Micro Men Page #5

invented by a blind Bulgarian bricklayer.

It's not funny.

The next computer has to do

everything theirs does, and more.

And it has to be half the price of theirs.

We start taking orders now.

If Chris Curry wants a battle - well, let's

show him what we've got up our sleeve.

High resolution graphics.

Up to a massive 48K of RAM.

Sound and full eight-colour capability.

All available from 125. I give you,

the Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

Well let's take a look at

a typical office of today,

and what are the first things you see, apart

from the man working in it?

It's the filing cabinets. Now, what's going to

happen to them, Mac?

Well, most of them are going to go, Chris,

along with invoices and bills, those are all going

to be sent through by the computer.

What about our old office friend,

the faithful typewriter?

Are we going to say goodbye to that as well?

So a secretary's job will really be enhanced,

as she's able to help her boss in understanding

the speed at which his business is changing

We've done 10 CLS? All right -

space, question mark -

Does that mean you're going to

do away with paper altogether?

Are the stationery doors finally going to close?

No, they're not. Because people really do still

like to read things on paper and not on screens-

Three... two...

- A lot of the time they are used for manipulating

data - characters, words and letters and so on.

And we can show you some of the instructions

on here.

You'll recognise that -

I'm beginning to recognise what looks like

the beginning of a program -

yes, a computer program.

Well the first one is probably new to you -

it's CLS, which is a very concise way

of saying 'clear screen'.

And that's a bit of your standard BASIC -

- that's right, yes -

- computer jargon. Well I think I -

Afternoon, Clive.

Just do it properly next time, all right.

Good lad.

Since the Department of Industry launched its

multi-million pound Micros In Schools scheme

with a great fanfare, there's now at least one in

every secondary school

and one in almost half the primaries.

Britain, it is said, is ahead of

anyone else in the world.

You can buy a pet, an apple, an acorn,

a tangerine - even a new brain.

In fact, computers suddenly seem

to be everywhere.

I'm sorry, did you say -

Million.

As you can see, we are experiencing growth

at an exponential rate.

I'd have to make a call.

Which college was it again?

In six years, Acorn, who make the

BBC Micro and Electron

has grown from a small company

to a multi-national

with a turnover of more than 90 million pounds.

I think you've been doing

computers for six months?

Yeah.

And you're completely fascinated by it?

My mum can't keep it under control.

Hello again. People in Britain are at

the forefront of the computer revolution

with titles like Manic Miner,

Hungry Horace and Chuckie Egg,

computer games have become the

latest craze to sweep the nation.

According to a survey today, British children

spend more time using computers

than anywhere else in the world.

Sinclair has sold hundreds of thousands

of its ZX Spectrum computers.

This is a small home computer.

If you press that button - R -

- it's a game of chess.

So what can the average user

actually do with a home computer?

An exciting variety of useful applications.

So not just games?

No, absolutely not.

What do you use your computer for?

Mainly games.

You know, we can't cope with this demand.

Then take on more people - boost production.

Can somebody get that phone?

We'll need a further cash injection to expand

at the rate we are growing.

Exactly - and I know how to get it.

A share issue.

What, we float the company?

Computers. Cutting edge technology.

The city will love us!

Come on! What can go wrong?

And then you just delete it by pressing

these two buttons here together.

So you press this button here -

And this button here - no, sorry, no,

this button -

yes, that's right, this button here -

and you see the thingy flashes on the screen

there, that's perfectly normal -

then all you need to do is press enter,

and it changes - colour. Changes colour.

What else can you do on it?

Me? I can change the border to another colour -

let's try blue.

Can you play games on it?

Yes! Yes you can. Hundreds of games

for the Spectrum.

Excuse me. Do you have any games

for the BBC Micro?

Yes, somewhere - yes we do.

Making the most of your

establishment connections, more like.

Oh yes - so respectable.

No games for the Micro.

Damn the BBC - and the government.

And all the rest of your lackeys!

People seem to forget that

this is just a fad. Nothing else!

All this nonsense about

computers replacing shopping.

Saving people a trip to the bank.

These things won't save the world!

It's nonsense - nonsense!

So that's the plan.

We pump the money from the share issue

into a pared-down version of the BBC Micro,

the Electron -

we drop the price - produce on a big scale -

and go head-to-head with Uncle Clive's Spectrum.

We go downmarket?

Look. The squeeze is on in this industry,

in case you didn't notice.

There's a rival machine launching every week -

we have to keep growing.

So there we have it, gentlemen - a new strategy.

Alongside an upgraded Spectrum,

we launch the Quantum Leap, or QL.

A new computer designed for use in the office.

With a proper keyboard, and functions

for business and education.

An upmarket computer.

A serious computer.

Do we need to change tack now, Clive?

I mean - the success of the Spectrum has been -

You've got a company valued at 136 million.

You're talking about making a

computer from scratch.

New hardware, new operating systems -

it will take years-

We're announcing in three months.

And anyway, this spec -

I mean, it's a backwards step for us.

We should be working on improving the hardware.

Look - computers are for the common man now.

Games. Entertainment.

That's where the money is.

WH Smiths are ready to order

one hundred and twenty thousand.

Peripherals like the Microdrive are selling well,

and really, logic suggests that we

expand into building our own software

for the Spectrum.

Exactly. I mean, the games market alone-

Games! Games!

Everywhere I go, games!

This is what my lifetime of achievement

has been reduced to.

Clive Sinclair, the man who brought you

Jet Set f***ing Willy!

My lad's up to level eight.

I mean, apparently there's even a game now

about me trying to get a knighthood,

for Christ's sake!

This is a serious company, dammit,

making serious technological advances.

Sorry to interrupt, but I really thought

you should see this.

Congratulations!

I've been -

given a knighthood!

The QL, or Quantum Leap, represents just that

in the home and business computer market.

With its brand new operating system

incorporating SuperBASIC

and innovative built-in Microdrive

data storage system,

and yet another revolutionary keyboard,

it really is sheer professional power

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