Clive SInclair, Pioneer of Home Computing, Dies at 81

British inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, considered a pioneer in the field of home computers, has died of undisclosed causes, his family announced Thursday. He was 81 years old.

  • Sinclair began his work as an innovator when he was still in high school, constructing small radios, amplifiers and a state-of-the-art communications system. His design for a simple radio circuit was soon picked up by a manufacturer, which sold Sinclair's radio as a DIY kit.
  • But it wasn't until 1980 that Sinclair helped jump-start the home computing industry with the release of the ZX80, the first in his line of ZX Spectrum PCs. With a price tag equal to about $137 in U.S. currency, the ZX80 brought home computers into England residents' homes for the first time. The invention was held in such high regard that he was knighted in 1983 on the personal recommendation of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Photo Credit: Getty Images


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