Editing Timex Sinclair 2068 (section)

==History==

Following Timex's [[Sinclair ZX81|ZX81]]-based [[Timex Sinclair 1000|T/S 1000]] and [[Timex Sinclair 1500|T/S 1500]], a new series of [[ZX Spectrum]]-based machines was created. Initially named T/S 2000 (as reflected on the user manual<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/TimexSinclair2068Manuals/TS2068-Manual/page/i/mode/2up |title=Timex Sinclair 2068 PERSONAL COLOR COMPUTER USER MANUAL |publisher=Timex Computer Corporation |year=1983}}</ref>), the machine evolved into the T/S 2048 prototype, and was eventually released as T/S 2068, with the name chosen mainly for marketing reasons.

Advertisements described the T/S 2068 as offering 72K of memory, color, and sound for a price under $200.<ref name="byte198312">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-12/1983_12_BYTE_08-12_Easy_Software#page/n281/mode/2up | title=Now from Timex...a powerful new computer. | work=BYTE | date=December 1983 | accessdate=20 October 2013 | author=Advertisement | pages=281}}</ref> Like the T/S 1500 was announced as a 40K memory machine (16K [[Random-access memory|RAM]] + 24K [[Read-only memory|ROM]]), so the 2068 was announced as a 72K machine (48K RAM + 24K ROM).

Although Timex Computer Corporation folded in February 1984, the independent Portuguese division continued to sell the machine in Portugal as the Timex Computer 2068, and Poland until 1989, as the [[Komputer 2086|Unipolbrit Komputer 2086]]. Although the Portuguese-made TC 2068 was also sold in Poland, only the Komputer 2086 was actually made there.

Timex of Portugal sold 2 versions of TC 2068: the silver TC 2068 version came with a ZX Spectrum emulator [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]] and a black TC 2068 version sold with TimeWord word processing cartridge plus the Timex RS232 <!-- should this really be capitalized?  Was "Interface" really part of the name? --> Interface to use TimeWord with a [[RS232]] printer. Strangely the black version came with a silver keyboard template with TimeWord commands to be used with the program. It can be removed because it is not glued to the black keyboard template.<ref name="homecomputerde" />

Although the T/S 2068's main improvements over the original Spectrum were in areas that had come in for widespread criticism (graphics, sound, keyboard and—to a lesser extent—the lack of joystick ports and cartridge support), it was not used as the basis for the Spectrum's successors. The ZX Spectrum+ (1984) changed the keyboard only, and even the ZX Spectrum+ 128K (announced in May 1985, but not released in the UK until February 1986) retained the original machine's graphical capabilities. However, unlike the UK models, the T/S 2068 was not burdened by the requirement of compatibility with previous models.