Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

Sinclair Research
     
         A British microelectronics developer and
        manufacturer.  Evolving from Sinclair Radionics in 1979,
        Sinclair Research was owned by Sir {Clive Sinclair}.  Sinclair
        Radionics produced electronic components and devices (such as
        calculators and pocket radios and televisions), but Sinclair
        Research began by producing some of the first {8-bit} home
        {microcomputers}.
     
        Sinclair produced five microcomputers from 1980 to 1987, all
        based on the {Zilog Z80} {microprocessor} (except for the
        {QL}, which used the {Motorola 68008} - a variant on the
        {68000}).  The 1K kit-build {ZX80}, introduced in 1980, was
        followed by the 1K {ZX81} (expandable to 16K) in 1981, the 16K
        (expandable to 48K) {ZX Spectrum} in 1982 (then superseded by
        two distinct 48K models and a 128K model in 1986) and the {QL}
        (Quantum Leap) in 1984.  A portable {laptop computer}, the
        {Z88}, was released in 1987 under the {Cambridge Computers}
        banner.
     
        Of them all, the ZX Spectrum was the best known, and it went
        on to become the most popular microcomputer of its time in the
        United Kingdom and in many other territories.  This was partly
        due to its ease of use, and also due to its enormous
        {software} catalogue, covering games, {word processing},
        music, {programming} and {graphics}.  Glorious
        "mine's-better-than-yours" battles were fought (and still are
        today) between owners of Spectrums and {Commodore 64}s over
        who had the best machine.
     
        Sir Clive's financial problems in the mid-80s led him to sell
        the rights to the Sinclair brand to {Amstrad} in April 1986.
        This led to further models of the Spectrum being released from
        1986 to 1988 and also an {IBM} {PC}-compatible based
        internally on Amstrad's own PC range.  Sir Clive was not
        involved with the production of these computers, and no
        computer with the Sinclair name has been produced since.
     
        {Home (http://www.sinclair-research.co.uk/)}.
        {Planet Sinclair (http://www.nvg.ntnu.no/sinclair/)}.
        {comp.sys.sinclair FAQ
        (http://www.kendalls.demon.co.uk/cssfaq/)}.
     
        (1998-12-09)