Media File: 1982
Sinclair in the News

Fortune
December 27, 1982

Products of the Year; The Smallest Computers

By JEREMY MAIN with ROSALIND KLEIN BERLIN

Just as 1981 was the year of the home video game, so 1982 may go down as the year of the personal computer. Sales rocketed from 850,000 in 1981 to an estimated 3.1 million. Much of that gain was achieved by a single model, the Timex Sinclair 1000, the first computer listed for less than $100. By the end of the year Timex expects to have sold 600,000. Developed by British inventor Clive Sinclair, the Timex Sinclair is a good computer for the beginner because it is simple and comes with a very understandable manual. The $99.95 machine, which sells discounted at $75, has restricted uses. The owner needs a TV set to get displays and a tape recorder to load programs.But its minuscule memory can be improved with a 16K expander ($49.95, shown attached to the rear of the computer), and the Timex can even be equipped with such accessories as a small printer ($99.95).