Sinclair ZX81 Developer Manufacturer Type Release date 5 March 1981; 36 years ago ( 1981-03-05) Introductory price £49.95 kit, £69.95 assembled (£176–£246; $238–$332 at 2017 prices) Discontinued 1984 Units sold More than 1.5 million at 3.25 MHz Memory 1 (64 KB max. 56 KB usable) Storage External recorder at a claimed 250 bps or an average 300 bps Display display on UHF television Graphics 24 lines × 32 characters or 64 × 48 pixels graphics mode Power 9V DC Dimensions 167 millimetres (6.6 in) deep by 40 millimetres (1.6 in) high Weight 350 grams (12 oz) Predecessor Successor Related articles, The ZX81 is a produced by and manufactured in Scotland. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's and was designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public. It was hugely successful, and more than 1.5 million units were sold before it was discontinued.

The ZX81 found commercial success in many other countries, notably the United States, where it was initially sold as the ZX-81. Timex manufactured and distributed it under licence and enjoyed a substantial but brief boom in sales.

Timex later produced its own versions of the ZX81 for the US market – the and. Unauthorised were produced in several countries. The ZX81 was designed to be small, simple, and above all cheap, using as few components as possible to keep the cost down.

Video output was to a television set rather than a dedicated monitor. Programs and data were loaded and saved onto. It had only four silicon chips on board and a mere 1 KB of memory. The machine had no power switch or any moving parts (with the exception of a VHF TV channel selector switch present on early 'ZX81 USA' models and the Timex-Sinclair 1000) and used a pressure-sensitive for manual input.

The ZX81's limitations prompted the emergence of a flourishing market in third-party peripherals to improve its capabilities. Such limitations, however, achieved Sinclair's objective of keeping the cost of the machine as low as possible. Its distinctive case and keyboard brought its designer,, a award. The ZX81 could be bought by mail order in kit form or pre-assembled.

The ZX81 is a home computer produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Scotland by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in.

In what was then a major innovation, it was the first cheap mass-market home computer that could be bought from stores, led by and soon many other retailers. The ZX81 marked the first time that computing in Britain became an activity for the general public, rather than the preserve of businesspeople and electronics hobbyists. It inspired the creation of a huge community of enthusiasts, some of whom founded their own businesses producing software and hardware for the ZX81. Many went on to play a major role in the British computer industry in later years. The ZX81's commercial success made Sinclair Research one of Britain's leading computer manufacturers and earned a fortune and an eventual knighthood for the company's founder, Sir.

Sinclair ZX81 PCB Revision 3 keyboard The ZX81 has a base configuration of 1 KB of on-board memory that can officially be expanded externally to 16 KB. Its single is housed inside a wedge-shaped plastic case measuring 167 millimetres (6.6 in) deep by 40 millimetres (1.6 in) high.

The memory is provided by either a single 4118 (1024 bit × 8) or two 2114 (1024 bit × 4) RAM chips. There are only three other onboard chips: a 3.5 MHz from, an (ULA) chip from, and an 8 KB ROM providing a simple interpreter. The entire machine weighs just 350 grams (12 oz). Early versions of the external RAM cartridge contain 15 KB of memory using an assortment of memory chips, while later versions contain 16 KB of chips, but the lowest addressed kilobyte is disabled. The front part of the case is occupied by an integrated 40-key keyboard displaying 20 graphic and 54 inverse video characters. Each key has up to five functions, accessed via the SHIFT and FUNCTION keys or depending on context.

For example, the P key combines the letter P, the ' character, and the BASIC commands PRINT and TAB. The ZX81 uses a standard. The keyboard is mechanically very simple, consisting of 40 pressure-pad switches and 8 diodes under a plastic overlay, connected in a matrix of 8 rows and 5 columns. The ZX81's primary input/output is delivered via four sockets on the left side of the case. The machine uses an ordinary UHF television set to deliver a picture via a built-in RF modulator. It can display 24 lines of 32 characters each, and by using the selection of 2×2 from the offers an effective 64 × 44 pixel graphics mode, also directly addressable via BASIC using the PLOT and UNPLOT commands, leaving 2 lines free at the bottom.

Two 3.5 mm jacks connect the ZX81 to the EAR (output) and MIC (input) sockets of an audio cassette recorder, enabling data to be saved or loaded. This stores each data bit as a number of pulses, with each pulse being a 150 us 'high' then a 150 us 'low', followed by an inter-bit silence of 1300 us. A '0' bit consists of four pulses and a '1' bit of nine pulses. The baud rate therefore varies between 400 bps for all '0's and 250 bps for all '1's. Afile with equal amounts of '0's and '1's would be stored at 307 bps (38 bytes/sec). This provides a somewhat temperamental storage medium for the machine, which has no built-in storage capabilities. The ZX81 requires 420 of power at 7–11, delivered via a custom 9 V Sinclair DC power supply.

The ULA chip, described by the ZX81 manual as the ' of the system, has a number of key functions that competing computers share between multiple chips and integrated circuits. These comprise the following: • Synchronising the screen display; • Generating a 6.5 MHz clock, from which a 3.25 MHz clock is derived for the processor; • Outputting an audio signal to a cassette recorder in SAVE mode; • Processing the incoming cassette audio signal in LOAD mode; • Sensing keystrokes; • Using memory addresses provided by the CPU to decide when ROM and RAM should be active; • Controlling general system timing. The ZX81's built-in can output a video picture to either a 625-line colour or monochrome television (used in the UK, Australia, and most western European countries).

France required a slightly modified version of the machine to match the positive video modulation of sets, while the USA and Canada required a different ULA chip and modulator to cope with their 525-line VHF () television systems. Both the ZX81 and its predecessor, the ZX80, have a significant drawback in the way that they handle visual output.

Neither machine has enough processing power to run at full speed and simultaneously maintain the screen display. On the ZX80, this means that the screen goes blank every time the machine carries out a computation and causes an irritating flicker whenever a shorter computation – such as processing a keystroke – takes place. Left side and rear views of the ZX81, showing its, the three input/output sockets (TV, EAR, MIC) and the 9 V DC power socket The ZX81's designers adopted an improved approach, involving the use of two modes called SLOW and FAST respectively. In SLOW mode, also called 'compute and display' mode, the ZX81 concentrates on driving the display. It runs the current program for only about a quarter of the time – in effect slowing the machine down fourfold, although in practice the speed difference between FAST and SLOW modes depends on what computation is being done. In FAST mode, processing occurs continuously, but the display is abandoned to its own devices – equivalent to the ZX80's standard operating mode. Another hardware quirk produced one of the most distinctive aspects of the ZX81's screen display – during loading or saving, moving zigzag stripes appear across the screen.

The same pin on the ULA is used to handle the video signal and the tape output, producing the stripes as an interference pattern of sorts. The ULA cannot maintain the display during SAVE and LOAD operations, as it has to operate continuously to maintain the correct baud rate for data transfers. The interference produces the zigzag stripes. The unexpanded ZX81's tiny memory presents a major challenge to programmers. Simply displaying a full screen takes up to 793 bytes, the system variables take up another 125 bytes, and the program, input buffer and stacks need more memory on top of that. Nonetheless, ingenious programmers are able to achieve a surprising amount with just 1 KB. One notable example is by David Horne, which manages to include most of the rules of chess into only 672 bytes.

The ZX81 conserves its memory to a certain extent by representing entire BASIC commands as one-byte tokens, stored as individual 'characters' in the upper reaches of the machine's unique (non-). The edge connector or external interface at the rear of the ZX81 is an extension of the main printed circuit board. This provides a set of address, control, and data lines that can be used to communicate with external devices. Enthusiasts and a variety of third-party companies make use of this facility to create a wide range of add-ons for the ZX81.

Comparisons between ZX81 and other computing devices [ ] The following table provides a comparison between the capabilities of the ZX81 and various other competing that were already on the market at the time of the ZX81's launch. The prices given are as of December 1982. The Sinclair Executive 'slimline' pocket calculator (1972) Clive Sinclair's first company, established in 1962, made its name producing a wide range of cheap electronics aimed at the hobbyist market. Its products include, radios, and other items which were generally sold in kit form to hi-fi enthusiasts and other electronics hobbyists. The company entered a new market in 1972 when it launched the first 'slimline' pocket calculator, the.

It was a major success that Radionics followed up by launching a wide range of pocket calculators. The company's subsequent expansion made it Europe's biggest calculator manufacturer by 1975. By the late 1970s, however, Sinclair Radionics was experiencing serious difficulties. It lost its ability to compete effectively in the calculator market following the launch of a new generation of Japanese-produced calculators with, which were much more capable and power-efficient than Sinclair's calculators. Projects to develop a pocket television and digital watch turned out to be expensive failures. The company made losses of more than £350,000 in 1975–76, bringing it to the edge of bankruptcy. In July 1977 Radionics was rescued by a state agency, the (NEB), which recapitalised it, provided a loan facility and took effective control of the company by acquiring a 73% stake.

Clive Sinclair's relationship with the NEB was fraught due to conflicting notions about which direction the company should go. Radionics had begun a project to develop a home computer but the NEB wanted to concentrate on the instrument side of the business, which was virtually the only area where Radionics was profitable. Sinclair disagreed vehemently with what he characterised as the view 'that there was no future in consumer electronics'. This and other disputes led to Sinclair resigning from Radionics in July 1979.

While he was struggling with the NEB, Clive Sinclair turned to a 'corporate lifeboat' in the shape of an existing corporate shell under his exclusive control – a company called Ablesdeal Ltd, which he had established in 1973 and later renamed Science of Cambridge. It became a vehicle through which he could pursue his own projects, free of the interference of the NEB. Despite his later success in the field, Sinclair saw computers as merely a means to an end.

As he told the in April 1985, 'We only got involved in computers in order to fund the rest of the business', specifically the development of the ultimately unsuccessful pocket television and electric vehicle. In an interview with, Sinclair explained: I make computers because they are a good market, and they are interesting to design. I don't feel bad about making them or selling them for money or anything, there is a demand for them and they do no harm; but I don't think they are going to save the world. Precursors: the MK14 and ZX80 [ ]. Science of Cambridge MK14 (1978) – Sinclair's first computer, sold in kit form and assembled by the user. By the late 1970s, American companies were producing simple home computer kits such as the and.

This aroused interest among electronics hobbyists in the UK but relatively high prices and lower disposable income reduced the appeal of the American products. Stated in 1977 that 'the price of an American kit in dollars rapidly translates into the same figure in pounds sterling by the time it has reached the shores of Britain'. Off-the-shelf personal computers were also available for the high end of the market but were extremely expensive; Olivetti's offering cost £2,000, and the Commodore PET, launched in 1979, sold for £700. There was nothing for the hobbyist at the low end of the market. Sinclair realised that this provided a useful commercial opportunity.

Sinclair's first home computer was the, which was launched in kit form in June 1978. It was a long way from being a mass-market product.

Its very name – MK standing for 'Microcomputer Kit' – was indicative of its origins as a product developed by, and for, hobbyists. It had no screen but instead used an LED (though Science of Cambridge did produce an add-on module allowing it to be hooked up to a UHF TV); it had no case, consisting of an exposed circuit board; it had no built-in storage capabilities and only 256 of memory; and input was via a 20-key keyboard. Despite the limitations of the machine it sold a respectable 10–15,000 units; by comparison, the much more expensive had only sold 9,000 units in the United States, a much bigger market, in 1978. This success convinced Clive Sinclair that there was an untapped market for low-cost computers that could profitably be exploited.

Sinclair followed up the MK14 by producing the ZX80, at the time the world's smallest and cheapest computer, which was launched in January 1980 costing £99.95 (equivalent to £319 at 2009 prices. ) The company conducted no market research whatsoever prior to the launch of the ZX80; according to Clive Sinclair, he 'simply had a hunch' that the general public was sufficiently interested to make such a project feasible and went ahead with ordering 100,000 sets of parts so that he could launch at high volume. The Sinclair ZX80 (1980). It was the immediate predecessor of the ZX81 and shared many of the same design features.

The ZX80's design introduced many key features that were carried over to the ZX81; as Sinclair himself later said, 'the ZX80 was very much a stepping stone to the ZX81'. The design was driven entirely by the desired price – the machine had to cost less than £100 but still make a healthy profit.

Its distinctive wedge-shaped white case concealing the circuitry and the touch-sensitive membrane keyboard were the brainchild of, a young British who had recently been hired by Sinclair. As he later recalled of Sinclair's approach, 'Everything was cost driven. The design was the face of the machine.' The unconventional keyboard was the outcome of Sinclair's cost-cutting.

It made use of a sheet of plastic, on which the keys were printed, overlaying a metallic circuit that registered when a key was pressed. This avoided the expense of providing a typewriter-style keyboard, though the design had many drawbacks when it came to usability and 'feel'. Inside the case, there were many more similarities with the ZX81. Like its successor, it used the Z80A microprocessor and had only 1 KB of on-board RAM.

It came with a specially written BASIC interpreter on a dedicated ROM chip and could use a television as a display. It relied on an ordinary cassette tape recorder for data storage. The main difference between the two machines lay in the internal software; when the ZX81 was released, ZX80 owners were able to upgrade by the relatively simple expedient of plugging a new ROM onto the circuit board.

The ZX80 was an immediate success, selling 20,000 units over the following nine months. Science of Cambridge was producing ZX80s at the rate of 9,000 a month by the end of 1980 and within 18 months of its launch the company had sold 100,000 units. The commercial success of the ZX80 made a follow-up product inevitable. The company was renamed Sinclair Computers in November 1980, reflecting its new focus, and became Sinclair Research in March 1981. The BBC Micro affair [ ] The launch of the ZX81 was catalysed in part by the 's plan to produce, to be broadcast in 1982, aimed at popularising computing and programming. The BBC intended to commission an existing manufacturer to provide it with a BBC-branded home computer to tie in with the series. When Sinclair got wind of the project in December 1980, he wrote to the BBC informing them that he would be announcing a new version of the ZX80, to be called the ZX81, in early 1981.

It would remedy some of the ZX80's deficiencies and would be both cheaper and more advanced. Sinclair naturally wanted the ZX81 to be a candidate for the BBC contract and lobbied for its adoption. He pointed out that there were already 40,000 users of the ZX80 and that by the time the series was broadcast there were likely to be upwards of 100,000 ZX81 users (which turned out to be an underestimate by over 400,000 – an indication of how the ZX81's success exceeded even Sinclair's expectations). A prototype ZX81 was demonstrated to BBC representatives in January 1981, while Sinclair's local rival put forward their proposed Proton computer, a design – of which a prototype did not yet exist – based on the. To Sinclair's dismay, the contract to produce the went to Acorn, which launched the machine in January 1982. Paul Kriwaczek, the producer of The Computer Programme, explained his reservations in a March 1982 interview with: I would have been very reluctant for the BBC to sell something like the Sinclair [ZX81] because it is so limited. The Sinclair cannot be expanded; it is fundamentally a throw-away consumer product.

Its usefulness lies in learning about programming, but I do not believe that the future of computers lies in everyone learning to program in BASIC. Sinclair was critical of the BBC's decision, accusing it of incompetence and arrogance. Shortly after Acorn won the BBC contract the Government issued a recommended list of computers, including the BBC Micro and, that schools could purchase, with the aid of a grant, for half price; Sinclair's computers were not included on the list. Sinclair responded by launching his own half-price deal, offering schools the chance to buy a ZX81 and 16 KB RAM pack for £60, plus a ZX Printer at half price, for a total cost of £90. As the cheapest Government-approved system was £130, this was an attractive offer for many schools and about 2,300 bought Sinclair's package. Development and manufacture [ ].

Sinclair ZX81 PCB Revision 3 Bottom Side The development of the ZX81 got under way even before the ZX80 had been launched. Sinclair's chief engineer,, was given the task of improving the ZX80's hardware to reduce the number of components and thus bring down the cost. He also sought to fix some of the more annoying problems with the ZX80. Westwood and his colleagues found that the component count could be reduced greatly by combining eighteen of the ZX80's chips into a single, a type of general-purpose chip full of logic gates that were connected up as the customer required during chip manufacture. This short-lived technology of the day was cheaper and quicker than the design of a customised logic chip, which typically required very high volumes to recoup its development cost.

Produced the new chip for Sinclair, who hailed Westwood's design as a triumph of innovation: 'The ZX81 had four chips when our nearest competitor in this respect, the TRS-80, had 44.' Only 70% of the on the ULA were supposed to be used, but Sinclair decided to obtain maximum benefit by using them all. This resulted in the machine becoming uncomfortably warm during usage. Computing folklore held that the ZX81 had to be refrigerated by balancing a carton of cold milk on top of the case. The ZX81's ROM was doubled to 8 KB, from the ZX80's 4 KB ROM.

This enabled a fuller implementation of a version of ANSI Minimal BASIC (termed by the company). Clive Sinclair re-commissioned a company called Nine Tiles, which had produced the ZX80 ROM, to develop the new ROM software for the ZX81. The code was written by John Grant, the owner of Nine Tiles, and, who had joined the company in January 1980. Grant concentrated on the software that drove the ZX81's hardware, while Vickers developed the new BASIC and the accompanying manual. Sinclair's brief to the pair was fairly non-specific but primarily concerned remedying a key defect of the ZX80 so that the new machine could be used for practical programming and calculations. Vickers later recalled: As far as Clive was concerned, it wasn't a question of what the machine ought to be able to do, but more what could be crammed into the machine given the component budget he'd set his mind on.

The only firm brief for the '81 was that the '80's math package must be improved. The new ROM incorporated and functions, which its predecessor had lacked – the ZX80 could only deal with whole numbers.

Grant came up with one of the ZX81's more novel features, a syntax checker that indicated errors in BASIC code as soon as it was entered (rather than, as was standard at the time, only disclosing coding errors when a program was run). Unfortunately for Vickers, he introduced a briefly notorious error – the so-called 'square-root bug' that caused the square root of 0.25 to be returned erroneously as 1.3591409 – as a result of problems with integrating the code into the ROM. Although it was eventually fixed, the bug became the subject of controversy and Sinclair was forced to replace some of the ZX81s sold to early customers. On a more positive note, Vickers' work on the manual was received favourably, being described in 1983 as 'one of the classic texts on BASIC'. Max Phillips commented in a What Micro? Retrospective: It does a reasonable job and sensibly provides lots for the reader to do. It's quite honest about the [ZX81]'s shortcomings and provides hints and tips for ways round them.

Best of all, the manual is complete and comprehensive. There's some fairly advanced and often undisclosed information in there. The beginner won't understand it for a long time but if he or she learns some more advanced ideas, the manual is ready for them.

The task of designing the ZX81's case again fell to Rick Dickinson, who produced an updated version of the ZX80's wedge-shaped case. This time round, the design team were able to use, which enabled them to deliver a higher-quality case. Dickinson originally envisaged the ZX81 as 'an expandable range of boxes following a vaguely modular approach with a common width', though this approach was eventually dropped. From start to finish, the design process took about six months. Sinclair Research's launch advertising for the ZX81. High-profile advertisements such as this were used to promote the benefits and value for money of the ZX81. High-profile advertising was central to the marketing campaign.

Although Sinclair Research was a relatively small company, it had a long-standing policy of using large-scale advertisements that stood out in stark contrast to the more muted advertisements of other manufacturers. Superlatives, exhortations, appeals to patriotism, testimonials, eye-catching drawings and photographs on double-page spreads, varying from month to month, were used to drum up mail order business for Sinclair. The launch advertising for the ZX81 illustrates this approach. A photograph of the ZX81 alongside the official Sinclair peripherals dominated the centre of a double-page spread.

The value for money of Sinclair's products was emphasised by the prices being printed in larger type than any other text on the spread. The ZX81's benefits were promoted with the aspirational slogan 'Sinclair ZX81 Personal Computer – the heart of a system that grows with you'. The advertisement highlighted ZX81 BASIC Programming, the manual written by Steve Vickers, as 'a complete course in BASIC programming, from first principles to complex programs.' The educational benefits of the ZX81 were stressed ('it's still very simple to teach yourself computing') and its technical advantages were explained in relatively non-technical terms. For instance, the ZX81's idiosyncratic method of typing commands with a single keystroke – the result of the memory-saving method of using one-byte tokens to represent keywords – was presented as 'eliminat[ing] a great deal of tiresome typing'.

The ZX81's British character was emphasised; it was 'designed by Sinclair and custom-built in Britain.' Sinclair's advertising in the United States provides an illustration of how the company perceived the ZX81's purpose: For less than $100, the Sinclair ZX81 will get you started in personal computing right now. Your children will gain an understanding of computers that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. And you will be prepared to make informed decisions about using and buying computers, both in your career and in your home. This approach to advertising was driven by Sinclair's reliance on mail-order marketing. It came with a high up-front cost in terms of purchasing space in publications but it had the advantage of ensuring that all sales were firm and pre-paid. A big splash on launch produced a large influx of cash at the outset of a campaign, though it did also depend on the advertiser having enough product to satisfy the initial surge in demand.

The advertisements served an additional purpose of priming the market for over-the-counter sales by 'getting the story across', as Clive Sinclair put it: 'Not that big a proportion do buy on mail order, but they see the ads, and that helps to prepare them for buying when the item appears in the shops.' Sinclair himself became a focal point for the marketing campaign, putting a human face on the business, while Sinclair Research was portrayed in the media as a plucky British challenger taking on the technical and marketing might of giant American and Japanese corporations. As David O'Reilly noted, 'by astute use of public relations, particularly playing up his image of a Briton taking on the world, Sinclair has become the best-known name in micros.' The popular press soon latched onto the image. His 'Uncle Clive' persona is said to have been created by the gossip columnist for, while the media praised Sinclair as a visionary genius (or even, in the words of, 'the most prodigious inventor since.'

) As Ian Adamson and Richard Kennedy put it, Sinclair outgrew 'the role of microcomputer manufacturer and accepted the mantle of pioneering leading Britain into a technological utopia.' Pricing was central to the marketing strategy, as it had been through Sinclair's career. The ZX81 had been designed to meet a £70 price point and was launched at a price of £69.95 (built) or £49.95 (kit).

One Sinclair brochure presented a side-by-side comparison of the ZX81 with the four machines that Sinclair considered its main rivals – the,, and. The comparison highlighted the vast differences in cost, from £630 in the case of the Apple II Plus to just £70 for the ZX81, though even by Sinclair's own comparison the Apple was by far the more capable machine. According to Sinclair himself, the £69.95 price was chosen after applying the ' developed by the. Sinclair's prior experience in the calculator market had highlighted the fact that a product will be more profitable selling at (for instance) twice the manufactured cost than at three times. He could have launched the ZX81 at a higher price, marketing it in a more traditional way as a premium product, but chose not to. In effect, he used the lower price to establish an unassailable lead before the competition moved in.

An essential part of Sinclair's marketing strategy was to use regular cost-cutting at strategic intervals to maintain market share. Ian Adamson and Richard Kennedy comment that Sinclair's approach was 'to secure and extend [his] market lead and panic the competition. While most companies reduce prices when their products are in steep decline, Sinclair tends to discount shortly after sales have peaked. The advantage of his approach is that vacillating customers are drawn into the fold while the product's promotion retains a commercial urgency, and the costings of the competition are thrown into utter disarray.'

This tactic proved highly successful, with Sinclair announcing by March 1982 that it had sold 250,000 ZX81s worldwide. 50,000 computers were sold each month, 60% outside the UK, despite Sinclair and W. Smith being the only distributors.

When sales fell in the wake of the launch of its successor, the, Sinclair reduced the price of the pre-assembled version to £49.95 in May 1982. It was cut by another £10 the following April. Despite the increased competition from much more capable computers, the ZX81 was still shipping in excess of 30,000 units a month even as late as July 1983, more than two years after it had been launched. By that time, according to Sinclair Research, over 1.5 million ZX81s had been sold.

Distribution [ ]. The kit version of the ZX81, sold by Sinclair through mail-order. The ZX81's distribution arrangements were an essential part of its success and marked a watershed in the way that computers were sold in the UK.

Sinclair had previously made its name as a mail-order retailer – the ZX81 was initially available only through mail-order – but the only truly effective way to reach the mass market was via high street stores. Fortunately for Sinclair, an opportunity to do just that was provided by W.H. Smith, a venerable book- and magazine-seller and stationery chain. The company had stagnated in the 1970s and was looking for ways to revitalise its image and expand its product range. Smith's had begun selling audio and photographic equipment and calculators at the end of the 1970s, with a modest degree of success. In 1980 its marketing development manager, John Rowland, hit upon the idea of creating 'Computer Know-How' sections in major branches to sell computer books and magazines.

Most of the items on display were imports from the United States but their relatively high cost reduced their attractiveness to the casual buyer. The commercial success and mass market potential of the ZX80 caught Rowland's interest; he approached Sinclair, saw a prototype ZX81 and agreed to market the machine through Smith's on an exclusive basis for the first six months after launch. As Rowland put it, 'what we've done now is bring the computer-orientated publications together with an actual computer, to create the Computer Know-How section of the store', alongside computer software and blank cassette tapes. The ZX81 would be sold in 112 stores around the UK and would serve as the centrepiece of the 'Computer Know-How' sections. Selling the ZX81 over the counter was seen as something of a gamble and Rowland's colleagues were initially unenthusiastic about the scheme. Branch buyers thought that the ZX81 was unlikely to sell more than 10–15 units per branch at launch. Rowland himself thought that the ZX81 would sell about 10,000 units during the first five months of the retail agreement, equivalent to one month's mail order sales by Sinclair.

In the event, the ZX81 was a massive success for Smith's, it went on sale for £99 making it the first home PC in the UK to retail for under £100. The 'Computer Know-How' sections were swamped with eager customers, overwhelming the 300 staff who had been trained to demonstrate the machines; a Financial Times correspondent wrote of being 'dazed and bewildered by the crowds of schoolchildren clustered round the ZX81 in your local branch of W.H. Within a year, Smith's had sold 350,000 ZX81s, making an estimated net profit of £10 million.

Sales of peripherals, software, books and magazines netted even more profit. The British chain stores, and began selling the ZX81 as soon as Smith's exclusive distribution deal expired and a number of companies secured overseas distribution rights for the ZX81, which was being sold in 18 countries by March 1982. Sinclair launched the ZX81 in the United States in November 1981 at a price of $149.95 assembled and $99.95 in kit form, initially selling directly to the American market by mail order. To be useful the computer needed an extra 16KB RAM pack which cost $49.95.

Sales reached 15,000 a month by January 1982, while sold thousands more to its own customers. In February 1982 Timex obtained a licence from Sinclair to sell the ZX81 directly through thousands of retail outlets in the US, paying Sinclair Research a 5 per cent royalty on all Sinclair hardware and software sold by Timex. The company was later to produce its own licensed clones and variants of the ZX81.

By August 1982 Sinclair had lowered the American mail-order price of the assembled ZX81 to $99.95 and kit to $79.95, and its advertisements stated that 'more than 10,000 are sold every week'. In December 1981 obtained rights to distribute the ZX81 in Japan, selling it by mail order for 38,700 (equivalent to £83 in 1982 prices), and had sold 5,000 units by July 1982. The Japanese market's favourable reaction to the ZX81 led Mitsui to begin selling the ZX81 over the counter in large bookshops from September 1982, with annual sales of 20,000 units predicted.

In the Netherlands, the regular Sinclair ZX81 was for sale as well as a branded version called Beocomp. The ZX81 was also sold for a while in at UK airports. However, this fell foul of government export restrictions aimed at preventing the countries from obtaining Western high technology goods. It was not uncommon for visitors from the and other eastern European countries to pick up gadgets in Western countries with the aim of to their own states' industries. In 1983 the government ordered that the ZX81s were to be withdrawn from sale at airports.

There was no such restriction on sales to communist China and in November 1983 Sinclair Research announced that it had signed an agreement to export ZX81 kits to a factory in, where they would be assembled for the Chinese market. Reception [ ]. A typical ZX81 setup including cassette recorder and black-and-white Ferguson television set. Reviews of the ZX81 highlighted the great value for money offered by the machine but noted its technical shortcomings. As put it in Your Computer, 'the ZX81 is both a delight and a disappointment'. He applauded the improvements that had been made over the ZX80, such as a much better manual, display and handling, and called the ZX81 'a very good first computer' that 'will open the world of computing to many who would be denied access to it by cost.' However, the built-in memory was so small that use of a memory expansion pack was 'mandatory for any worthwhile use'.

He also found the ZX81 to be alarmingly unreliable, having to have his first two test machines replaced before getting one that worked properly. New Scientist's Malcolm Peltu commented that it was 'great technical value for money particularly for computing enthusiasts' but thought that others were 'likely to be bored very quickly by the basic system'. He highlighted weaknesses in the manual and Sinclair's accompanying software, criticising them for 'a misconceived design and sloppiness in execution which make the machine seem harder to use and more limited than it should' and questioned whether it might be more worthwhile to save up for a more powerful computer such as Acorn or Commodore's offerings. Overall, he concluded, the ZX81 might have a limited value in helping to teach BASIC programming and overcoming psychological barriers to computing, but 'the Sinclair systems have a long way to go before they raise the quality and level of understanding of the nature and use of computer-based information systems among computer unbelievers.' While the editor of Personal Computer World was on holiday in May 1981, his colleagues publicised the magazine's review of the ZX81 with a cover showing a chimpanzee with the machine above the strapline 'Editor benchtests the ZX81'.

(The chimp returned in later issues to 'benchtest' all of Sinclair's subsequent computers.) The review, which was written by PCW staffer Dave Tebbutt, acknowledged that the machine had significant shortcomings but nonetheless represented 'absolutely amazing value for money'. He described the ZX81 as 'a lovely product which will have enormous appeal to people wanting to find out more about computers, but without it costing them an arm and a leg' and concluded: 'If you know nothing about computers and you want to enjoy finding out about them, then this machine offers a value for money way of doing just that.

Children will love the ZX81, there can be no question about that, and I suspect that more than a few people who are already familiar with computers will buy one, just to have a bit of fun.' Paul Taylor of the found the ZX81 to be 'a powerful and flexible little computer ideally suited as a fun introduction to the mysteries of home computing' but cautioned readers about its limitations.

It lacked ready-made software, the keyboard was not easy to use, it did not have sufficiently advanced graphics to be able to replicate arcade-style games and its built-in memory was inadequate. Even so, he suggested, 'the ZX81 is a unique British product, part toy, part puzzle, part learning tool and I think that, provided one accepts its limitations and recognises that any computer will only do what it is told to do, it is good value as an introduction to the hobby of home computing.' Described the ZX81 as 'not extremely sophisticated, and its memory capability is rather limited. It also has a rather toy-like appearance'. It concluded that the computer was 'an ideal toy for youngsters who want to become acquainted with the computer world. It is responsive, cheap, and very easy to use'. Billy Garrett of, who already owned a ZX80, complimented the Timex/Sinclair 1000's manual (although he regretted the removal of the British original's humour), the 'state-of-the-art circuitry', and the BASIC for being 'remarkably powerful' despite the small ROM size.

He concluded that 'the major use. Will probably be for learning about BASIC or computers in general. [It] has limited expansion capabilities, and the keyboard is too small and cramped for any serious work'.

David Babsky described the ZX81 as 'a wonderfully brainy little micro which won't let you waste your time and make a fool of yourself'. In a comparison between the ZX81 and IBM PC published in Which Micro?, he commended the ZX81's user-friendliness and its on-the-fly syntax checking of BASIC programs, which he described as 'the feature that I, as a newcomer to computing, want to see incorporated into every micro.'

Peripherals and software [ ]. Closeup view of the 16K RAM module, showing its edge connector The success of the ZX81 led almost immediately to enthusiasts producing a huge variety of peripherals and software. Clive Sinclair was 'amused and gratified' by the attention the machine received but other than what Clarke described as 'a few remarkably poor programs on cassette' made little effort to exploit the demand, effectively ceding a very lucrative market to third party suppliers, a decision that undoubtedly forfeited a lot of potential earnings. Smith, for instance, was able to exploit a peculiarity of the ZX81; owners found that technically obsolete low-fidelity mono tape cassette recorders worked better as storage devices than higher-quality music systems. Smith's purchased cheap 'shoebox' cassette recorders in the Far East and sold them with the W.H. Smiths logo as 'data recorders'. Over 100,000 were sold in 18 months.

Sinclair released only two official peripherals for the ZX81, a 16 KB RAM pack (actually the same one previously released for the ZX80, but rebadged) and the, both of which plugged into the edge connector at the rear of the ZX81. They retailed at a launch price of £49.95 each but both had notable flaws. The RAM pack was top-heavy and was supported only by the edge connector. It had a habit of falling out of its socket at crucial points and crashing the ZX81, losing anything that the user had typed in. Users turned to using sticky lumps of chewing gum, double-sided tape or to cure what became known as the 'RAM pack wobble' problem. The ZX Printer was a tiny that used two electrically charged styli to burn away the surface of aluminium-coated paper to reveal the black underlay. It worked reasonably well at first but its output deteriorated rapidly after a time.

Many non-Sinclair peripherals aimed to remedy the ZX81's flaws and provide many new capabilities. These included RAM packs providing up to 64 KB of extra memory and promising to 'fit snugly. Giving a firm connection' to the computer, typewriter-style keyboards, more advanced printers and sound generators, and even a hard disk interface, which Clive Sinclair thought was 'quite overgilding the lily'. A wide range of software was also published.

Within only a year of the ZX81's launch, around 200 independent companies had been established to manufacture and sell Sinclair-compatible hardware. The people behind the ZX81 cottage industry were very often not computer professionals but were, as the Financial Times noted, 'school teachers, civil servants, electrical engineers and technicians [who] have set up small operations in their own time'. The ZX81's popularity was publicly demonstrated in January 1982 when civil servant Mike Johnstone organised a 'ZX Microfair'. Seventy exhibitors set up stalls with only a few hundred visitors expected in a hall with a capacity of 650 people. More than 12,000 people came and the police had to control the crowd. Thousands, many of whom had travelled long distances, queued outside for up to three hours to get into the hall; Clarke, who was only able to enter after identifying himself as a journalist, wrote that 'no one knows how many gave up in despair'.

The exhibitors sold thousands of pounds' worth of software and hardware 'as fast as three pairs of hands on each stall could hand them over and stuff the into improvised overflowing cash boxes', he added. The fair also showed Sinclair Research's relatively unimportant role in the computer's success, with only small crowds at its booth compared to the ' elsewhere. By August 1983 seven more ZX Microfairs were held. Many ZX81 owners replaced the machine's touch-sensitive keyboard with more usable add-on keyboards produced by third-party suppliers.

Thousands of ZX81 programs were published, either as or as ready-made applications that could be loaded from cassette tape. Many computer magazines featured ZX81 program listings – some, such as, were dedicated entirely to listings – while many individuals became the archetypal 'bedroom programmers', producing games and applications which they produced, marketed, recorded, and sold from their own homes. Some went on to found their own software houses, employing teams of programmers – some of whom were still at school – to produce programs for the ZX81 and other computers. Existing companies also sold software; produced a series of ZX81 programs in close association with Sinclair, including a flight simulator, while 's range of ZX81 programs sold over 100,000 cassettes in less than three months. Psion's success with the ZX81 had a profound effect on the future of the company. Its work on the ZX81 database program Vu-File led to Psion switching its focus to the development of, which resulted in the launch in 1984 of the, the world's first handheld personal computer. Some of the most popular ZX81 games (Psion's Flight Simulation being an example) were rewritten for the Spectrum to take advantage of the newer machine's colour and sound capabilities.

Enterprising programmers were able to produce games for the ZX81 using nothing more than text characters and the machine's limited. Some ZX81 games achieved lasting fame, such as, a tense first-person perspective game that involved the player escaping a labyrinth with a in pursuit.

Written in a combination of BASIC and, its innovative design led it to be hailed as the first home computer 3D game and a landmark in the. One of the more bizarre software products for the ZX81 came about as a result of music companies attempting to capitalise on the popularity of Sinclair's computers.

In 1983, released a single by that had a ZX81 program recorded on the B-side. Responded with by frontman, packaged with a program for the ZX Spectrum. Clones and variants [ ]. • Adamson, Ian; Kennedy, Richard (1986). Sinclair and the Sunrise Technology.

Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books Ltd.. • Bridgewater, Susan; Doyle, Peter (1998). Innovation in marketing. Oxford, England: Butterworth-Heinemann..

• Dale, Rodney (1985). The Sinclair Story. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co.. • Laing, Gordon (2004). Digital retro. Lewes, England: The Ilex Press Ltd..

• Morris, Ben (2007). The Symbian OS architecture sourcebook: design and evolution of a mobile phone OS. Chichester, England: John Wiley and Sons..

• Nash, John C (1984). Effective scientific problem solving with small computers. Reston, VA: Reston Pub.

• Thomasson, Don (1983). The Ins and Outs of the Timex TS1000 & ZX81. Leighton Buzzard, England: Melbourne House.. • Vickers, Steve (1982).

ZX81 BASIC Programming. Cambridge, England: Sinclair Research. News reports [ ]. • [Staff] (7 February 1980)..

New Scientist. • [Staff] (22 February 1982). 'Sinclair's tinkering talent'. Engineering Today. • [Staff] (December 1982). 'Charts and Analysis'. • [Staff] (30 May 1983).

'Why design if you can pinch it?' Daily Telegraph.

• [Staff] (November 1983). 'ZX-81 export deal signed with China'. Sinclair User. • [Staff] (April 1984). 'ZX81 Software Scene: Golden Oldies'. Sinclair User.

• [Staff] (May 1985). 'The Sinclair Story, part two'.

• [Staff] (4 July 2003).. • [Staff] (8 August 2003).. • [Staff] (23 April 2007).. • Adamson, Ian; Kennedy, Richard (12 June 1986).. New Scientist. • Babsky, David (April 1983).

'ZX81 v IBM PC'. • Church, Lynd (May 1982). 'A piece of cake in Dundee'.

Sinclair User. • Cecco, Raffaele (June 1988). 'Cecco's Log'. • Clarke, Robin (11 February 1982).. New Scientist.

• Cooke, Claudia (August 1982). 'Modest award winner sets the pace in micro design'. Sinclair User. • Crisp, Jason (13 February 1982).

'Sinclair to be marketed in U.S. Financial Times. • Crisp, Jason (6 March 1981). 'Sinclair launches new personal computer costing only £70'.

Financial Times. • Crisp, Jason (20 March 1982). 'Why Sinclair thinks small is beautiful'.

Financial Times. • Eddy, Richard (July 1987). 'Stonehenge in Space'. • Gillies-Jones, Ray (22 June 2000)... • Goodwin, Simon N. (January 1988). • Hartnell, Tim (June–July 1981).

'Review – The Sinclair ZX81'. Your Computer. • Hayman, Martin (June 1982). 'Interview – Clive Sinclair'. Practical Computing. • Hartnell, Tim (November 1981)..

Your Computer. Archived from on 2 December 2012. • Joscelyne, Svend (5 November 2009).. • Lorenz, Christopher (15 April 1982).

'The precarious balance between research, fashion and price'. Financial Times. • Kewney, Guy (3 May 1982).. • Krotoski, Aleks (3 November 2003).. The Guardian. • Mackintosh, Hamish (23 September 1999)..

The Guardian. • Mackintosh, Hamish (27 January 2000).. The Guardian.

• Munford, Roger (March 1984). 'Smash Software'.

Your Spectrum. • Needle, David (15 March 1982)..

• Peltu, Malcolm (30 April 1981).. New Scientist. • Hancock, David (15 September 1996). I'm a millionaire; A tiny computer bought by his mum set Dave Perry on the road to riches'. Sunday Mirror.

• Reynolds, Matthew (28 June 2009) Adobe Photoshop Cs6 Serial Key Crack Free Download. .. • Scot, Duncan (August–September 1981). 'Interview: Clive Sinclair'. Your Computer. • Shibata, Yoko (30 September 1982). 'UK computer succeeds in Japan'. Financial Times.

• Sinclair, Clive (26 June 1986).. New Scientist. • Taylor, Paul (21 November 1981). 'Chips all round'. Financial Times.

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ADVERTISEMENT Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists Abacus Line Counting Program Posted By: Ditzy on 2007-05-16 In Reply to: I've been using this for about a year. It used to count subdirectories.

I thought all I had to do was check 'add subdirectory files to listbox.' Now it's not working. Am I forgetting something? Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread • - Ditzy • - nm • - OP The messages you are viewing are archived/old.

To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu Other related messages found in our database can download a free trial version of it. Don't have the website, but I think a Google search would help you find it. I have downloaded the Abacus SE program and cannot figure out how this program works. If anyone is willing to walk me through the steps of this process I would appreciate it.

Information would be 9 at 65 character line. Thank you, JNGI Thanks!

Has a free trial and only $38 to buy -- much less than other line counting programs! I think it only works with Word though. Any suggestions on a good line counting program.

I have gotten an offer for a side job and need a line counting software to use with Word. I used one about two years ago but don't have that computer any longer and cannot remember what it was called. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks Thank you for your assistance.

I have express scribe and a media player to do the dss and wav files. Is there a program that I can down load to count lines for me? You may want to check with them first before posting who they are and what platform to people asking on this board. If it is an platform the company uses, their tech people may be able to help you figure that out. I amn looking for a line counting program for Windows XP s cannot download the old one, as it has been replaced by some new version, which I don't like.

Can anyone recommende a good line counting program. X x if you look at the IRS website it's pretty clear what constitutes IC versus SE versus employee.

You might want to photocopy that along with a copy of your contract with your next invoice and also put on the invoice any monies due from past invoices they 'changed'.maybe catch more flies with honey than vinegar. That program to count my lines, which works real well.

I just always used a program to do it. It's pretty user friendly and you can try it for free and see if you like it. Is there a site out there that explains exactly what line counting is? Hi, I have a question regarding line counting. I used to know an who said she charged by the virtual line and was wondering if anyone knows what that is and how it differs from an actual line. Also, I was looking for a low cost/free line counting program that worked pretty well. How do you define a line?

I charge for a 65 character line, is that what most of you do? Thanks, D approximate # of lines? I am very curious.

I am unable to see the # of lines I type daily using the system we use. I love the company I work for and trust them as the number of jobs and number of minutes are usually higher than what I come up with each pay period but would like to see how the number of lines calculate between the two of us.

Thank you in advance. I have yet to find a decent line counting program. What does everyone else use? Do you count a line as 65 characters or 55 and with or without spaces?

Thanks, Anyone use a line counting program given to you by your MTSO to track your line count.and it ends up that the line count is different from there's? Shouldn't the line counts be exact since the company issued their own program? The program works with MS Word's count, and their reasoning is that Word counts differently on different computers. I've been a for 14 years and this is a first.

I've worked for several and my lines have always been the same. Is Word that inaccurate on their counts on different computers? I work as an IC for a company. When I type my document I go into Tools and use the Word Count and divide by 55 (that's what my company pays by) giving me my line count. However, when I get my paycheck it is considerably less than what I anticipated. Is the word count not adequate to go? DOes anyone feel it is necessary to have their own line counting program?

Thanks so much. That's very good information to have. Thank you again.

I am an IC who uses flashcount to count lines. How do you decide how to count, i.e., per 55 characters, per 65 characters, etc. If you have your own accounts, you can do as you please. Industry 'standard' at the moment is 65 characters with spaces. I say standard, but there is really no such thing, it is merely that most of the companies out there pay that way. I have been offered 6.5 cents for a 37-character line strict, no spaces (only black characters). I have been offered on 55 characters too.

I have even been paid by the byte line in DOS, which made for a rude awakening when I had to transition to Word and a 65-character line! There are also gross lines, which is everything on a line is a line, though these are often more than 65 character spaces across. The way this count came about is that in DOS in Courier font and I think it is 12 pt, there are 65 character spaces if an 8 x 10 sheet is used with 1 inch margins. Courier gives you the same space size for each character, whereas something like Times New Roman varies the space size depending on the character, i.e.

An L has less space than a D and so on. You could call other services in your area and ask about their line rates and counting methods, but don't be too surprised if you are rudely treated. Most small local don't take kindly to being interrupted at work to talk to a competitor. Otherwise, you are on your own to charge what the market will bear for your services and you are free to count the lines anyway you wish.

Personally, if I were to have my own accounts, I would use Abacus to count lines and I would count every keystroke including hard returns and spaces, tabs and any other key I used because I personally believe this is how it should be, a keystroke line, not a character and spaces line. You go to tools, word count, then look at the number of lines and divide by 65, then multiply by your line rate. The company I worked for took the number of lines and just multiplied it by the line rate. That's how I made out so good. They did not divide by 65 cpl.

I was wondering what line counting program is most commonly used by I.C. I had been using Abacus, but unfortunately it causes a fatal error with word, so I quit using it.

Downloaded the trial version of Slycount and their count is about 7-10 lines higher than Abacus. I have set up Slycount to count exactly the same as Abacus. So, I cannot figure out the problem. So, I am looking for others opinions regarding the counting program they are using, pros and cons. I work using Word XP Thanks, Cheryl What do you use for line counting software? I am currently using Total Assistant Pro. It was counting accurately when I first purchased it.

I even downloaded the free trial version to make sure it counted accurately before purchasing. (I charge by the straight line no matter how many characters are on it!). I'm not getting anywhere with support. The company I worked for had one client where the reported that many lines a day. The company sent the MT inhouse for that department, and it was the way the client counted the lines.

This girl made a killing for as long as it lasted. Also look in your word software, because I know that word 2000 will count your lines. We have found 'Counting' to be totally inconsistent depending on the work type transcribed and other factors that we've not been able to figure out. Since our hospital pays on a production basis, we've had to start keeping track of minutes transcribed.

Not the most effective method of counting but at least it is consistent. Thank you for your help. I tried to do a test counting in Word but it seems to count the blank lines too so it is not accurate.

I should have thought of that. Thanks for the advice. Great program I use templates for my reports and charge by the page, but I have been interested in charging by the line. Do you include the template lines with your line count or minus that? I am completely confused with this, still. Thanks again~ Does anyone know of a completely free line counting system? I know there are some with free trials, but a while back I got a free one from MPcount, which is no longer available.I Just thought I would ask.most of them are pretty expensive and right now, I'm not in a position to purchase one.so any input would be great!

Thanks Are there any free line counting software products out there that are any good? If not what is the best one one that isn't all that expensive? TIA, Wanda I would like info on line counting software so I can see if they are calculated correctly. Will allow you to chose gross lines BUT also let you say that no line can be longer than a set amount of characters? So in other words if my clients lines are set so long and small that 95 char are on each line but my contract reads a line shall be no more than 65 characters, the software can pick up both gross lines over 5 characters and gross lines no longer than 65 characters???

Am I being clear? Anyone know of invoicing/counting software that can do that? I am looking for software to count gross lines.

I only have one doctor I need it for, so I don't want to spend a lot. Does anyone know of a good product for this?

So that's why there's always some difference. Also, she marks down for any blanks I have. Should she pay off my invoice though? Should I buy her line counting program?

What do you feel is a FAIR and REASONABLE rate to pay an employee medical transcriptionist? For point of reference, yesterday I did some basic calculations. In 1987, I was hired as a TOTALLY GREEN NEWBIE at 4 cpl. In 1988-1989 sometime, I got a raise to 4.4 cpl. My 'guarantee rate' for 90 days after hiring was $7/hour.

The minimum wage at the time was $3.35 I think. ($4-something maybe?) So my 'guarantee rate' was approximately double the minimum wage. At 4 cpl, I needed to be typing 175 lph as a brand new fresh newbie! And amazingly enough, I only used my 'guarantee rate' during my first pay period - every pay period after that, I was paid at my lph rate, not my guarantee rate! This was on an Selectric TYPEWRITER, not a computer!

Nowadays, has a standard 'guarantee rate' for 30 days instead of 90, and it's $10/hour. Their minimum line production is 100 lph, or 150 lph for full-benefit full-time employees. I would like to discuss the following questions on a new forum: Please join me there! What has changed in our industry?

Why has the line-per-hour rate gone down instead of up? Why is the guarantee rate now less than double minimum wage? Why do seasoned experts in the field consider it a good day to make $15/hour while newbies struggle to stay off food stamps? How many of you MT's work 'in the dark' for days on end, not know how many lines you are producing? Apparently there is a glitch and it is being worked on. But, how can we be sure the program is not eating up our lines each day?

I am never unable to see how many lines each report has produced, must wait sometimes up to an hour later to get a count. Am I being paranoid? My favorit is MPCount, now MPTools. This used to be a free download, but now you have to sign up for it and pay something like $40 or something like that. MTStars also has a line counting software that is a free download - MTStars Flascount and Invoice Creator. As far as any software, I use my XP word for typing the reports and either print or send electronically either via PCAnywhere (remote file transfer) or encrypted email.

There is an easy download HandyBits Easy Crypto program that is free also and works very well. If you do tapes, all you need is to make sure you have a tape player that is the correct size for the tapes you will be typing. Most are micro/mini, all depends on the doctor's machine.

If you have a doctor that uses digital transcriber, you will need to purchase the software for your computer. Transcriptiongear.com is a great site for any kind of equipment.

Good luck to you. I have an older version of Word, within Microsoft Suites Office, I believe it is the 2000 edition. Anyone know where I can download a good/accurate line counting program? I'm wondering if there is any line counting software that 'stores' each individual doctor's line counts time after time, and then will provide invoicing (say twice a month) from those stored line counts.

I'm looking for a way to just store up the line counts for each doctor, go in twice a month and easily send invoices for those stored line counts. Not sure if this can be done. Hi, If you download the help file for MPLite (or MPWord or MPTools), there is a chapter on line counting. In it is a mention that the AAMT has disavowed their previous recommendation for a line count method, and a discussion of lines counts in general. You'll find it informative, and if you print the page your client may find it interesting as well. VJoe what you can see on the screen, not the counted strokes you yourself type.

If you are counting in Word, using their counting system, you can count gross lines which includes any blank lines and hard returns, you can count characters with and without spaces, but there is no way to count strokes. The doctor is being penny wise and pound foolish.

He wants to pay less, but he has no idea what he is getting himself into if he does. Undercutting rarely works out for a doctor. S I am doing an IC job and was going to use MP Count because it also prepares an invoice. The problem is.

I dont think the line counts are correct. I swear I only did like 6-10 clinic notes and it had my line count at 1100. Am I doing something wrong or is there a better program out there.

I hate to spend a lot of money as this is only a temporary fill-in job for this week but I want to be fair. I put in 65 characters and I charge.10 a line. I just cant see charging over $100 for just that many notes. Any suggestions?

Does anyone know of any line counting software and electronic medical spellchecker that works in Word that is out there for Word 97. I just upgraded to Office 2007 and my abacus does not do the same and I really don't like it in the standalone version and also my Dorland's electronic medical spellchecker will not even install on this version of Word. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions. Please help as I have to have this to do my job. Thanks so much © Copyright 2001-09 MTStars.com All Rights Reserved.