1987
Cambridge Z88 unveiled
Cambridge Computer unveils the Z88 at the Which Computer? Show in London. The lightweight portable computer was the first machine produced by Clive Sinclair's new Cambridge Computer company following the sale of Sinclair Research's computer business and the Sinclair name to Amstrad.
The Z88 was the culmination of Clive Sinclair's long-running ambition to produce a genuinely portable computer. Its development had evolved from the earlier Pandora project at Sinclair Research. Instead of attempting to make a conventional desktop computer smaller, the Z88 was designed from the outset as a lightweight, battery-powered machine that could be carried and used almost anywhere.
Built around a low-power CMOS Z80A processor, the Z88 featured a large A4-sized case, a full-size membrane keyboard and a 640 × 64-pixel liquid-crystal display. It included 32K of built-in RAM, 128K of ROM and three slots for plug-in memory cartridges. The operating system, OZ, supported multiple applications, while built-in software included PipeDream, combining word processing, spreadsheet and database functions, along with BBC BASIC.
The Z88 continued several characteristics associated with Sinclair's earlier computers, including compact design, low power consumption and an emphasis on keeping the price relatively low. Powered by four AA batteries and weighing around 900 grams, it was one of the most portable general-purpose computers available at the time.
Although the Z88 was announced in February, its route to the market was gradual. Initial machines were supplied by mail order, with wider retail availability following later in 1987. The computer was subsequently promoted at the Personal Computer World Show and became the first and only computer produced by Cambridge Computer.
The Z88 was the culmination of Clive Sinclair's long-running ambition to produce a genuinely portable computer. Its development had evolved from the earlier Pandora project at Sinclair Research. Instead of attempting to make a conventional desktop computer smaller, the Z88 was designed from the outset as a lightweight, battery-powered machine that could be carried and used almost anywhere.
Built around a low-power CMOS Z80A processor, the Z88 featured a large A4-sized case, a full-size membrane keyboard and a 640 × 64-pixel liquid-crystal display. It included 32K of built-in RAM, 128K of ROM and three slots for plug-in memory cartridges. The operating system, OZ, supported multiple applications, while built-in software included PipeDream, combining word processing, spreadsheet and database functions, along with BBC BASIC.
The Z88 continued several characteristics associated with Sinclair's earlier computers, including compact design, low power consumption and an emphasis on keeping the price relatively low. Powered by four AA batteries and weighing around 900 grams, it was one of the most portable general-purpose computers available at the time.
Although the Z88 was announced in February, its route to the market was gradual. Initial machines were supplied by mail order, with wider retail availability following later in 1987. The computer was subsequently promoted at the Personal Computer World Show and became the first and only computer produced by Cambridge Computer.
