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The Memotech MTX Series

The Memotech Library

Published Information on the MTX Series

Reviews and Other Articles

 

This page contains copies of reviews and other articles extracted from various period magazines.

This page started as a place to host scans of the pages that I had ripped from various magazines back in the '80s, however, as I started to get into it, I found that many more articles are still available on the internet, albeit that they can be somewhat difficult to find. I have attempted to make this a bit easier for you and downloaded or linked to as much as I can find. If you know of more, please let me know.

World of spectrum deserves an honourable mention here, they have a huge archive of scanned magazines which provided the source for a number of the articles on this page.

Bob Mockford also generously scanned a number of articles from Personal Computer News(+) and even more helpfully, manually transcribed some of the program listings - thanks Bob!

This information comes from long defunct publications and all of it is almost 30 years old. I don't imagine that the original copyright holders, if they are still around, are vaguely interested in these pages, but if anyone has issues with me making this information available, let me know and I will remove the offending article(s).

A word about quality : these articles come from a range of sources and while all are easily readable, some have rather better quality than others. If you have better copies than I have posted here, if you send me a copy, I will update the site.

 

Magazine Reviews

Click to Open

Description

"The Home Computer Course", "mastering your home computer in 24 weeks". Orbis Publishing, 1983/84, "the first complete guide to the world of home computers, specially designed to help you make the most of your machine." (Their words, not mine).

The Memotech MTX512 appeared in issue 20

(I have the complete set of this work in the original binders.) (ds)

Orbis also published "The Home Computer Advanced Course" in 96 issues in '84/85.

The Memotech RS128 appeared in issue 48

I don't have a copy of this edition of the magazine, but it can be found in the World of Spectrum archive.

"The Home Computer Advanced Course" also did a feature on Memotech Computers - the Company.

This article appeared in issue 29

Again, this page is from the World of Spectrum archive.

The first publicity picture of the MTX500?

The MTX500 was announced at the Earls Court Computer Fair in June 1983.

This is the Memotech entry from the exhibitors section of the Exhibition Guide

Pictures from Bradford Timeline's photo stream

"Popular Computing Weekly", 7-13th July 1983

Street Life - "From the top down" - Interview with Geoff Boyd and Robert Branton

From the World of Spectrum archive.

"Your Computer" from November 1983

Review of the MTX500

Article courtesy of John58, through AmiBay  (posted 09/09/2013)

"Popular Computing Weekly", 17-23rd November 1983

"Down Memotech Lane" - Review of the MTX500

From the World of Spectrum archive.

"Which Micro? & Software Review" from January 1984

"MTX500 Hits the Streets"

Article courtesy of Paul Robinson, through AmiBay

"Personal Computer Games" from issue 3, February 1984

Review of the MTX500

From the World of Spectrum archive.

Personal Computing Today, February 1984

Review of the MTX512

Courtesy of Jim Wills

Digital & Micro Electronics, from Issue No.2, February/March1984

"Memotech's MTX Computer Reviewed" by Dick Leslie

A Review of the MTX500 & MTX512

What Micro?, March 1984

"Memotechs Are Made of This"

Review of the MTX500 by Geoff Baines

Courtesy of Rob Green

Text Format

I had a copy of the content of the DME "Review" article in text form before I knew its source.

 

Since a web page to host the content has already been created, I will leave it on line; in whatever format, the review contains some detailed technical information and is well worth a read in either form.

 

In its relatively short life, Digital and Micro Electronics were a strong supporter of the Memotech machines and went on to print a number of  hobbyist projects for the MTX that you can find in the Projects pages.

"Computing Today" from April 1984

"MTX Magic" by Owen Bishop, Review of the MTX500

Article courtesy of Paul Daniels

"Computer Technik" from May 1984 (In German (scanned 15/08/2012)

A German review of the MTX512 - if someone who can read German picks up any interesting facts in the article, please let me know.

From the World of Spectrum archive.

"Happy Computer" from June 1984  (In German (scanned 28/02/2013)

Another German review of the MTX512

From the World of Spectrum archive.

"Microdata" No. 2 from 1984 (In Norwegian)

A Norwegian review of the MTX500

(Courtesy of Yngve Kristiansen. Yngve has also run the article through Google Translate to convert it into English, I have posted it here, along with a few edits that I have made. Being unable to read Norwegian, there are still a few incorrect words and phrases that you might be able to help me with?)

"Creative Computing", Volume 10, Issue 6, June 1984

"MTX512 Hardware Evaluation" by John J. Anderson

Also contains a half page on the Memotech HRX High Resolution Graphics package. (ds)

Downloaded from the Internet Archive

"Creative Computing", Volume 10, Issue 6, June 1984

"MTX512 Hardware Evaluation" by John J. Anderson

Also contains a half page on the Memotech HRX High Resolution Graphics package.

Much better copy than the one from the Internet Archive

Courtesy of Dick Govatski, Sales Director of Memotech USA in 1984

"Personal Computer News", issue 67, June 30 1984(+)

"MTX Gets Serious" by Keith Hook

Review of FDX Disk System

"Personal Computer World", from October 1984

Benchtest : Memotech RS128

Review by Tony Hetherington

Downloaded from the Internet Archive

Peter Ensor, "Bits & Bytes" from October 1984 - a Magazine from New Zealand

"A lot in a Metal Case", Hardware review of the MTX500

Article courtesy of Terry Stewart (Tez) on the Sinclair ZX World Forum - see Terry's site here

"What Micro? Test" from December 1984  (scanned 04/10/2012)

"Memotech on the up and up"

Review of the RS128 and the FDX, then priced at £1270.  (ds)

Darren Williamson, "The Unsung Hero", January 1985

MTX512 Review

From the World of Spectrum archive.

Charles P. Rubenstein, "Computers & Electronics" (formerly Popular Electronics), January 1985 (USA)

Memotech MTX512 Review

Article courtesy of Michael Holley

"Popular Electronics" was a US hobbyist electronics magazine started in 1954, in November 1982, it was renamed "Computers & Electronics". The magazine ceased publication in April 1985.

Dick Leslie, "Digital & Micro Electronics", August/September 1985 (Issue No. 11)

"Memotech Disc Drive", Review of the Single Disk FDX System

Article courtesy of Terry Johnson, former editor of DME, December 2012

"Electronics and Computing Monthly" from September 1985, by Richard Sargent  (scanned 09/07/2012)

Pre-release review of the "Speculator", which was designed to run Sinclair ZX Spectrum games on the MTX512. Scan available in greyscale or black & white. (ds)

"Popular Computing Weekly", 10-16th October 1985, by Tony Kendle

"Game Choice"- Review of the Memotech "Speculator"

From the World of Spectrum archive.

"Crash", issue 36, Christmas Special, December/January 1987

"Is it a Spectrum?, Memotech?, Einstein? - No it's a Speculator".

"Speculator" review, by Simon Goodwin

Downloaded from World of Spectrum, the text is also available at Crash-on-line

 
Magazine Articles

Click to Open

Description

Popular Computing Weekly, 12-18 May 1983 News Desk

Pre-release announcement of the MTX500

From the World of Spectrum archive.

Popular Computing Weekly, 2-8 June 1983, Editorial

Only a few weeks later, already describing Memotech's decision to launch the MTX "a brave" one.

From the World of Spectrum archive.

Popular Computing Weekly, 23-29 June 1983 News Desk

Release of the MTX500 notwithstanding, Popular Computing Weekly judged the Earls Court Computer Fair of 1983 "a disappointment". The Editorial echoed the same sentiment.

From the World of Spectrum archive.

Popular Computing Weekly, 23-29 June 1983 News Desk

Small article describing the expansion options for the MTX500 and promising the release of the SM1!

From the World of Spectrum archive.

There was a half page news item on the Memotech MTX in the June 1983 issue of "Your Computer"

The cover picture of that edition featured the Memotech computer looking markedly different from the released version. There is no indication of whether this was a prototype or a simple mock-up but it is interesting all the same. I believe that the copy for the magazine would have been at the printers a few weeks before the cover date so it it likely that development work was still going on after "Your Computer" had done their initial review.

This is the "Your Computer" news item from the June 1983 issue.  The grainy B&W photo shows what appears to be a keyboard with two colours as shown on the cover, but with the same logo as the Earls Court brochure.

"Personal Computer News" from issue 46, January 28 1984(+)

"Take a Memo" by Keith Hook

Techniques for programming text & graphics, includes program listings listings(+)

- listings available as PDF or Open Office (Word compatible) documents

"Personal Computer News" from issue 46, January 28 1984

"Take a Memo" by Keith Hook

This version was kindly provided by the seller when advertising the magazine on eBay in 2017, the PDF includes a copy of the magazine cover page and is much better quality than the version above.

"Personal Computer News" from  issue 47, February 4 1984(+)

"Memo Completed" by Keith Hook

Conclusion of the "Take a Memo" article - diagrams to illustrate MTX screen modes

"Your Computer" from February 1984

Win a Memotech Competition - includes some details of the machine too.

From the World of Spectrum archive.

"Your Computer" from March 1984

"Memotech Memory - An Objective Look at the MTX-500" by David Miles

(ds)

"Personal Computer News", issue 64, June 9 1984(+)

"Mastering MTX Code" by Keith Hook

Example Graphics routines in MTX assembly language

"Personal Computer News", issue 75, August 25 1984 (scanned 10/07/2012)

"Screen Studies of an MTX" by Keith Hook

MTX Screen handling in BASIC (Also available in text mode with graphics here) (ds)

R.A. Penfold, "Digital & Micro Electronics", August/September 1984 (Issue No.5)

"Interfaces for the Memotech MTX" - Discusses hardware and software support for interfacing to the MTX.

Article courtesy of Terry Johnson, former editor of DME, December 2012

"Personal Computer News", issue 93, January 5 1985 (scanned 19/08/2012)

"Assembly Tune" by DJ Miles

Producing sound using Assembly Language on the MTX (ds)

Popular Computing Weekly, 14 February 1985, News Desk (added 27/09/2013)

Discussing the exhibitions by Acorn, Sinclair and Memotech at Technobuch '85 in Moscow as part of their, ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to gain access to the Russian schools market.

From the World of Spectrum archive.

"Personal Computer News", issue 106, April 6 1985(+)

"Anyone for Tennis" by Keith Hook and M Gaut

Pong type game in assembly language, includes program listings listings(+)

- available as PDF or Open Office (Word compatible) documents

Popular Computing Weekly, 11 April 1985, News Desk

Memotech and Sinclair were invited back to Russia in the April of 1985 for further negotiations.

Personal Computer News, Issue 108, 27 April 1985, Monitor

Confirming granting of export licenses to Memotech for the sale of MTX computers to the Eastern Block.

Your Computer, May 1985, Editorial

Describing the potential opportunity in Russia and noting "Memotech as "the surprise front runner".

From the World of Spectrum archive.

Popular Computing Weekly, 18 July 1985, News Desk

The writing is on the wall - the first order goes to MSX!

Popular Computing Weekly, 27 March -2 April 1986 News Desk

News of the demise of Memotech Limited and the re-launch of Memotech Computers under Geoff Boyd

From the World of Spectrum archive.

Popular Computing Weekly, 12-18 May 1986 Letters

 

Not an article as such, but a letter from a "user" of the MTX computer, extolling its virtues and displaying remarkable "insight" into Memotech's future plans. I was pointed to this letter by Tony Smith's Memotech 30th Anniversary article on The Register web site. Given the detailed knowledge displayed by the writer, Tony postulates that "Philip Arkley of Acrington" was more than likely a pseudonym for Keith Hook!

From the World of Spectrum archive.

 

Game Reviews

Super Minefield, by Continental Software

Review from a Danish computer magazine, "Alt om Data".

PDF and English translation Courtesy of Claus Baekkel

 

Links to Memotech Magazine Reviews on other websites

Source Description
Home Computer Hall of Fame Your Computer review of MTX500, November 1983
MTX Info Your Computer review of MTX500, November 1983
MTX Info Creative Computing review of MTX512, June 1984 - In Text form only
MTX Info PCW review of the RS128, October 1984
MTX Info Computer Input (NZ) review of MTX500, November 1984
Old-Computers Computer Input (New Zealand), November 1984

 

 

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