A look around the Timex Sinclair model 1500

As promised, here’s a quick look at the 1500 in all it’s glory.

It looks very much like a silver Spectrum, but there are a few differences. First up, the face ventilation slots on the top of the 1500 are not to be found on the Spectrum (see further down for some side by sides).

I suspect the keyboard surround has yellowed a little bit with age since it looks a little odd next to the very silver case. The case almost looks like it’s been spray-painted but I’m guessing that’s just the texture of the case material.

The configuration around the back is a little bit different from the Spectrum with probably the most notable difference being the plastic cover over the edge connector.

The relative colors of the case, keys, and keyboard surround can change quite a bit depending on the viewing angle.

The underside shows a partial ring of little holes near one of the rubber feet which you might think is a speaker grille, but there’s no speaker in the 1500.

The label is peeling a bit, but I’ve no reason to think it’s not the original. Notice that it was made in Portugal. There’s another Timex Sinclair made in Portugal that I hope to post about soon. It’s a real oddity.

Overall I’m very impressed by the condition of the machine. It looks very close to brand new. The benefits of being stored in a custom briefcase I supposed.

So here’s the 1500 alongside the Spectrum. The machines are identical in size, and the cases are very similar, but as I pointed out earlier, things like the fake vents are different. The keyboard surround on the 1500 has a metal section around the keys and then a rubberized finish around that. The Spectrum keyboard surround is all metal.

You can see the differences around the back. The TV connection is further to the edge on the Spectrum. The edge connector on the Spectrum is significantly wider than the 1500 which I assume would mean a peripheral like the ZX Printer couldn’t be plugged into the 1500.

Another view of the 1500 and the Spectrum. Overall I think the Spectrum is a lot better looking than the 1500, although I suppose you could argue that the 1500 looks more business-like.