Search found 14 matches

by sdmicro
Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:53 pm
Forum: General QL Chat
Topic: Sinclair User
Replies: 5
Views: 3350

Re: Sinclair User

That's right, there was a QL column in ZX Computing by Brian Beckett and sometimes by another chap. It was generally a bit downbeat about the QL's future as I recall.

Computing Today totally passed me by.
by sdmicro
Wed Feb 08, 2017 1:42 pm
Forum: General QL Chat
Topic: QL Software Royalties
Replies: 4
Views: 2890

Re: QL Software Royalties

I can say from personal experience that trying to make any money at all, let alone a living, out of selling QL software from adverts in QL World was almost impossible for a small supplier. If you look at the ads issue by issue you will see how few were repeated after a short run. That is a sure sign...
by sdmicro
Wed Feb 08, 2017 12:18 pm
Forum: General QL Chat
Topic: Sinclair User
Replies: 5
Views: 3350

Sinclair User

I've been looking at QL coverage in vintage magazines other than QL User/World. Sinclair User for example dumped the QL virtually within the space of one issue in 1986. Up until then it featured quite a lot of news and reviews on the machine but obviously decided, rather rapidly, that it was of no f...
by sdmicro
Wed Nov 30, 2016 1:33 pm
Forum: Software & Programming
Topic: QL CP/M
Replies: 52
Views: 26711

Re: QL CP/M

Hi Derek, Are the QLTR issues you have scanned been uploaded anywhere? Michael was a good writer and never got too technical. He reviewed a whole batch of accounting software including my own. I also used to like Brian Davies in QLW. His Trouble Shooter column was fair and pulled no punches. He was ...
by sdmicro
Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:34 pm
Forum: Software & Programming
Topic: QL CP/M
Replies: 52
Views: 26711

Re: QL CP/M

There was a review of Quest's CP/M in an issue of QL Technical Review. The author was Michael Jackson (not that one) who wrote quite a lot of stuff for that publication. He purchased the system very cheaply in the old Micro Mart magazine and his conclusion seemed to be that it was not that useful. I...
by sdmicro
Thu Mar 05, 2015 10:08 am
Forum: General QL Chat
Topic: Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.
Replies: 7
Views: 5115

Re: Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.

I think all of the problems you mention, the launch, the delays, the microdrives, the problems adding monitors and printers, were symptoms rather than the underlying cause of the QL's (relative) failure. The real problem was that Sinclair never understood that you can't treat the business market li...
by sdmicro
Wed Mar 04, 2015 8:29 pm
Forum: General QL Chat
Topic: Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.
Replies: 7
Views: 5115

Re: Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.

The open university study for the QL, is a good reference about the QL failure. Too many truths in this text. ;) For anyone else who is interested (apart from me) the link to this report in pdf form is here> http://www.cowo.ch/downloads/SinclairQL_microcomputer_case_study_OpenUniversity_1986_T362_B...
by sdmicro
Wed Mar 04, 2015 5:11 pm
Forum: General QL Chat
Topic: Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.
Replies: 7
Views: 5115

Re: Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.

1024MAK wrote:@ sdmicro - did you ever see the university study into Sinclair's (after launch) market survey for the QL?
I think a link to it is somewhere on this forum.

Mark
No, I haven't read that piece but will certainly look for it, should be very interesting.

Steve.
by sdmicro
Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:07 pm
Forum: General QL Chat
Topic: Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.
Replies: 7
Views: 5115

Why Did The QL Fail In Business? A Reminiscence.

Why Did The QL Fail In Business? On paper, the QL looked great. Nice, sleek black professional styling, twin “fast-access” data drives built-in and four main applications included in the price. Add a powerful programming language modestly named “SuperBasic”. What could possibly go wrong? Well, we al...
by sdmicro
Tue Mar 03, 2015 5:00 pm
Forum: Software & Programming
Topic: QL Commercial Software Preservation
Replies: 161
Views: 69448

Re: QL Commercial Software Preservation

I keep meaning to buy CP/M for my plus +3 but I've not got round to it yet. Welcome to the forum! :) Thanks very much. I've been meaning to post in the forum for some time. Do you have a real +3 or the emulator? if the latter I can email you the disc image, don't worry about the fiver! The +3 was a...