Long live the legacy of Sir “Uncle” Clive Sinclair! So many of us had their life changed by his computers. My first computer was the Spectrum when I was 15 years old.
Fascinating interview. I grew up with Sinclair computers, had ZX81 then Spectrum, Spectrum+, and a QL. ZX81 was given away years ago but still have all the others!
Aw... This being suggested to me is like getting a present. I got a Spectrum 48k, when I was 11. I still remember it fondly, and no computer, however powerful has bested it since.
The BBC machine had many many built in ports with all the support chips or places for them that that required. So the circuit board for a beeb is significantly bigger than a speccy and hence the bigger case because it physically needs more chips. Have a look at a beeb circuit board. It's packed out with stuff.
@@navalenigma Yeh but did it really need it ,you still had to buy all the extras .We had them when I was in school in the 80s .Not much most could do with a computer back in the 80s .Gaming was the name of.the game back then
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you DON'T hire the first person who turns up on your doorstep. Charles knew nothing about the business he was getting into and might as well have been selling soap or breakfast cereal. He didn't understand the technology, the markets or international trade. This was common with UK companies, especially technology ones at the time. What a disaster! What Clive Sinclair should have done was licence the computers to overseas manufacturers to make machines localised to their home market. This would have worked for Canada/USA and would have avoided the mass piracy that happened in South America (Where local manufacturers reversed engineered the Spectrum and ZX81, and Sinclair Ltd earned NOTHING). This would have made sense with the Soviet Union as well. If Sinclair had put more thought into this they might have been around a bit longer. If you are making money and you want to expand you need hire THE BEST PEOPLE and if they give you advice, then take. I worked in London computer from 1980 until the end of 1992. Some of these companies were run by people who knew little about business and were little more than hobbyist who drifted into a business, with habit of over-promising and under delivering. Stephen
@@freedomvigilant1234 He and Sinclair seem to be equally clueless. The ZX Spectrum was widely copied. In Brazil for example, the ZX Spectrum was widely copied and they had completely lost control of their intellectual Property. I suspect that Charles Cotton was hired because Sinclair thought it would break in to the car industry. Instead the 'car' business broke him.
@@G7VFYWell, C5 issues aside, a lot of companies have issues with clones etc. My point is that Sinclair did try to sell the ZX81 and Sinclair Spectrum abroad but they did not succeed perhaps as much as Sir Clive Sinclair hoped.
Long live the legacy of Sir “Uncle” Clive Sinclair! So many of us had their life changed by his computers. My first computer was the Spectrum when I was 15 years old.
An absolutely wonderful interview Jason. Extremely interesting 👍
Thank you kindly! :)
What a geat interview, well done both!
Fascinating interview. I grew up with Sinclair computers, had ZX81 then Spectrum, Spectrum+, and a QL. ZX81 was given away years ago but still have all the others!
Wonderful insightful. An original Sinclair fan girl.
Absolutely fascinating interview. Thanks Charles.
Fantastic interview. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it :)
Aw... This being suggested to me is like getting a present. I got a Spectrum 48k, when I was 11. I still remember it fondly, and no computer, however powerful has bested it since.
Great interview!
Much appreciated.
👍 Thanks!
Imagination a major factor in computer graphics.
Kane Kramer, the guy who co-invented the portable digital audio player, would make a great interview.
I think the bond bug might have inspired sir Clive .
When you look at the size of the BBC compared to Spectrum even the plus ,it must of been all case with not much more inside compared to a Spectrum
The BBC machine had many many built in ports with all the support chips or places for them that that required. So the circuit board for a beeb is significantly bigger than a speccy and hence the bigger case because it physically needs more chips. Have a look at a beeb circuit board. It's packed out with stuff.
@@navalenigma Yeh but did it really need it ,you still had to buy all the extras .We had them when I was in school in the 80s .Not much most could do with a computer back in the 80s .Gaming was the name of.the game back then
@@LOTPOR0402 your point was it must have been all case and not much inside. Just pointing out that was not the "case" so to speak.
@@LOTPOR0402not much you could do. A lot of people did a hell of a lot.
399? it was 440 only teachers who got 17.5% vat off could afford it
Product design ------poor key board.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you DON'T hire the first person who turns up on your doorstep.
Charles knew nothing about the business he was getting into and might as well have been selling soap or breakfast cereal. He didn't understand the technology, the markets or international trade. This was common with UK companies, especially technology ones at the time.
What a disaster! What Clive Sinclair should have done was licence the computers to overseas manufacturers to make machines localised to their home market. This would have worked for Canada/USA and would have avoided the mass piracy that happened in South America (Where local manufacturers reversed engineered the Spectrum and ZX81, and Sinclair Ltd earned NOTHING).
This would have made sense with the Soviet Union as well.
If Sinclair had put more thought into this they might have been around a bit longer. If you are making money and you want to expand you need hire THE BEST PEOPLE and if they give you advice, then take.
I worked in London computer from 1980 until the end of 1992. Some of these companies were run by people who knew little about business and were little more than hobbyist who drifted into a business, with habit of over-promising and under delivering.
Stephen
Sinclair did license the ZX81 and Sinclair Spectrum design to Timex who sold their own version in the North American and South American markets.
@@freedomvigilant1234 He and Sinclair seem to be equally clueless. The ZX Spectrum was widely copied. In Brazil for example, the ZX Spectrum was widely copied and they had completely lost control of their intellectual Property.
I suspect that Charles Cotton was hired because Sinclair thought it would break in to the car industry. Instead the 'car' business broke him.
@@G7VFYWell, C5 issues aside, a lot of companies have issues with clones etc.
My point is that Sinclair did try to sell the ZX81 and Sinclair Spectrum abroad but they did not succeed perhaps as much as Sir Clive Sinclair hoped.