Sysola

Sysola was a British computer company founded in 1982 by former employees of Sinclair Research, including John Loxton and David West. The company was based in Cambridge, England, and was known for producing a range of home computers and related peripherals during the early 1980s.

The company's most notable product was the Sysola 1, released in 1983. This computer was designed to be compatible with the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, offering enhanced features such as additional memory and improved sound capabilities. The Sysola 1 featured a Z80A processor running at 3.5 MHz, 64 KB of RAM (expandable to 128 KB), and a built-in cassette interface. It also included a custom chipset that allowed for improved graphics and sound compared to the original Spectrum.

In addition to the Sysola 1, the company produced other peripherals, including the Sysola 2, a more advanced version of the Spectrum with 128 KB of RAM and a built-in printer interface. The company also released the Sysola 3, which was essentially a rebranded version of the Sinclair QL, a more powerful but less commercially successful computer from Sinclair Research.

Sysola faced financial difficulties in the mid-1980s, partly due to the declining home computer market and competition from other manufacturers. The company was eventually acquired by the American firm Commodore International in 1985, though it did not continue production under the Sysola name. The brand was later revived briefly in the late 1980s for a short-lived range of educational software, but it never regained its earlier prominence.

Sysola’s contributions to the home computer market were modest but notable, particularly for those seeking upgrades to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Its products reflected the era’s focus on expanding the capabilities of existing systems rather than introducing entirely new architectures. Today, Sysola computers are considered rare and collectible items among enthusiasts of 1980s British computing.