The QL was supplied complete with a suite put together by PSION comprising of a fully functional wordprocessor,spreadsheet, database and a business graphics programs (barcharts, pie charts etc).

The concept of the QL is to plug in and go. The only extra required to get started is a standard TV and 10-15 minutes time(i.e. to start typing a letter).

There is a host of additional peripherals available for the QL including printers, disk drives, monitors, interfaces and specialist hardware and software.

The QL is based on the famous Motorola 68008 microprocessor,and the basic machine has 128K of RAM expandable by 768K using expansion cards without another CPU on it, a ROM expansion portis provided. Two microdrive units are built in for input and files. An expansion connector allows up to six further microdrive units to be added if desired. Other facilities are:two RS232 ports, a network port, two joystick ports, and a built-in speaker. The 'QL' is capable of multi-tasking and can utilise disc systems. It provides 255 possible colour effects. Sound, though of fixed volume, is controlable for duration,pitch, oscillation between pitches, variable 'bounce' rates, and distortion.

The small size and lightness of the 'QL' and the facility to display on 'TV' or 'Monitor' aided by the built-in microdrives makes it portable between office and home.

Although out of production now for some years it was ahead of its time, and is still up-to-date in most respects, and in use in the USA and many other countries. It is very versatile and the basis for even more sophisticated versions which are still being produced by independent designers. It was intended for use by small businesses, students, and hobbyists, and was remarkable value for money from the outset. Today there are many businesses still buying QL's rather than spend thousands on more elaborate systems.

From Planet Sinclair