The MK-14 was the first computer made by the Sinclair company (at the time called Science of Cambridge because the Sinclair name was used by another company).
The MK-14 was a training board sold in kit form for ?9.95 and featuring a National Semiconductor SC/MP 8-bit processor, 256 bytes of RAM, 512 bytes of ROM holding a monitor, calculator keyboard and display, and some I/O ports.
In fact, Clive Sinclair was not very enthusiastic about a personal computer project. The MK-14 project was thus managed by Chris Curry and produced by National Semiconductor. As the system was five times cheaper than its closest competitor, the Compukit UK-101, about 20,000 MK-14 boards were sold in the U.K.
Chris Curry, who believed much more than Clive Sinclair in the future of such computers, left the company in 1978, founded Acorn Computers with Herman Hauser and built its fist computer kit, the System 1. A few months later, Clive Sinclair decided that computers were a good way to raise money and started a new project: a complete computer for less than ?00.
Meantime, the MK-14 grew into a modular system and several additional cards allowed expansion of the system: cassette interface, text and graphics video module and Eprom programmer. 128 and 256 bytes RAM expansion chips could also be added up to a total of 640 bytes. Yes...640 BYTES...
The version pictured here is an issue 4 with a better mechanical keyboard than the 'sensitive' one of the earlier versions, as well as optional RAM and I/O chips. At least 5 issues were sold. The issue 5 featured additional I/O ports.
If the MK-14 had not been launched, Clive Sinclair probably wouldn't have thought of his ZX-80 so soon, and the global personal computer scene would have been very different.
In fact, Clive Sinclair was not very enthusiastic about a personal computer project. The MK-14 project was thus managed by Chris Curry and produced by National Semiconductor. As the system was five times cheaper than its closest competitor, the Compukit UK-101, about 20,000 MK-14 boards were sold in the U.K.
Chris Curry, who believed much more than Clive Sinclair in the future of such computers, left the company in 1978, founded Acorn Computers with Herman Hauser and built its fist computer kit, the System 1. A few months later, Clive Sinclair decided that computers were a good way to raise money and started a new project: a complete computer for less than ?00.
Meantime, the MK-14 grew into a modular system and several additional cards allowed expansion of the system: cassette interface, text and graphics video module and Eprom programmer. 128 and 256 bytes RAM expansion chips could also be added up to a total of 640 bytes. Yes...640 BYTES...
If the MK-14 had not been launched, Clive Sinclair probably wouldn't have thought of his ZX-80 so soon, and the global personal computer scene would have been very different.
基本参数编辑本段回目录
 |  |
| NAME | MK 14 |
| MANUFACTURER | Sinclair |
| TYPE | Home Computer |
| ORIGIN | United Kingdom |
| YEAR | 1978 |
| END OF PRODUCTION | Unknown |
| BUILT IN LANGUAGE | Basic ROM monitor |
| KEYBOARD | Sensitive and later mechanical hexadecimal 21key |
| CPU | National Semiconductor SC/MP II |
| SPEED | 4.4 MHz |
| CO-PROCESSOR | Optional 8154 I/O RAM chip (not really a coprocessor..) |
| RAM | 128 Bytes expandable to 640 bytes on board (not Kbytes!) |
| VRAM | No video as standard |
| ROM | 512 bytes, holds the monitor |
| TEXT MODES | 1 line of 8 or 9 digits |
| GRAPHIC MODES | None |
| COLORS | Red! |
| SOUND | None |
| SIZE / WEIGHT | 11.5 (W) x 25.5 (H) cm |
| I/O PORTS | I/O lines, external keyboard |
| BUILT IN MEDIA | None |
| POWER SUPPLY | External AC transformer. Built in 5v cc regulator |
| PERIPHERALS | RAM and ROM cards, tape recorder card, video,... |
| PRICE | ?9.99 |
参考文献编辑本段回目录
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=961
