Sir Clive Sinclair, the entrepreneur and inventor widely known for bringing one of the most popular early gaming PCs to the masses, has died aged 81.
Per The Guardian, Sinclair's daughter, Belinda, confirmed that he died in his London home on Thursday morning after a long illness. Among other inventions, Sinclair is notably credited for his creation of the ZX Spectrum, the 8-bit home computer that brought affordable gaming to the masses when it was released in the United Kingdom in 1982.
Speaking to The Guardian, Belinda Sinclair said, "He was a rather amazing person. Of course, he was so clever and he was always interested in everything. My daughter and her husband are engineers so he’d be chatting engineering with them.”
Following in the footsteps of the ZX80 and ZX81, the ZX Spectrum marked an important shift in computing technology, becoming one of the first home computers to be marketed towards mainstream audiences. The home computer became one of a limited number of affordable options at the time and acted as a true rival to the US-produced Commodore 64 that debuted in the same year. For many years, the Spectrum remained a popular choice across the world, inspiring generations of future IT developers and gamers alike until it was discontinued in 1992, ten years after its first release.
Sinclair also invented the first slimline pocket calculator, an early folding bike, and the Sinclair C5, a battery-powered single-seater vehicle. Sinclair received a number of honors for his contributions toward the technology sector in the 1980s following the release of the Spectrum. In 1983, he was awarded a knighthood for contributions to British industry in the Queen's Birthday Honors list before subsequently being made a fellow at Imperial College London the year after.
After news broke of Sir Clive Sinclair's passing, a number of tributes to the British inventor were posted across Twitter from various notable individuals and companies across the world. A selection of these messages can be read below:
RIP Sir Clive Sinclair. Your innovations democratized computing and inspired so many, including myself. I vividly remember my first computer, a ZX80, and the sense of wonder and empowerment I felt. It was your device that sparked my passion for engineering.
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) September 17, 2021
For someone whose first glimpses of a brave new world were the terrifying graphics of 3D Monster Maze on the ZX81, I'd like to salute tech pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair. He made 21st Century dreams feel possible. Will bash away on the rubber keys of a Spectrum in your honour. RIP. pic.twitter.com/UGHs0djeMV
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) September 16, 2021
RIP Sir Clive Sinclair.
The ZX Spectrum brought affordable personal computers to the masses, and for many people in the UK it was the beginning of their love for video games and coding. Thank you. 💙
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) September 17, 2021
Sad to hear that Clive Sinclair has died. The ZX81 was my introduction to computing and I loved it! Started out with a 1k version and eventually saved up for a 16k ram pack – thank you Clive !
— Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox) September 16, 2021
Everyone here at IGN would like to offer our condolences to Sinclair's family and friends at this time.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN.