Micro Men Page #4

Whatever it was called.

Never bloody worked.

Anyway.

We all want to go with the 6502 processor.

Of course. It's the only choice.

For the moment.

Plus, a whole new look.

That's right. We'll start with kits,

but we want to market this with a proper

ready-made moulded keyboard

and built-in assembler.

The products we produce are going to be

led by you, the engineers.

And so I'm pleased to announce that Nigel

will be heading the new computer division -

not just a division, but an entirely new

company:
Sinclair Computers.

A new company, gentlemen.

A new beginning.

Perhaps we should remind ourselves

of the secret of the Sinclair success.

That is, being first to market.

Letting people know what they want,

before even they know about it.

Now the MK14 has been a modest success,

as I knew it would be,

appealing to a specialist interest,

And yes, there are companies

making more advanced computers

but these are affordable only for use

in offices or laboratories.

But is the personal computer

not a desirable notion?

Something every citizen would quietly crave

if he actually knew what it was?

This is my vision.

A computing device in every home in Britain.

I quote.'Personal computers will become

steadily cheaper.

Prices could drop to around a hundred

pounds within the next five years.'

Poppycock!

Because, gentlemen, we are going to

achieve that in a matter of months.

Price is the key.

Whatever happens, I want a computer

that we can sell

for the magic sum of ninety-nine pounds.

At that price, the man on the

Clapham omnibus will want one

even if he has absolutely no idea

what to do with it!

Beg, borrow or steal components.

But one thing is clear in my mind.

It has to look like this.

Now just imagine a future where anybody

could go and buy a computer kit

to program at home.

We could sell, what, eight thousand,

maybe even ten thousand computers?

What programming language are you proposing?

Which one's the best?

They all have their limitations.

Then why don't you write us a better one?

Look, I've heard Sinclair might be developing

a new computer of his own.

Is that true?

I don't know. We don't speak.

Besides, with the team we've assembled

I'm 100% certain

that we're way ahead of Sinclair.

Good evening, and welcome to The Money Programme.

Tonight we enter the world of the microchip,

and report on a story of British

perseverance and invention.

We ask:
will the personal computer be

Clive Sinclair's ticket to a fortune?

It took Sinclair just nine months to

develop the ZX80,

and he began to sell it by mail order

in March this year.

It costs 99 pounds, measures nine by seven inches

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