I have the main unit, power adapter, 16K ram module 1016 (CIB)
and original box (CIB).
type computer
country UK
year 1982
os ROM basic
cpu Zilog Z80A
speed 3.25 MHz
ram 2 KB
graphic 22 x 32 text
colors mono
sound none
ports expansion, RF, cassette
The Timex Sinclair 1000 — The $99 Computer
Released in July 1982 at $99.95 — the lowest price ever achieved by a complete personal computer at that time — the Timex Sinclair 1000 was the American market version of the Sinclair ZX81, produced under licence by Timex Corporation. The TS1000 was essentially identical to the ZX81 but with 2 KB of RAM (doubled from the ZX81’s 1 KB) and American power supply specifications. At $99 it was a genuine sensation, selling over 600,000 units in its first year and establishing the entry-level US home computer market alongside the Commodore VIC-20.
The $99 Price Revolution
The TS1000’s $99 price point was a landmark moment in American home computing. Before its release, the cheapest complete personal computers cost $200 or more — beyond the impulse purchase range for most families. At $99, the TS1000 was affordable enough that parents could buy it as an educational toy rather than a significant financial commitment. The machine appeared in toy stores and consumer electronics retailers across America, introducing computing to a mass audience that would never have visited a specialist computer shop.
Timex’s Manufacturing
Timex Corporation — the Swiss-American watch manufacturer — produced the TS1000 in its Portuguese factory, bringing watch-making precision and cost efficiency to computer manufacturing. The partnership between Sinclair Research and Timex was logical: both companies shared a philosophy of achieving the lowest possible price through innovative engineering and efficient manufacturing. The TS1000’s success led Timex to develop the Timex Sinclair 2068, an enhanced Spectrum-compatible machine, before the venture was terminated in 1984.