Sinclair QL Home Computer Wiki

The Sinclair QL Home Computer was released in 1984 - the successor to the earlier Sinclair computers, the ZX80, ZX81 and ZX Spectrum.

The QL was launched as a business machine, complete with two built in microdrives, 128K, full sized keyboard and 4 Psion business programs (Quill - Wordprocessor, Archive - Database program, Easel - Business Graphics and Charts, Abacus - Spreadsheet) and a powerful SuperBASIC.

Alas the early QLs suffered from unreliable v1 Psion software, unreliable microdrives and a third of the ROM being present on a "dongle" in the back of the QL. This lead to quite a lot of bad press unfortunately.

However, an updated version of the QL and Psion software was soon released, and the QL has remained popular amongst a hardcore of users, with 2 replacement operating systems (Smsq/e and Minerva), numerous emulators and even 16 bit colour drivers.

A wide range of business and games software has been released over the years, and the QL is still supported by some traders, a user group (Quanta) and even a bi-monthly magazine (QL Today). There is also a popular emailing forum for discussion of all things QL related.

Links to QL Topics

History .... How the Sinclair QL has changed over the years
Platforms ... The various computers and emulators which can run QL Software
Hardware ... The expansion cards which have been created over the years to provide additonal facilities
Operating Systems ... The operating system is the heart of the Sinclair QL - this is a guide to the different versions produced
Software ... The numerous software titles which have been written to exploit the QL's hardware
Traders and Personalities .. Who's who within the QL community and where to find support
CD-ROMs ... A wealth of information and programs.
Links ... Links to other websites related to the Sinclair QL