Sinclair 'MK14' ?

[ChrisOddy]

So what is the history behind Sinclair's naming of the MK14 ?

I was led to believe it was just referring to Microcomputer Kit but somebody has suggested that it could be short for Mark a commonly used British notation for numbering equipment especially within Government/MOD.

But then apparently a certain Chris Curry has stated that it was the Milton Keynes postcode of a chap he bought the prototype from ?

Chris

[kan_turk]

Microprocessor Kit - 14 components

J

[SiriusHardware]

It is generally held that the letters are pronounced "Memm Kay" rather than 'Mark' and the '14', as said, refers to the minimum number of ICs needed for the kit to run although it is possible to fit a further three ICs.

The MK14 'concept' machine was made by Ian Williamson and was for a time on display with an MK14 at the Centre For Computing History (Cambridge). It isn't actually the same as the MK14 kit which eventually became available because when Science OF Cambridge approached National Semiconductor for parts they offered to supply the complete kit, not just the parts - so in the end Williamson's original design was not used, but it was his machine which persuaded Clive that there was something to the idea of marketing a 'computer' kit aimed at electronics enthusiasts, and without it the MK14 and its successors the ZX80, ZX81, Spectrum and QL probably would not have happened.

[SiriusHardware]

"Memm Kay"

Duh, sorry "Emmm Kay". Caught by the edit-timeout-of-doom again.

[SiriusHardware]

I should also have mentioned that although Chris Curry worked for Science Of Cambridge at the time of the MK14's creation and production, he of course then left to form Acorn to do the same thing although arguably much better - so it could be said that the Acorn System 1 and all of its Acorn descendants and even ultimately RISC and even ARM also trace their existence back to the MK14.

[ortek_service]

Well Timbucus stated in his book on the Bywood SCRUMPI
- as linked to on recent mention on this post: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...&postcount=124

Or direct link to it here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vnp...ew?usp=sharing

That it stood for Microcomputer Kit, and the 14 was the minimum no. of IC's it needed to run / kit was supplied with?
- So excluded the 8154 and two of four in total RAM IC's

I believe I mentioned it to Chris / printed him a copy of that book, as it was the first time I recalled seeing an explanation behind this model name.

Although I was a bit too young at the time it was first launched - as with the Acorn System range - only encountering their ZX81 first.
And I only started getting Everyday Electronics + Hobby Electronics magazine every month since first buying it from May 1980, with those not having as much in the way computer projects or adverts as PE, ETI, Elektor & WW etc.

[Phil__G]

From the horse's mouth:

https://youtu.be/KrTmvqwpZF8?si=4jIdyclJYqyX6LUF&t=1488

[Timbucus]

Originally Posted by Phil__G

From the horse's mouth:

https://youtu.be/KrTmvqwpZF8?si=4jIdyclJYqyX6LUF&t=1488

Yea that was my source of the 'fact' well worth a watch for any fans.

And of course the Acorn System 1 used the same design PROM chips and an MK14 and its PROM programmer were used to create them!

[SiriusHardware]

I notice he quotes a figure of 90,000 sold, that is rather higher than the (variously) 15,000 to 50,000 that I frequently see stated elsewhere, but if anyone would know the true figure it would be Mr. Curry - unfortunately Sir Clive is no longer around to ask.

Something I don't think I've ever mentioned before, when my MK14 kit arrived (after the obligatory half year wait) I built it and... it didn't work! Although I was in my teens I was already an experienced electronics hobbyist and it was rare for anything I made to -not- work so that was a crushing disappointment.

At the time, SOC offered a service to get non-workers going so I sent it back and it came back very quickly, fixed, free of charge, with the 'fault found' description given as 'incomplete etching', in other words a copper short between PCB tracks - so I was relieved to find that it had not been my fault that it did not work.

I've often wondered, though, who fixed it for me...?

[Timbucus]

Ah I was the same with my ZX81 kit - again I had built a lot so was surprised when it didn't work. On its return several weeks later it had a broken wire and another fault I can't remember (probably broken in transit) - but their description was Faulty CPU so again it wasn't my fault!

[ortek_service]

I seem to recall that quite a few MK14's were advertised for sale not long after people got them - Mainly as people probably didn't really know what to do with them / were a bit disappointed that it didn't do too much with quite a bit of self-learning back then (With no videos, little in the way of computer programming - especially SC/MP assembly, and no tape interface / software you could obtain to load into it to start with).

But not sure if people being rather keen to get one would have led to that many being sold - although Sinclair (and so SoC) were always famed for underestimating demand and having long waits beyond the promised '28days' delivery. So got a bit of a reputation for taking the money. before being able to get enough produced.

Or whether so many nearly-new ones being available (and with no wait!), led to a dent in sales of new ones And it wasn't too long before the ZX80/81 probably killed-off sales of MK14's (If SoC didn't pull the plug on these straight away). Whereas it seem with Acorn System, that these carried on being produced for a while - Maybe by Control Universal, who took on producing these (for industry automation etc?)

The ZX80 is generally much more famous outside these groups, even though there were that many of those sold (compared to 1.5m ZX81's and 3.5m Spectrums - excluding all the unofficial clones, as Sinclair weren't really geared-up to sell internationally themselves - With special enhanced Timex-produced versions for the USA)