Memotech MTX 500/MTX 512

Summary

The British company Memotech — after first producing hardware extensions for Sinclair computers — developed exactly one home computer: the MTX. It is available in three versions: MTX500 (32 KiB), MTX512 (64 KiB) and RS128 (128 KiB). The sturdy design is particularly striking, because the housing is made of brushed aluminium, so that a device weighs almost 3 kg. With the dark look, the computer looks more like a stereo.

A Z80 is at the heart of the Memotech MTX. It runs three built-in programming languages: MTX Basic, assembler and the specialised language Noddy. Noddy uses 11 commands to create linked screen pages, reminiscent of Apple’s HyperCard; the pages can then be accessed from BASIC. Memory can be expanded in banks to an impressive 512 KiB, hence the MTX-512 designation. The MTX offers 32 sprites, which, like its sound, are easy to program in BASIC. The “Oxford Ring” network can connect up to 255 MTX computers, allowing programs to exchange data and share an FDX disk drive: a revolution for home computers.

Since Memotech was not very successful with the equipment despite placement in the educational field, the company had to file for insolvency in 1985.