Sinclair Spectrum 30 years old

Heater.

The good old Speccy is now 30 years old.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17776666

I'm glad to see Parallax is continuing the philosophy of Clive Sinclair in providing cheap and simple machines to inspire youngsters in the arts of computing and engineering general.

If only the Prop came in a box like that...

Leon

I was at the press conference when Sinclair and Alan Sugar announced the takeover. I was involved with the Sinclair QL at the time, and asked Sugar what he intended to do with it. He admitted that he didn't know much about it.

TonyD

Wow, 30-years already, man does that make me feel old :-)

The case design won an industrial design award.

Pop quiz:

What's the link between Apple and Sinclair Research ?

Both their industrial designers went to the same polytechnic college ?

Gadgetman

Time to dig out Jet Set Willy and have fun!

Or possibly Samantha Fox Strip Poker?
(Yes, it's a real game. The graphics are B/W and well... not worth it, really)

Alan Sugar has always been clueless about computers...
And admits it, too.
This is from the manual to the Amstrad NC100

Letter from the chairman of Amstrad
Dear new customer

I am first of all delighted to welcome you to the world of Amstrad, with your purchase of this new Notepad computer.

This product is known inside our company as my "BABY". The background to its inception stemmed from personal desire to be able to use a computer.

Yes - I am embarrassed to say that, as the Chairman of one of Europe's largest manufacturers of computers, I have never been able to use one! A while ago I called a meeting with some of my engineering staff and explained that I wanted us to make a simple to use computer. I explained that I'm not interested in knowing what's inside the machine and what the specifications of the machine is. I just want a machine that is simple to use and understand.

After many months of development and many meetings in which I was asked to give my opinion on the simplicity of its operation, this product evolved as what I perceive to be the first of a long line of a new generation of simple to use computers.

Although the Notepad is very simple to use, it should not be underestimated. I decided to write the first section (Section 1) of this instruction book to cover very simply the main functions for the first time novice user. The second section of the book has been written by the "BOFFINS" and uncovers a vast world of the machine's operation. If you still have any problems in understanding the Notepad, see page 215 for details of our telephone hotline support.

I am sure that if you have never used a computer before that once you have started to use the Notepad, you will be delighted with the results - so remember that it was AMSTRAD that put you in touch with the world of computing.

If you are delighted with your new skills, please show them off and recommend a friend or colleague. Help us to make AMSTRAD the entry-level computer standard.

Yours sincerely

Alan Sugar
Chairman

That was in 1992.

The QL...
The machine that was too advanced. And a little bit weird...
(I own one, I can say things like that) Maybe using 2 Microdrives wasn't the perfect choice for storage media...

pik33

Heater. wrote: »

If only the Prop came in a box like that...

We can always put a Propeller board in a standard keyboard case, maybe choose a bigger keyboard to have some place for the board and all these i/o connectors. Or get a case from dead Atari, Commodore 64. or even Spectrum, and put a propeller in it

And, yes, Propeller returned a joy of programming back

Martin Hodge

My first two computers; A Timex Sinclair and a second-hand Atari 800. Hated the Sinclair wot with it's membrane keyboard and buggy expansion port. Loooooved the 800!!