Handheld computer pioneer dies

After more than a decade of fighting cancer, famous inventor Clive Sinclair breathed his last on September 16 at the age of 81.

British media reported Sinclair died at his home in London. As of last week, he was still working on new inventions "because that's what he loves". Sinclair's departure reminds many people of their first experience with a handheld computer in the 1970s.

"My father was always creative and imaginative. For him it was joy, passion and adventure," Belinda Sinclair, daughter of Clive Sinclair, told the BBC.

Clive Sinclair poses for a photo with the Sinclair Executive line of pocket computers. (Photo: FT).

Sinclair's groundbreaking inventions included the world's first thin line electronic handheld computer in 1972, the Sinclair Executive . In 1980, he continued to launch the Sinclair ZX80 for less than £100, helping to bring home computers to the masses.

At the time, other early home computers such as the Apple II cost much more, and Sinclair's company was the first manufacturer in the world to sell more than a million units.

Subsequent models including the ZX81 in 1981, the ZX Spectrum in 1982 - boasting superior power and a more user-friendly interface - accelerated the revolution in video games and home programming.

The ZX81 family of computers was a huge success with more than 1.5 million units sold. (Photo: FT).

"I want to say goodbye to Sir Clive Sinclair, a man whose pioneering vision of the new world was. He made the dreams of the 21st century come true," said British film director Edgar Wright, who whose latest film "Last Night in Soho" premiered in Venice this month, paid tribute to Sinclair on Twitter.

"This man changed the direction of my life , " former deputy leader of the British opposition Labor Party Tom Watson also expressed mourning. "Suffice to say, the digital era for Britons began with the Sinclair ZX80, when thousands of kids learned to code using 1k RAM. To us, Spectrum was like a Rolls Royce with 48k."

Sinclair C5 electric car, an invention ahead of its time but unsuccessfully launched. (Photo: FT)

However, not all of Sinclair's inventions were wildly successful. The Sinclair C5, a battery-powered tricycle touted as the future of eco-friendly transportation, became a luxury product for the masses after it hit the market in 1985. .

But looking back, it was ahead of its time. Today, with a special concern for the environment in the face of climate change, the electric vehicle industry is growing strongly.

Born on July 30, 1940, Sinclair dropped out of school at the age of 17 and became a technical journalist specializing in writing manuals. At the age of 22, he founded his first company, making mail-order radios, including the world's smallest transistor radio at the time. Other projects include digital clocks and early versions of flat-screen TVs.

In 1983, Sinclair was knighted.