At 14:18 09/03/2003, you wrote:
>On Sun, 9 Mar 2003, Dave Brown wrote:
>
> > Maybe-maybe not. That 'UK spec' bit is what I'm curious about. Do you know
> > what details will be different in other versions (but this would only be an
> > EPROM change wouldn't it?) --as in that for use in NZ?
> > I have a number of these things -both complete and working, as well as
> > partly ratted for spares (including some telephony modules)- they were
> > called 'computerphones' down here. About the only useful function they had
> > was the phone directory/dialler which was a winner. They were just a year
> > or so too late to ever really catch on in the face of competition from Macs
> > and pcs for any serious desktop computer functionality.
>
>Are these actual computers or just dumb terminals with a telephone
>built-in?
Your question is already answered, but what the heck...
The ICL OPD (One-Per-Desk) and Merlin Tonto (identical machines internally)
were a derivative of the Sinclair QL, featuring the addition of a telephone
handset, better keyboard, slightly improved microdrives (sufficiently
improved that they are, apparently, incompatible with QL mdvs; something
I've not checked yet), and a much bigger ROM. That ROM contains a telephone
directory, and a few other utilities to boot. Add-on ROMs included
messaging (I'm unsure as to what that is yet, although mine has it), Psion
Xchange (Quill word processor, Easel graphics - well, graphs, Archive
database and Abacus spreadsheet). Xchange also featured on the CST Thor[1],
and was also ported to the PC, IIRC. The QL suffered along with the
original separate packages until its demise.
My OPD also has a 3rd-party addon disk interface (which plugs into the ROM
pack), which is rather nifty, and a lot more reliable (and faster) than
microdrives. The machine itself, however, is quite painfully slow. I'm not
entirely sure what they did to it to make it that slow; the QL seems to
trot along much more quickly. Maybe ICL just didn't write decent software...
[1] BTW, does anyone have a CST Thor (especially if you're willing to part
with it). Any make/model considered, working or not. I'll even pay cash[2]
for it. I'd /love/ to get my hands on one!
[2] What's more, I'll even pay more than 75p[3] & a packet of Rolos!
[3] or 85p, counting inflation.
--
Cheers, Ade.
Be where it's at, B-Racing!
http://b-racing.com
Received on Sun Mar 09 2003 - 19:04:01 GMT