Clive Sinclair bows out

[Bryn]

How Jungian! Only in the early hours of Wednesday this week, I was reminiscing about the joys and despairs of the ZX81 et al with an old friend from my undergrad days. My first purchase of a Clive Sinclair product was of a 3 transistor matchbox-sized AM radio kit, back in 1966. I skipped the ZX80 but bought a ZX81 and added expansion items such as the 16KB RAM module and a 'proper' keyboard. I skipped the Spectrum, too, but did get a Cambridge Z88 after he sold his name branding to Alan Sugar. He always built down to a price, which had the unfortunate side-effect of unreliable keyboards and other features. He did, however, open up personal computing to a mass market.

[Bryn]

Ouch! Can a Host please correct the typo in the thread title to read "Sinclair"?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Done

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My first Sinclair gizmo was his tiny Micro 6 radio, sold in kit form for 59s:6d in the mid-1960s. I had to get a friend to do the soldering, but it worked well for a while, though there was no volume control.

[Bryn]

Done

Thanks. Looks like we both started with the same tiny radio kit.

[AuntDaisy]

Thanks. Looks like we both started with the same tiny radio kit.

The ZX81 was my first computer, fond memories. I wonder if BBC4 will repeat the excellent "Micro Men" as a tribute?

Sadly, too young for the Micro 6 radio - but the photos look fascinating, esp. with the snazzy wrist strap option.

[kernelbogey]

Just to be clear, I notice that Clive Sinclair has died.

[Bryn]

The ZX81 was my first computer, fond memories. I wonder if BBC4 will repeat the excellent "Micro Men" as a tribute?

Sadly, too young for the Micro 6 radio - but the photos look fascinating, esp. with the snazzy wrist strap option.

In my case, the ZX81 was preceded by a Sharp pocket computer with a built-in very primitie Basic. The ZX81 was a considerable advance upon it in terms of its range of functionality.

[AuntDaisy]

In my case, the ZX81 was preceded by a Sharp pocket computer with a built-in very primitie Basic. The ZX81 was a considerable advance upon it in terms of its range of functionality.

Was it something like the Sharp PC-1210?
I started with programmable calculators. Still have & occasionally use an HP41C with glorious RPN.

A Sharp MZ731 with plotter went to Bristol University with me, inc. FORTRAN compiler (I rapidly switched to Pascal). I still have tape sleeves drawn on it.

The joys of old tech.

[johncorrigan]

As a non-techy I used to like it when Mr Sinclair turned up on the telly - he seemed a strange combination of a colourful, uncolourful character; but he was someone I always wanted to succeed, though the media started to paint him as figure for ridicule - and then, I suppose, he appeared to get washed away by the big boys, or maybe that wee scooter. I read that he preferred slide rules to calculators, and was a bit of a whizz at poker.

[french frank]

that wee scooter.

I take it you mean the Sinclair C5, jc? Not quite such a success - but an electric vehicle…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQetm_qWDg

[AuntDaisy]

I take it you mean the Sinclair C5, jc? Not quite such a success - but an electric vehicle…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQetm_qWDg

Brilliant. Thanks for that FF - cheered me no end.

[johncorrigan]

I take it you mean the Sinclair C5, jc? Not quite such a success - but an electric vehicle…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EQetm_qWDg

That's the one, ff. The Press seemed to take great delight in ridiculing him from then on - some kind of mad boffin, when he was surely anything but. Slightly eccentric perhaps, but ahead of his time certainly.

[gradus]

A clever, inventive and original mind allied to a shaky grasp of product design is how he seems to me. As somebody said if he'd invented the cell phone you'd probably have needed to carry a car battery around to power it.

[Quarky]

As a non-techy I used to like it when Mr Sinclair turned up on the telly - he seemed a strange combination of a colourful, uncolourful character; but he was someone I always wanted to succeed, though the media started to paint him as figure for ridicule - and then, I suppose, he appeared to get washed away by the big boys, or maybe that wee scooter. I read that he preferred slide rules to calculators, and was a bit of a whizz at poker.

Yes I think that the C5 was an absolute disaster, and did severe damage to his reputation. It didn't work on several fronts, in particular road safety. I was driving down Finchley Road a little while ago, there was a Recumbent Bicycle (similar height to the C5) in the left hand lane. It just couldn't be seen when close up, side on, or in my wing mirror - a coffin on wheels!