I must say that this section was conceived under the
articles from the electronic journal PCREVIEW. But what a time
there is no materials. Therefore, in the last issue we
decided to expand the boundaries of this section and
published its own translation of the article,
written for the 50-year anniversary of Sir Clive
Sinclair. It turned out that like himself
Sinclair sends us greetings. Or it can be
on the contrary - we tell him? Anyway, today - the continuation
of the theme - warm greetings all sinkleristam Russia from Sir
Clive Sinclair. Read the interview with the father of Spectrum,
which he gave in 1986 magazine "Sinclair User" ...
Research, what policies led.
Even so, Alan Sugar got the right products and Sinclair
Research cheaply: 12 million pounds for the company, which was
estimated at 100 million the year before. They say that Amstrad
has received 6,000,000 on sales of Spectrum.
Although Sir Clive chooses his words very carefully, you
create a strong impression that all this is not its for real.
Money was not the sole cause of the transaction. "I think it
was a bargain with his point of view, but you must remember
that covered the whole mess ... I do not mean just us ... all
got into it. "
And for most it remains so.
Commodore, for example, still loses an
state of each month.
"If Alan Sugar can do this
money, well, it's fantastic, but we
lose money on it, and continue there was no point ... We have
used opportunity to sell it all for the good
money and get out of unprofitable businesses. This
seems to me a good speed in the current
circumstances. When we started
Sinclair Research, we immediately decided that
our business will not be just a piece of bread with
oil. We wanted to go to those areas where
it will be difficult, but interesting. And in those days
certainly was leading gaming market. "
"We were pioneers, pioneers in
this business. And when time passes pioneers - well, it's time
to end this thing and try something new. "
So, he starts all over again, returning to the original
spirit of Sinclair Research - The spirit of the laboratory
inventors. Did He is now happier?
"Oh, definitely. We are so bogged down in these
"Conveyor" products, it does not
our region. We are not as good as the Amstrad, in affairs of
this kind. "
All this goodwill and trust
a few scares me. Really,
I ask, he just will not be disappointed if (and it looks quite
possible!) Alan Sugar is using the trademark "Sinclair" for
some primitive game console? And this is after it stood on a
home computer, conceived as an educational machine and a useful
business tool? Sir Clive smiles.
"I think - yes, a little bit. But I really
pleased that Britain now all looking
Alan Sugar, as a man who
rescues the Spectrum. He is very competent
man, a really brilliant, a real
professional. He does many things to
better than it turned out for us. "
"I'm not being modest, because I
I think that there are many things that, on the contrary, we
can do better than he could ever. Everything turned out better.
They will sell more computers, and we will be free for new
beginnings. By same - he adds, grinning - you can now write
about the two companies instead of one. "
My general impression
that the last few years, Sir Clive
Sinclair has not been truly happy with
his company Sinclair Research. He was
alternately the victim of an extraordinary success and
financial collapse. And, both significantly restricted his
freedom. Interestingly, he says almost nothing about the
burning problems of Sinclair Research Spectrum era. By the way,
one illustration. I asked him about the standard MIDI-interface
built into the Spectrum 128. "What's that?" - Asked Sir
Clive, genuinely puzzled. Then he
remembered.
Now Sir Clive back in control. Again, controls just such a
company, which he is best suited.
He again is a small team of talented engineers and computer
specialists, all of whose work is aimed at invention, a new and
unknown.
He calls himself an optimist, and this
indeed the case. He rarely chooses the easy way out - just
remember how they laughed at him because of the C5. And
certainly something in this way will more than once. The
difference in that now Sir Clive threw off
burden and ready myself to laugh at themselves.
When we were discussing plans Amstrada for Spectrum, I
mentioned how they integrate into the tape recorder -
obvious and fairly cheap trick to
increase sales. Computer with built-
recorder looks much more spectacular in
storefront. Although this seems logical, it is simply
impossible to imagine to something like that did Sinclair
Research.
Laughing, Sir Clive agreed: "Oh no,
in any case ... It would be too
obviously!
Sinclair User, August 1986.
