the Timex Computer brand, this computer is named "Timex Computer 2048", even though the "Timex Sinclair 2048" was never produced.

Timex Sinclair 2048 (prototype)

The Timex Sinclair 2048 was not released by Timex Sinclair because of the failure of the T/S 1500. According to an early Timex Sinclair 2000 computer flyer, it would be a cut-down

Timex Sinclair 2068 The Timex Sinclair 2068 (T/S 2068), released in November 1983, was Timex Sinclair's third and last home computer for the United States market. It was also marketed in Canada, Argentina, Portugal and Poland, as Timex Computer 2068 (TC 2068). Hi ...

with 16 KB of RAM. It had an added Kempston-compatible joystick interface and a monochrome high resolution mode for 80 column text.

History

In contrast with the ZX Spectrum, which was the best-selling computer in Britain at the time, the T/S 2068 and T/S 1500 were considered failures. Timex Corporation withdrew from the U.S. home computer market in February 1984. Timex Portugal continued to manufacture and sell the TC 2048 in Portugal and Poland, where it was very successful, selling more than 10000 units. Also, a

NTSC The first American standard for analog television broadcast was developed by National Television System Committee (NTSC)National Television System Committee (1951–1953), Report and Reports of Panel No. 11, 11-A, 12–19, with Some supplement ...

version was sold in Chile. TC 2048 started to be sold in Poland in 1986, with 5000 units available at the "Central Scouting Store" for a price of PLZ 106,000. It was the equivalent of 4 average salaries (24,095 PLZ), and slightly higher than a ZX Spectrum (PLZ 70,000-80,000). Peripherals where also made available at the time of release: Production of the computer ended in 1989.

Further developments

This computer forms the basis of a proposal for an improved Spectrum-compatible machine, the ZX Spectrum SE. Based on the Timex TC 2048 and the ZX Spectrum 128, with Timex graphic modes and 280K RAM, it was proposed by Andrew Owen and Jarek Adamski in 2000. A prototype was created and this configuration is supported by different emulators. Two modifications of the TC 2048 exist: the TC 2128 (by STAVI) and the TC 2144 (by Jarek Adamski). Both extend the RAM to 128K and upgrade the ULA to use four screen areas.

Technical specifications

CPU A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor or just processor, is the electronic circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program. The CPU performs basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, and ...

*Zilog Z80A @ 3.50 MHz

* 16 KB RAM * 48 KB Display * Timex SCLD chip instead of the Spectrum's ULA, offering additional Extended Color, Dual Screen and High Resolution screen modes: ** Text: 32×24 characters (8×8 pixels, rendered in graphics mode) ** Graphics: 256×192 pixels, 15 colours (two simultaneous colours - "attributes" - per 8×8 pixels, causing attribute clash) ** Extended Color: 256×192 pixels, 15 colors with colour resolution of 32×192 (two simultaneous colours - "attributes" - per 1×8 pixels) ** Dual Screen: (two 256×192 pixels screens can be placed in memory) ** High Resolution: 512×192 mode with 2 colours (Four palettes: Black & White, Blue & Yellow, Red & Cyan, Magenta & Green). Sound * Beeper (1 channel, 10 octaves and 10+ semitones via internal speaker) y separate purchase the Joystick/Sound Unit was available to enhance sound and provide a joystick port.I/O *Z80 bus in/out *Line audio in/out for external cassette tape storage * RF television out *

Composite video Composite video is an analog video signal format that carries standard-definition video (typically at 525 lines or 625 lines) as a single channel. Video information is encoded on one channel, unlike the higher-quality S-Video (two channels) a ...

monitor out *

Kempston Joystick Kempston Micro Electronics was an electronics company based in Kempston, Bedfordshire, England specialising in computer joysticks and related home computer peripherals during the 1980s. The Kempston Interface, a peripheral which allowed a joys ...

input Storage *External cassette tape recorder *1–8 external

ZX Microdrive ZX Microdrive unit The ZX Microdrive is a magnetic-tape data storage system launched in July 1983 by Sinclair Research for its ZX Spectrum home computer. It was proposed as a faster-loading alternative to the cassette and cheaper than a floppy ...

s (using

ZX Interface 1 ZX may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Kamen Rider ZX (pronounced "Zed-Cross"), the tenth fictional superhero in the "Kamen Rider" franchise * ''Mega Man ZX'', a video game for the Nintendo DS * ''ZX Tunes'', remastered soundtracks of the "Meg ...

) *

Timex FDD The Timex FDD 3000 in 1982 was a nearly complete computer by Timex of Portugal. It began its development at Timex Computer Corporation in the U.S., but it was at Timex of Portugal that the work was finished. The Timex FDD 3000 is an upgraded ...

(Floppy Disk Drive System Power Supply, Controller and Disk Drive in separate cases. 16K RAM, Timex Operating System (TOS)) *

(Enhanced version (all in one case) of the Timex FDD but upgraded to 64K RAM & TOS with two Hitachi 3″ disk drives)

References

External links