R.I.P. Sir Clive Sinclair

Sep 17, 2021 9:45 AM

TheOneThatGotBanned

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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

spectrum

zx80

8bit

retro

80s

Our first computer was a Timex Sinclair.

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

4 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

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.

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

My first micro computer was the sinclair zx81, then spectrum 16k

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

One of the reasons the UK developed such strong game dev talent in the 1990s and onwards.

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Another great genius bytes the dust. R.I.P. Sir Clive

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Spectrum 48k. My first...

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Mine too. All those memories gone forever. Like, tears in the rain.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

10 PRINT"THAT GUYS DEAD WIFE. AND YOUR MOM."; 20 GOTO 10

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

OMG!!! I had one of these!!! Pssssttt.... was my favourite game

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

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.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The one in the picture was black and white :) Exolon on both the speccy and cpc was awesome :)

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

It says pocket calculators too,forgot they where computers

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I backed the ZX Spectrum Next when it was on Kickstarter. Fun little computer. Never had the original, but the Next is pretty sweet.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

And tiny electric cars and pocket calculators!

4 years ago | Likes 27 Dislikes 0

ZX81 Sinclair. When u could restart the whole computer lab by bumping one row of tables

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

looking at your ram addon the wrong way :)

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

had a buddy who really got into it. decade later he had his jury rigged as a keyboard for his frankensteined unix (?) machine

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I think that was a pretty common hack, adding a "real" keyboard. In DK it was Commodore and Amstrad, not many speccy.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

First program entered from a mag, was on a ZX81 clone the Lambda 8300 in 83 racing game stay on the track that gets smaller.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

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.

4 years ago | Likes 73 Dislikes 0

He did electric bikes and mini tvs too! Genius lost in the barmy 80s, forgotten since.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

ZX spectrum 128k was my introduction to the world of computers, my patience was honed by the load times of yesteryear. RIP Sir Clive.

4 years ago | Likes 15 Dislikes 0

the load times are when i got my homework done :-)

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Please do not forget about the ZX81... and ZX80. RESPECT

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

ZX81 pictured, it really needed the extra ram modules :)

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

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).

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

i have learned basic and machincode on the spektrum and i had a jobinterview a few minutes ago as a frontend. thanks, Sir Sinclair!

4 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

As an upvote for the life of the man who brought affordable computing to the masses.... +3

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

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.

4 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

This was the first computer that I used and learned to program with.

4 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

10 PRINT “GODSPEED, SIR CLIVE”. 20 GOTO 10

4 years ago | Likes 8 Dislikes 0

Mein gawd i had that one. My very first computer as a kid. Good times :).

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

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.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Here's something from old school B3ta - perfectly sums up the whole Sinclair legacy - https://youtu.be/Ts96J7HhO28

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Glad someone posted that - first thing that popped into my mind when I heard the news! RIP Sir Clive.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

He got mocked for the C5, now everyone wants small electric cars. Ahead of his time.

4 years ago | Likes 54 Dislikes 0

To be fair, a lot of us wanted electric cars back then. But they were unfortunately impractical for most people.

4 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 0

C5 was more of an e-bike if you ask me.

4 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

his nephew is making https://www.grantsinclair.com/en/e-bike.html

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

He was quite a quirky fella. I suspected him on being on a Spectrum.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The Timex/Sinclair was selling beside the Ti 99/4A, who had Bill Cosby as the pitch man.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

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.

4 years ago | Likes 346 Dislikes 1

Someone destroy some Bitcoin data space to pay him tribute!

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Imma only gonna give him 48kb. Fair's fair.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Best I can do is 48K, but he will have that.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

This is like the plot of Narita Boy. A highly recommended game that was way beyond expectations.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

1k in mine, with an optional 16k RAM expansion. ZX81

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

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

4 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

Very nicely put, indeed!

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Nicely put!

4 years ago | Likes 17 Dislikes 0

Check out this guy with 64kb of memory. That's an overflow on my hardware!

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

and I don't have any overflow protection plus with the up time I have the memory leaks are really starting to add up!

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

the spectrum got 48k memory

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

in the zx+ yes... but there was the +2/+3 .....

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

48k writable space, yes, but that was in a block of 64kb.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

My first computer. That keyboard was ass too

4 years ago | Likes 96 Dislikes 0

Was the first one i owned myself, but started on a CBM8032

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Yeah the whole "chiclet" keyboard thing was... an odd choice. Cheap, I suppose, at least.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Yeah, but the Basic is probably on of the (if not the first) first examples of autocomplete.

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Mine too, traded up to a Commodore 64.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

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..

4 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

… very fond memories of my Speccy though.

4 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

i remember it good! the consistency was of

4 years ago | Likes 15 Dislikes 0

I had a ZX+ with 100% less ass.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

It's 2021, I think its confusing to use ass as an insult. I can't tell if it's good or bad

4 years ago | Likes 21 Dislikes 1

Not good. It was spongy rubber dome keys, like a TI calculator. But it was affordable.

4 years ago | Likes 9 Dislikes 0

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

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

As bad as the spectrum keyboard was, it was worlds above the ZX-80 and ZX-81.

4 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

I used the eraser ends of two pencils to type on my ZX-80 and ZX-81.

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Same here! played Attic Attack and Valhalla.. ah, memories.

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Doomdarks Revenge!

4 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Jetset Willy and it's music !

4 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0