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Home Computing Pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair Dies

09/22/2021

Pocket calculator inventor and home computing pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair died at his home on September 16 following a long illness. He was 81. Sinclair may have been best known for popularizing the home computer. Leaving school at 17, he worked for 4 years as a technical journalist to fund Sinclair Radionics and created the Sinclair Spectrum and the first computer, the Sinclair ZX-81. Many modern-day titans of the games industry got their start on one of his ZX models.

Back in the day, the gamer’s computer of choice was either the ZX Spectrum 48K or its rival, the Commodore 64. Among his other inventions was a coin-sized radio. Despite his computer background, Sinclair declined to use the internet, email, or even computers. He also was involved in developing various personal transport systems, including an electric vehicle.



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