What does...make QL...the QL?

[Outsoft]

His perfect line...

his wonderful Superbasic/Qdos...

his Multitask....

the Microdrive....

his concept of "open" system...

his programmers..

his price...

his community...

What?

[Dave]

First home computer with device independence.

[kordics]

For me it is the combination of Super Basic, QDOS and QL's design. I have to mention that I regard multitasking & open system concept as integral parts of the QDOS. Last, but not least, no IT platform would exist for more than 30 years without its programmers and community. So the answer to the question "What does...make QL...the QL?" for me is the complete Simone's list!

[Whopper]

For me it is the combination of Super Basic, QDOS and QL's design. I have to mention that I regard multitasking & open system concept as integral parts of the QDOS. Last, but not least, no IT platform would exist for more than 30 years without its programmers and community. So the answer to the question "What does...make QL...the QL?" for me is the complete Simone's list!

Wot Kordics said

[dilwyn]

For me, these were the main points:

• Multitasking operating system
  SuperBASIC language, easy to program
  Devide independence
  Quirkiness (yes, I see that as a positive feature and not just because it's a word starting with Q!)
  (Relatively) open system
  Keyboard and computer in one neat box
  It was a "Sinclair"

What I always hated about the QL was:

• Microdrives - should have had a disk drive from launch and cartridges way too expensive at launch
  Launched too early and not ready - allowed the press to effectively kill it dead at launch.
  Only 128K memory, even then it wasn't enough.
  Non-standard connectors for serial/joystick

[kordics]

Microdrives were not the best solution (although I have never had a bad experience with them in '80s) we all agree! But, we must credit to them beautiful design of the QL. With 2 floppy drives QL's elegance would be put in serious danger... I can never forget first impression of QL with only 2 cables attached! Prior to QL home computers looked like power stations...

For me the thing I didn't like the most about QL was/is MC68008 as the main processor instead of MC68000. Just imagine how much processing power would QL have if Sinclair decided to put MC68000 in it? That decision was corrected later with the Gold Card.

[dilwyn]

Microdrives were not the best solution (although I have never had a bad experience with them in '80s) we all agree! But, we must credit to them beautiful design of the QL. With 2 floppy drives QL's elegance would be put in serious danger... I can never forget first impression of QL with only 2 cables attached! Prior to QL home computers looked like power stations...

For me the thing I didn't like the most about QL was/is MC68008 as the main processor instead of MC68000. Just imagine how much processing power would QL have if Sinclair decided to put MC68000 in it? That decision was corrected later with the Gold Card.

I liked the microdrives when I had a ZX Spectrum, but both QLs I had in the 1980s struggled with the microdrive reliability.

I agree about 68008.

Back in the 1990s or early 2000s at a Quanta meeting somewhere I saw a QL which had both microdrives removed and a single 3.5inch floppy drive added in their place with a small modification to the case and IIRC an external PSU for the floppy drive. Imagine if the QL had been launched with 68000, that single floppy drive built in plus finished operating system and software!

Dream on Dilwyn...

[XorA]

QL, the ultimate designed by committee British innovation

[dilwyn]

QL, the ultimate designed by committee British innovation

Ha ha

[Pr0f]

Plus points for me:

It was Black
It was a Sinclair
It had well presented manuals
Once TK2 arrived, you could so some wacky stuff over that network!
It came with some half descent packages to work straight away
It was built with expansion in mind