ScuzzBlog: Diaries January 2022
Entry 20th January 2022: Post 1: Sinclair - The affordable home computer.
Sinclair - The affordable home computer.
There have been many tributes made over the last few months to the
late Sir Clive Sinclair. For my part I really don't think I can add
very much more to that which has been said. My only real comment is
one of gratitude to a man that gave me the opportunity to own and
use an affordable home computer. Had the ZX81 not been available at
the price it was I would never have gotten into computing so early.
And so to Sir Clive , I thank you.
In respect of what his contributions made on the home computer world
I would say that it was massive. I sense he was as surprised as all
at the time of how the untapped home computing community would emerge
and embrace his technology. It is no small measure of the enthusiasm
shown by the Sinclair community that there is still an active user
base even today.
Credit has to be given for the style of Clive's computers. He had
a clear view of what he liked and what he liked was transposed onto
all of his products. The design philosophy ends, aptly, with the
128K and the 'fin' or heat sink. From this point Mr Sugar takes over
and the mould is broken forever. Sugar may have been a little more
street wise but he certainly was no Clive Sinclair.
My time with Sinclair computers was as much frustrating as enjoyable.
My original aim was to save and buy the VIC20, but I was at college
and also met the woman that would later become my wife. These females
tend to soak up all your money. I was undeterred and so opted for
the ZX81 as a cheap alternative. Thankfully, the girlfriend as she
was then, purchased a Spectrum 16K which we upgraded to the 48K. I
was hooked on the Spectrum by that stage and stayed with the platform
right up to the point of the Amstrad take-over, buying a +2.
There is a lot of talk of what went wrong at Sinclair, and I am
not about to add to that discussion. However, having worked myself
for an addict to a cause, I can say that behind every strong willed
and determined individual there is an even more strong willed partner
that never is given the credit they deserve. The trick with such
partnerships is to have a co-helper that is happy to reside in the
shadows and let the main guy take all the glory. I honestly believe
that Sir Clive had such a partner but parted company early on.
That's all I will say. Sir Clive was a great man with a great mind.
He gave the home computing industry the foundation on which pretty
much everything else is built. Just a shame that the modern day
custodians of the interest choose to neglect the humble user. It
was Steve Wozniak's biggest challenge to keep Apple open and fully
accessible to its users. Something Steve Jobs could never accept.
In the end the world got the worst of both worlds, Bill Gates'
faceless, soulless OS and Jobs' 'don't tinker with the hardware'
philosophy which he carried to the grave. Being closed off is not a
trait computer lovers will tolerate. The day of the revolution is
still to come.... We just need another Clive Sinclair.
Sinclair - The affordable home computer.
ZX80
ZX81
Spectrum 16 and 48K
Pocket TV
Microdrive
QL
ZX Spectrum+
ZX Spectrum+ 128K
FIN - The End
o~o
Well nearly ...
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