Sir Clive Sinclair, the inventor and entrepreneur who was instrumental in bringing home computers to the masses, has died at the age of 81.
His daughter, Belinda, said he died at home in London on Thursday morning after a long illness. Sinclair was best known for popularising the home computer, bringing it to British high-street stores at relatively affordable prices.
For a certain generation of gamer, the computer of choice was the ZX Spectrum.
Sinclair became a household name as his products flew off the shelves and he was awarded a knighthood in 1983. But he would also become synonymous with one of his less successful inventions – the Sinclair C5 – a battery-powered electric trike that was launched in January 1985 with Sinclair predicting sales of 100,000 in the first year.
But it flopped, and Sinclair Vehicles found itself in receivership by October of the same year. Reviews expressed concerns about the safety of driving a vehicle below the sightline of other motorists, as well as exposure to the elements.
The following year, Sinclair sold his computer business to Amstrad.
He is survived by Belinda, his sons Crispin and Bartholomew, aged 55 and 52 respectively, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Related Posts
Marilyn Monroe in Korea (1954) In February 1954, actress Marilyn Monroe travelled to Korea to entertain the American troops stationed over there. Marilyn was asked…
Almost Better Than The Real Thing From 1968 to 1982, studio-based musicians in the employ of Pickwick Records in Britain mimicked everyone from The Sex Pistols to Roxy…
The Beatles Rooftop Concert (1969) 30 January 1969 The Beatles made their last ever live appearance together on 30 January 1969, putting on a free…
40 Things That Only Happen in Movies 01. It is always possible to find a parking spot directly outside or opposite the building you are visiting. 02.…
Colour TV - The Dawn of Glam Television It's no coincidence that Britain embraced Glam at precisely the moment that colour TV sets became affordable. Out went any…
The Beatles in Hamburg On 27 December 1960 The Beatles appeared at the Litherland Town Hall Ballroom in Liverpool in a performance widely regarded as being…
Why Wasn't I Told? Dorrie Evans, the scatty and interfering self-appointed concierge at 96 Lindsay Street, Paddington, was the absolute queen of malapropism on…
