RIP Clive Sinclair

[Bengel]

“Despite his involvement in computing, Sinclair did not use the Internet, stating that he does not like to have "technical or mechanical things around me" as it distracts from the process of invention.”
Those who brought us to where we are, passing quickly.

Home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair dies aged 81

Creator of the landmark ZX Spectrum and the less commercially successful C5 died after a long illness

www.theguardian.com

 

[kurtbob]

“Despite his involvement in computing, Sinclair did not use the Internet, stating that he does not like to have "technical or mechanical things around me" as it distracts from the process of invention.”
Those who brought us to where we are, passing quickly.

Home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair dies aged 81

Creator of the landmark ZX Spectrum and the less commercially successful C5 died after a long illness

www.theguardian.com

It’s sad, a lot of the great minds and pioneers of the last 50 years are fading out. Hopefully they will be replaced by even more gifted ones……..I’m feeling kinda doubtful though.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I still have a (fully functioning) Sinclair calculator at the back of a drawer somewhere.

In fact I also have the first calculator I ever had (bought by my parents ~1976 for £35!!!) in the same drawer though that isn't a Sinclair.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[anotherbob]

I only know anything about him because of my interest in weird video game stuff (like reading about or watching youtubes about British only video games).

 

[Chasing Embers]

he does not like to have "technical or mechanical things around me"

I would have liked him.

 

[mso489]

Yes, I love the contradiction. One would say he was a master techie, but that wasn't his mode of thought at all, apparently. He had to look past the existing systems to see what he could make them do. I didn't know of him, but I wish him a fulfilling rest.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I had a 48K Spectrum as a kid in the 1980's and spent many happy hours playing games on it.

RIP?

 

[karam]

Damn, RIP. I always liked something about him, despite some of his inventions being fizzles.

 

[Bengel]

Despite feeling old, often
It has really been a short, all be it rapid, space of time.
A map of the Internet when I was a teen

 

[warren]

The epitome of the distinctly British phenomenon, "The man in his shed." RIP!

It'll be interesting to see what else comes out those sheds in the future.

 

[renfield]

Someone who made a difference in a good way.

RIP, Clive.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"It'll be interesting to see what else comes out those sheds in the future."

I'm thinking about inventing a bagless vacuum cleaner......oh, hang on a minute.....

Regards,

Jay.

 

[karam]

The epitome of the distinctly British phenomenon, "The man in his shed." RIP!

It'll be interesting to see what else comes out those sheds in the future.

You're spot on, I kept on thinking about EMS's VCS3 last night, a great, quirky synth of near endless possibilities, also came out of a British shed. The Moog minimoog was comparativelly a somewhat more limited machine, but far more user friendly and consistent, so it ultimately America won on the market.

Pity is with a lot of British tech innovations of the 50s-70s, they were conceptually far more advanced than Japanese, US, German competitors but were very often plagued by poor user experience, and downstream issues or reliability, supply, often cost.

I've a very soft spot for Blighty, having been my home for 12 years, and being enployed by Brits for another 8, it's always going to be near and dear to my heart. Both the place, culture and people.

 

[kcghost]

R.I.P. to a good man.