It's interesting though that the Spectrum did well in the UK and USSR (as clones), but the almost identical Timex-Sinclair 2068 flopped hard in the US.
I wonder if timing played a role-- it hit the market while the US video game/home computer market was already in a price-shock. Other competitors were in fire-sale mode (TI, Coleco) or at least seriously repositioning in the market (Atari).
On the other hand, it's possible the Sinclair compromises weren't appealing to American customers who had a broader selection to choose from-- even if it was competitively priced, the 2068's "it's better than a ZX81" keyboard doesn't look good compared to a bargain-priced VIC-20 or TI-99/4A.
I wonder if timing played a role-- it hit the market while the US video game/home computer market was already in a price-shock. Other competitors were in fire-sale mode (TI, Coleco) or at least seriously repositioning in the market (Atari).
On the other hand, it's possible the Sinclair compromises weren't appealing to American customers who had a broader selection to choose from-- even if it was competitively priced, the 2068's "it's better than a ZX81" keyboard doesn't look good compared to a bargain-priced VIC-20 or TI-99/4A.