did sir clive copy the bbc micro with the ql to get back at acorn with a better 16 bit machine?

[ed77]

8 colours, like the bbc? for example. and 2 similar graphics modes, hi res 4 color and low res 8 color? maybe its just a coincidence.

[tofro]

Unlikely. Very.

The QL was initially planned to support 16 colours in MODE 8 - just like the Spectrum. The 8 colours we have today were a sort of a mishap as they ran out of pins on the ULA. 4 - and (initially 16, then 8) colours and the 512/256 x 256 resolution are just about the ususal working compromise on what you can get out of 32kBytes of video memory. (The Atari ST, for example, is pretty similar in having 320 x 200 in 16 or 640 x 200 in 4 colours - you could just as well call it a "copy" of either the BBC or the QL)

The QL was considered (at least by Sinclair) not playing in the same league as the BBC - but the one above. Much more modern CPU, incorporating "modern mass storage" and aimed at the business segment rather than educational.

[1024MAK]

Acorn’s efforts to get their machines into the business market were a flop. See here.

And Clive knew that trying to get the QL into the educational market would be hard.

In the end of course, the QL was not very successful in the business market either.

I would not consider the QL to be particularly similar to a BBC Microcomputer. You can see the available video modes here (0 to 7, the higher numbered modes are only available on the Archimedes and later machines).

There are just as many differences as similarities.

The QL was supposed to be a cheap but more modern solution compared to a Z80 or 8080 CP/M machine. Sinclair launched the QL before Apple launched their new offering...

Mark