Sir Clive Sinclair dies aged 81

[GusB]

I heard this on the news earlier this evening.

Sir Clive Sinclair: Computing pioneer dies aged 81

The inventor, entrepreneur and ZX Spectrum creator died at his London home following a long illness.

www.bbc.co.uk

Inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, who popularised the home computer and invented the pocket calculator, has died at his London home aged 81.
His daughter Belinda Sinclair said he passed away on Thursday morning after having cancer for more than a decade.
Sir Clive's products included the ZX series of computers and his ill-fated C5 electric vehicle.
He was still working on his inventions last week "because that was what he loved doing", said Ms Sinclair.
"He was inventive and imaginative and for him it was exciting and an adventure, it was his passion," she added.

• Obituary: A tireless inventor
• Sinclair C5 'was ahead of its time'

His ZX Spectrum computers brought affordable personal computing to the masses - selling in their millions across the world.
However, in a BBC interview in 2013, Sir Clive revealed he did not, at that time, use computers himself.
"I don't like distraction," he explained.
"If I had a computer, I'd start thinking I could change this and that, and I don't want to. My wife very kindly looks after that for me."

media captionSir Clive Sinclair on personal computing
Unlike the ZX Spectrum, his attempt to launch an electric vehicle was not successful.
The C5 launched in 1985 and buyers were disappointed with its limited range, slow speed and inability to climb hills. It caused Sir Clive severe financial problems.
His daughter said: "I think sometimes he was a bit too early [with his inventions].
"He was very good at imagining things that people might like or might need, even though they didn't know they wanted them."
He was a devoted father and grandfather who will be missed by her children Samuel, Henry and Florence, Ms Sinclair said.
"They were very close to him and cared for him in the last few years," she said.
Sir Clive leaves three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

My first encounter with a Sinclair product was a "pocket" calculator that my dad bought in the 1970s, and then there was the Spectrum craze in the early 80s - using the one that my primary school bought was probably my first ever encounter with a computer.

He was a bit eccentric and some of his products weren't exactly successful, but it's sad news that he has passed.

 

[Cowley]

I heard this on the news earlier this evening.

Sir Clive Sinclair: Computing pioneer dies aged 81

The inventor, entrepreneur and ZX Spectrum creator died at his London home following a long illness.

www.bbc.co.uk

My first encounter with a Sinclair product was a "pocket" calculator that my dad bought in the 1970s, and then there was the Spectrum craze in the early 80s - using the one that my primary school bought was probably my first ever encounter with a computer.

He was a bit eccentric and some of his products weren't exactly successful, but it's sad news that he has passed.

The next door neighbour at the house I’m working on is a nice old boy that I’ve struck up a bit of a friendship with over the last few months. He actually worked for Sinclair in the 1980s and has some fascinating stories from back then (not all entirely complimentary to be fair).
He’s also got a couple of immaculate working C5s in his garage!

 

[swt_passenger]

I had the Sinclair Cambridge calculator, about 1973 IIRC , mine was built from a £25 kit. I guess that was pretty expensive for the very basic four functions in hindsight - about £300 today’s equivalent?

 

[birchesgreen]

My "computer life" started when my dad bought a ZX-80. A long career in IT followed for me (well a few years later anyway!) I went into my loft this morning to take this photo of the old computer which i'll always treasure.

 

[nlogax]

RIP Sir Clive. His work was instrumental in defining really important parts of my childhood.

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[Butts]

Those C5's were deathtraps, but he was certainly a very clever man.