The ZX Microdrive is a magnetic tape data storage system launched in July 1983 by Sinclair Research for their ZX Spectrum home computer. The Microdrive technology was later also used in the Sinclair QL and ICL One Per Desk personal computers.
It is claimed the Microdrive was originally proposed by Andrew Grillet at an interview with Sinclair Research for what was to become the ZX81. Grillet proposed "a version of the Learjet Stereo 8 system, modi...
more
The ZX Microdrive is a magnetic tape data storage system launched in July 1983 by Sinclair Research for their ZX Spectrum home computer. The Microdrive technology was later also used in the Sinclair QL and ICL One Per Desk personal computers.
It is claimed the Microdrive was originally proposed by Andrew Grillet at an interview with Sinclair Research for what was to become the ZX81. Grillet proposed "a version of the Learjet Stereo 8 system, modified to allow two 64k core images per track for roll-out roll-in swapping using the KUTS protocol". The ZX81 had only 1k of RAM. Mr Grillet was offered better pay by Xerox Corporation, and never worked on the ZX81 or the Spectrum. The primary engineer involved in the development of the Microdrive was Ben Cheese.
Typically of Sinclair Research, the ZX Microdrive was comparatively cheap (£49.95 at launch) and technologically innovative but also rather limited. Connection of a ZX Microdrive to a ZX Spectrum was done via the ZX Interface 1 unit,...
less
