ScuzzBlog: Diaries November 2024 Entry 16th November 2024: Post 1: ZX83 - Arrogant failures. ZX83 - Arrogant failures. You can often track most business failures to arrogant decision making by those in charge. Sounds obvious, but in truth the quite stupid decisions that some companies made when in truth the obvious was staring them in the face. This kind of behaviour is particularly troubling to those that rely on said products but then have to suffer the consequences of the crappy decisions. I digress. Not happy at the moment. I feel let down... let me explain. Did you know that the Quantum Leap or Sinclair QL was actually called the ZX83 or ZX84, depends who you talked to in the day. This reference obviously follows on from the ZX80, ZX81, and ZX82. The code name for the Spectrum was ZX-82, like as if that needed any working out. Anyway, behind every successful businessman is a group of guys that have to execute the will of the proprietor. Clive Sinclair was very lucky in his early years to have the benefit of employing Chris Curry. The two worked together for many years and later on, working under a separate company banner of the Sinclair empire, he adopted the kit home computer called the MK14 which sold for forty quid in 1977. Clive appeared only partly wedded to the idea of home computers given his desire to develop any number of gadgets. Chris finally gave up on Clive and co-founded Acorn , eventually out gunning Sinclair for the BBC Micro computer. Clive Sinclair went on to release the ZX80, ZX81 and Spectrum and became the most popular home computer developer in the UK. However, maybe those that leap so high are destined for a fall. In the case of Clive Sinclair it was an unwillingness to give up on a basic principle of cost in favour of more suitable and ultimately more widely used technology. The QL was a flawed system from the its inception. Clive completely missed the mark on what the business industry needed. For one they needed a machine that was reliable and one that was adaptable. The QL was neither. It was dogged with issues and used technology that was not widely adopted by other hardware manufactures. Clive was so arrogant about his own view on what made a successful business computer that he blindly carried on even though I am sure many around him could see the fault lines in his decision making. This arrogant blindness has dogged most of the would-be kings of the computer throne. Most that proclaimed their rights to the throne all managed to muck up their path to glory by making the most silly of decisions. Hindsight is a great thing, but in truth there were very healthy signposts that those in power should have seen. In most cases there were very trustworthy and loyal co workers that were more than willing to give their views. Moving on to Acorn , Chris was so besotted by Clive's dominance in the gaming market that he pretty much placed the company on the line to develop a failed games machine. Even though common sense would suggest business computers is what they were truly best at. The QL can only sit on and gaze in awe at the support ports on the back of the Micro. And that is not to mention the ARM technology. Acorn.... you absolute idiots, how could you have got it so wrong. Next up we have the heated arguments between Chuck Peddle and the mighty Jack Tramiel over the development of the VIC 20. Jack was so keen to provide computers for the masses that he resisted the calls for a colour PET to compete with Apple. The fork in the road took Commodore away from a destiny of business machines to what was perceived as a cheap home computer. Whilst they did produce computers for business they would be forever tainted as anything but. Interestingly Jay Miner and the Amiga gave Commodore a breather when it came to the business side of things. The Amiga 1000 was designed as an Apple crushing machine. Jay always had one eye on IBM also and wanted the Amiga to compete. The engineers at Commodore had a differing view and took the Amiga very quickly into the home computer realm. Jay Miner was very unhappy with the way Commodore executives failed to break into the small business market and take on Apple. So much so he gave up on his managerial role with Commodore. Next ... Steve Jobs hated the way the Apple was open for all to modify. Steve Wozniak was a great supporter of computers that could be adapted and expanded. Jobs went about removing accessibility from computers with each new venture. Eventually this would cause a fracture between the two and cause Wozniak to all but hang up his interest in Apple. The closed off nature of Apple machines is cited as reason for security, reliability and efficiency of power and still holds to this day... Whatever. Blizzard have pretty much abandoned Apple in respect of support for games and most in the industry use PC and consoles as there weapons of choice. Had Apple been more open about there attitudes to the development of the machine they may have inherited a much wider margin of the gaming industry and probably crushed Microsoft and the PC. Sadly they have never been minded to give up on their own architecture, a philosophy that was the brand mark of Steve Jobs. OK.. I've pretty much done. The reason for this blog today is cus I am struggling dreadfully again this week with my beloved Win7 machine. I am now receiving constant advisory on my much hated Win10 machine of the impending new Win11 software that I need to adopt and the need for a new computer. It is times like these that I only wish that some of my past heroes had taken a much better path to glory so that I might be using a different OS to Win11. So many 'ifs' and 'buts', like if only Gary Kildell hadn't gone out flying the day IBM turned up to offer him the development job of their OS. And then gave it to Gates. I am not decrying the business prowess of Bill Gates, but of all the companies to succeed, Microsoft did nothing but watch as the others managed to keep kicking over the game cart. Sadly there is little chance that another Clive Sinclair is going to rise through the ranks to take on Microsoft by the time I need a new PC next year. Sadly I'm just too old for this now. I love my computers but the thought of emulating a pi, sailing off into the sunset with Linux or polishing the glass table for a sparkly Apple is beyond me. If I could avoid the internet I would happily pull the plug. At the moment I am stymied and without hope. I sense I may do the honourable thing and fuse my body with the Amiga and become the next Marvel Super Hero, though I guess I need to be a female for that... Oh damn. Can't win. I thought maybe a rant here would help, but it aint. Like I say I blame everyone I mentioned today. You really let me down. Saying that I wonder what Alan Sugar is up to these days... Gotta go. ZX83 - Arrogant failures.

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Last updated 16th November 2024

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