RIP Sir Clive Sinclair

MashinBenzin · 09-16-2021, 02:37 PM

Sir Clive Sinclair: Computing pioneer dies aged 81 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58587521

My first memory of a 'proper' computer, rather than an Atari cartridge console, was my dad's friend's ZX81. 1k of memory. Press a button and a character appears on the TV! Mind blown.

Then my first computer was a 48k Spectrum. Loved the games, loved programming BASIC. Didn't love a loading crash after five minutes of squealing loading from a tape.

Thank you Sir Clive for the memories and the inspiration, RIP

Blacktemplar · 09-16-2021, 03:05 PM

That’s sad news. Much maligned for some of his more unusual ideas, but a true ‘potting shed boffin’ in the best British tradition.

I had one of the very first Enterprise programmable calculators in 1977 or 1978 and it was a thing of wonder. Bloody useless but a real step up from the 1975 Texas Instruments monster my dad brought back from the States.

JustChris · 09-16-2021, 03:15 PM

Great mind and a legend.

TouringPleb · 09-16-2021, 03:27 PM

We had a ZX80 given to us by my step-grandad. There was a game called flea race where there were 5 black dots on the screen, they moved at random from left to right and you had to guess which one would 'win'.

We then had a Spectrum with the legendary Daily Thompson's Decathlon!

Bryans69 · 09-16-2021, 03:27 PM

I still have a ZX80 and a ZX81.

Sad news

This is worth watching if you can find it

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n5b92

DaveA · 09-16-2021, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blacktemplar

That’s sad news. Much maligned for some of his more unusual ideas, but a true ‘potting shed boffin’ in the best British tradition.

I had one of the very first Enterprise programmable calculators in 1977 or 1978 and it was a thing of wonder. Bloody useless but a real step up from the 1975 Texas Instruments monster my dad brought back from the States.

I would love one of those calculators is tip top condition...

I still have my old 1980 Texas Instruments LED machine that took ROM and RAM units in the back and did lots of fancy programming (I felt very "NASA" using it)...

To be honest, though, the trusty Casio was more useful... and used less of the national grid to power it...

I currently use a couple of HP calculators... One is somewhat user friendly work horse scientific.. the other requires you to understand and programme in RP (but is an awesome machine still)... I also have an HP emulator on my iPhone....

Geek... Yup...

RIP Sir Clive.... although maybe the C5 was not the greatest idea...

F30Andy · 09-17-2021, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveA

RIP Sir Clive.... although maybe the C5 was not the greatest idea...

Like a lot of his inventions it was way ahead of it's time.

Gaz330d · 09-19-2021, 05:09 AM

So many happy childhood memories of the Spectrum 48K. My favourite was always Football Manager. Used to play it for hours trying to get to the first division. There were so many playable games that were addictive. I remember going through a new keyboard and a few joysticks playing Daley Thompson’s Decathlon! Who remembers the Poke cheats and the Poke Hardware to freeze the game and enter poke cheats. 😀
RIP Sir Clive

F20MAW73 · 09-19-2021, 06:49 AM

I was always a commdore64 man.... RIP Sir Clive

MashinBenzin · 09-20-2021, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaz330d

So many happy childhood memories of the Spectrum 48K. My favourite was always Football Manager. Used to play it for hours trying to get to the first division. There were so many playable games that were addictive. I remember going through a new keyboard and a few joysticks playing Daley Thompson’s Decathlon! Who remembers the Poke cheats and the Poke Hardware to freeze the game and enter poke cheats. 😀
RIP Sir Clive

Ah the sheer randomness of Football Manager. One season your best forward (Peter Withe for instance, who I wouldn't have heard of if not for the game) would be ranked a 5. Come the new season, he's suddenly a 1. Then the frustration of your stick man missing a sitter. Absolutely loved that game and it's many successors on later computers.

isleaiw1 · 09-20-2021, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

Ah the sheer randomness of Football Manager. One season your best forward (Peter Withe for instance, who I wouldn't have heard of if not for the game) would be ranked a 5. Come the new season, he's suddenly a 1. Then the frustration of your stick man missing a sitter. Absolutely loved that game and it's many successors on later computers.

You'd never heard of Peter Withe apart from a game. Heresy. Forest, Villa and Sheff Utd legend.

MashinBenzin · 09-20-2021, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isleaiw1

Quote:

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

Ah the sheer randomness of Football Manager. One season your best forward (Peter Withe for instance, who I wouldn't have heard of if not for the game) would be ranked a 5. Come the new season, he's suddenly a 1. Then the frustration of your stick man missing a sitter. Absolutely loved that game and it's many successors on later computers.

You'd never heard of Peter Withe apart from a game. Heresy. Forest, Villa and Sheff Utd legend.

I was too young

isleaiw1 · 09-20-2021, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MashinBenzin

I was too young

I did think that when I typed it, I was only 12 to 14 when I watched him at Forest, a bit older when I watched him at United....

AlanQS · 09-26-2021, 05:56 PM

I got a ZX80 when it first came out. It was an advert in the Sunday Express. £79 if you assembled it yourself, £100 pre-assembled.
I got the 16k ram pack pretty soon after as 1k ram wasn't any real use. Like everyone else, I placed a cold carton of milk against the back of the ram pack as it easily over-heated.

My first program: (of course)
10 Print "Hello World"
20 GoTo 10

RobUK · 09-27-2021, 06:14 AM

Sir Clive probably started my career in IT with a ZX80 and a wobbly RAM pack!

RIP Sir Clive.

09-16-2021, 02:37 PM	#1
MashinBenzin Major General 8450 Rep 8,775 Posts Drives: Eiger D5 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	RIP Sir Clive Sinclair Sir Clive Sinclair: Computing pioneer dies aged 81 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58587521 My first memory of a 'proper' computer, rather than an Atari cartridge console, was my dad's friend's ZX81. 1k of memory. Press a button and a character appears on the TV! Mind blown. Then my first computer was a 48k Spectrum. Loved the games, loved programming BASIC. Didn't love a loading crash after five minutes of squealing loading from a tape. Thank you Sir Clive for the memories and the inspiration, RIP __________________ Drives - 2020 LR Discovery HSE-L Previous - 2019 LR Discovery HSE-L // 2016 F36 440i // 2009 E90 320D SE
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09-16-2021, 03:05 PM	#2
Blacktemplar Brigadier General 3459 Rep 3,667 Posts Drives: X3 M40i Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0)	That’s sad news. Much maligned for some of his more unusual ideas, but a true ‘potting shed boffin’ in the best British tradition. I had one of the very first Enterprise programmable calculators in 1977 or 1978 and it was a thing of wonder. Bloody useless but a real step up from the 1975 Texas Instruments monster my dad brought back from the States. Attached Images
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09-16-2021, 03:15 PM	#3
JustChris General 17483 Rep 25,112 Posts Drives: Tesla MYRWD Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Great mind and a legend. __________________ My car made front page of Bimmerpost
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09-16-2021, 03:27 PM	#4
TouringPleb Brigadier General 4369 Rep 4,227 Posts Drives: SRB 440i GC Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Cambs iTrader: (0)	We had a ZX80 given to us by my step-grandad. There was a game called flea race where there were 5 black dots on the screen, they moved at random from left to right and you had to guess which one would 'win'. We then had a Spectrum with the legendary Daily Thompson's Decathlon!
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09-16-2021, 03:27 PM	#5
Bryans69 Major 986 Rep 1,309 Posts Drives: TTT, MGB (in bits), VW Camper Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: surrey iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW 540i XDrive [0.00] 1977 MGB Roadster [0.00]	I still have a ZX80 and a ZX81. Sad news This is worth watching if you can find it https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n5b92
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09-19-2021, 05:09 AM	#8
Gaz330d Private First Class 45 Rep 145 Posts Drives: BMW F40 M135i xDrive Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	So many happy childhood memories of the Spectrum 48K. My favourite was always Football Manager. Used to play it for hours trying to get to the first division. There were so many playable games that were addictive. I remember going through a new keyboard and a few joysticks playing Daley Thompson’s Decathlon! Who remembers the Poke cheats and the Poke Hardware to freeze the game and enter poke cheats. 😀 RIP Sir Clive
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09-19-2021, 06:49 AM	#9
F20MAW73 440i Gran Coupe, Auto 875 Rep 1,295 Posts Drives: 440i GC Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: UK, West Sussex iTrader: (0)	I was always a commdore64 man.... RIP Sir Clive __________________ Z4M40i Black Sapphire
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09-26-2021, 05:56 PM	#14
AlanQS Colonel 240 Rep 2,810 Posts Drives: Jaguar XE P250 HSE Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Glasgow iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 430i m-sport G ... [0.00]	I got a ZX80 when it first came out. It was an advert in the Sunday Express. £79 if you assembled it yourself, £100 pre-assembled. I got the 16k ram pack pretty soon after as 1k ram wasn't any real use. Like everyone else, I placed a cold carton of milk against the back of the ram pack as it easily over-heated. My first program: (of course) 10 Print "Hello World" 20 GoTo 10
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09-27-2021, 06:14 AM	#15
RobUK Brigadier General 2810 Rep 4,935 Posts Drives: 340i MPPSK Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Sussex, N.Yorks, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2015 340i MPPSK [0.00] 2001 Yamaha FZS1000 [0.00]	Sir Clive probably started my career in IT with a ZX80 and a wobbly RAM pack! RIP Sir Clive. __________________ Life is a state of mind
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