TheOneThatGotBanned
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1428
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The father of cheap home computers.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/16/home-computing-pioneer-sir-clive-sinclair-dies-aged-81
Sep 17, 2021 9:45 AM
TheOneThatGotBanned
112449
1428
14
The father of cheap home computers.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/sep/16/home-computing-pioneer-sir-clive-sinclair-dies-aged-81
RabeMeansRaven
My dad bought several variations of his computers in the 80s. My first intro to programming was on a ZX81. 26 years a developer now.
elhigh
Sinclair invented a cool way to stretch battery life in small calcs, turning the chip off to save power, back on before the data faded away.
SMarkt
i have learned basic and machincode on the spektrum and i had a jobinterview a few minutes ago as a frontend. thanks, Sir Sinclair!
TheDayTheBrainStoodStill
First PC I ever owned, a wondrous piece of future technology - it took me years to realize in retrospect that the keyboard was, indeed, ass.
elhigh
I had one! The Timex-Sinclair 1000. It taught me a little bit of programming and a LOT of patience.
sheepandcowdung
And tiny electric cars and pocket calculators!
CgnCalling
10 PRINT “GODSPEED, SIR CLIVE”. 20 GOTO 10
jj86
This was the first computer that I used and learned to program with.
pocketpython
Here's something from old school B3ta - perfectly sums up the whole Sinclair legacy - https://youtu.be/Ts96J7HhO28
Puppersforall
Glad someone posted that - first thing that popped into my mind when I heard the news! RIP Sir Clive.
push2play
He's the reason we have PCs in our homes. The Spectrum was the first computer for many of us born in the 70s and early 80s. RIP Sir Clive.
Superfloofthundercat
He did electric bikes and mini tvs too! Genius lost in the barmy 80s, forgotten since.
KoRplussomeletters
We had a +2 which (so I'm told) worked perfectly well even after being filled with milk and Coca-Cola (not at the same time obviously).
Blackfinity
HawkthePlayer
ZX spectrum 128k was my introduction to the world of computers, my patience was honed by the load times of yesteryear. RIP Sir Clive.
happywalker
the load times are when i got my homework done :-)
ihaveseenthingsyouwouldntbelieve
10 PRINT"THAT GUYS DEAD WIFE. AND YOUR MOM."; 20 GOTO 10
hirvipelko
OMG!!! I had one of these!!! Pssssttt.... was my favourite game
Bahumet
Wow. That's going back to the very early Spectrum days! The colour clash on that was wild if I remember rightly. My fav was Exolon.
TheOneThatGotBanned
The one in the picture was black and white :) Exolon on both the speccy and cpc was awesome :)
thisisausernamelikeanyothersbutthisonesmellsweird
Mein gawd i had that one. My very first computer as a kid. Good times :).
Selerox
One of the reasons the UK developed such strong game dev talent in the 1990s and onwards.
Puppersforall
The man who introduced an entire generation to the horrors of R:TAPE LOADING ERROR, colour clash and rubber keys. I wouldn't change a thing.
animationaviation9000
It says pocket calculators too,forgot they where computers
Swinglowmysweetballs
My first micro computer was the sinclair zx81, then spectrum 16k
kjb72
Our first computer was a Timex Sinclair.
NeverShaveYourDuck
He was quite a quirky fella. I suspected him on being on a Spectrum.
NowIHaveToChangeThis
I backed the ZX Spectrum Next when it was on Kickstarter. Fun little computer. Never had the original, but the Next is pretty sweet.
FrostByteUK
As an upvote for the life of the man who brought affordable computing to the masses.... +3
SinfulDeviant
Another great genius bytes the dust. R.I.P. Sir Clive
Wilbur73
Please do not forget about the ZX81... and ZX80. RESPECT
TheOneThatGotBanned
ZX81 pictured, it really needed the extra ram modules :)
CplCarrot
Spectrum 48k. My first...
Myrealnameisunusual
Mine too. All those memories gone forever. Like, tears in the rain.
kaszanka
He not ded: He only moved on the spectrum: from being on earth to staying in our memory. And he deserves at least 64kb space in mine.
MADchemEE
Someone destroy some Bitcoin data space to pay him tribute!
captainfakeypants
Imma only gonna give him 48kb. Fair's fair.
dffksh
Best I can do is 48K, but he will have that.
Twinklepot
Nicely put!
doppelfisch
Very nicely put, indeed!
anonandon
1k in mine, with an optional 16k RAM expansion. ZX81
HeadedForEternity
rbudrick
This is like the plot of Narita Boy. A highly recommended game that was way beyond expectations.
SMarkt
the spectrum got 48k memory
FrostByteUK
in the zx+ yes... but there was the +2/+3 .....
ZXDunny
48k writable space, yes, but that was in a block of 64kb.
IGotLordVoldemortsNose
I will reserve 32 lines of code for him, zx81 was my first computer. It could take 32 lines of basic in it's 1k memory
ihaveapunningclan
Check out this guy with 64kb of memory. That's an overflow on my hardware!
roboticKittenTamer
and I don't have any overflow protection plus with the up time I have the memory leaks are really starting to add up!
MyBigMouth
He got mocked for the C5, now everyone wants small electric cars. Ahead of his time.
TheOneThatGotBanned
A nice view on it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS6q27VOTOk
navyjeff
To be fair, a lot of us wanted electric cars back then. But they were unfortunately impractical for most people.
speedislife
C5 was more of an e-bike if you ask me.
elhigh
Let's be real, even now no one wants a C5. Top speed of 15mph and a seat height putting you eye level with other cars' fenders. No way.
ButterfaceTaintClown
they're collectors items now. they're fucking amazing.
ButterfaceTaintClown
https://youtu.be/u9CXiSbHHiA
happywalker
his nephew is making https://www.grantsinclair.com/en/e-bike.html
HzZbVYAx77aoiuN9Zy
.. want to buy serviceable/repairable technology instead of these "throw it away after broken" devices tbh
happywalker
a worthy intent indeed. i find i pay extra for good quality and in the end is worth it.
HzZbVYAx77aoiuN9Zy
yea, there's now frame.work which I saw Rossmann's yt and apparently linux tech tips invested 200k in it.Looking pretty good replaceable CPU
HzZbVYAx77aoiuN9Zy
linus tech tips* (glad he did something good finally) replaceable wifi card, storage, ram, cpu, battery, etc laptop (frame.work is the site)
ReturnOfActionCheese
My first computer. That keyboard was ass too
mikehofmann350
Was the first one i owned myself, but started on a CBM8032
vatroslast
i remember it good! the consistency was of
captainfakeypants
I had a ZX+ with 100% less ass.
mydakotaandanamaybegonebutnotforgotten
Mine too, traded up to a Commodore 64.
Zetor
Yeah, but the Basic is probably on of the (if not the first) first examples of autocomplete.
somnif
Yeah the whole "chiclet" keyboard thing was... an odd choice. Cheap, I suppose, at least.
kboyer36
As bad as the spectrum keyboard was, it was worlds above the ZX-80 and ZX-81.
gobblinal
I used the eraser ends of two pencils to type on my ZX-80 and ZX-81.
Wubbalubbadubdubb101
It's 2021, I think its confusing to use ass as an insult. I can't tell if it's good or bad
captainfakeypants
Bad, wicked, sick, ass, lit, (the) shit, (the) balls, (the dog's) bollocks. You need to know by context and that's been true for 40+ years
navyjeff
Not good. It was spongy rubber dome keys, like a TI calculator. But it was affordable.
TheLastKingOfSomewhere
Same. I remember typing in programs in basic, and having to piss about with the symbol shift key to get the command you wanted. Still have..
TheLastKingOfSomewhere
… very fond memories of my Speccy though.
urjan
Same here! played Attic Attack and Valhalla.. ah, memories.
BroodjeBakpao
Doomdarks Revenge!
CrispyPyjama
Jetset Willy and it's music !