2 ms·

Timex Sinclair was a joint venture to market the ZX81 in the US. I don't remember Timex ever being used in the UK at the time? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T

• unfocussed_mike 5y ago
  > I don't remember Timex ever being used in the UK at the time? No, indeed it wasn't -- perhaps my initial comment wasn't clear. (Some of that might be the latent British rage of the overlooked) I've amended a bit. (In fact I doubt the Timex Sinclair devices even worked here, and vice versa, hence the need for a manufacturing deal that dealt with needing NTSC and 60hz power etc.)
  • scoot 5y ago
    NTSC just needed a different modulator; and the ZX81 used a simple transformer/bridge rectifier/smoothing capacitor brick to convert to 9v DC, with a regulator in the computer to convert down to 5v, so 60Hz wouldn't have been an issue, although the mains power connector is obviously different. So, there's nothing special about a machine for the US market that required it to be manufactured there. Presumably it was commercially preferable to do so. You're correct though that a US model wouldn't work in the UK without modification, and vice versa.