Micro Men

Tonight we're going to paint a picture of success,

peopled with characters who have imagination,

confidence in themselves,

faith in the future

and a very positive attitude to life.

Which means, simply, that they

never, ever take no for an answer.

Like Joe Radley, driller of fine holes

for the electronics boom.

Like George Taylor, who has turned

15 of holiday money

into a 3 million pound business.

Like Clive Sinclair, electronics wizard

who could beat the Japs and the Americans

at their own game.

I consider it very much my role

to foresee the future.

For example, I anticipate totally

automatic personalised cars

powered by electricity drawn from

internal batteries or the mains.

That's a very real goal.

Starting in the early 1960s

Sinclair has introduced a world

to a series of remarkable technological advances.

Miniature amplifiers,

personal in-ear radios

and his real breakthrough,

the world's first slimline pocket calculator.

Sinclair went on to produce dozens of models

before foreign manufacturers flooded the market.

Undaunted, Sinclair moved on to

the world's first digital quartz watch

but faulty components spelt disaster.

Faced with financial ruin, Sinclair had to

turn to the government for help -

selling a share of his company

to the National Enterprise Board

in order to fund future projects.

What we've brought in is public investment,

and business know-how -

and we're confident that the portable

television we've developed together

will be a great success.

This is claimed to be the world's first

truly commercial pocket television.

It's been launched by an English company

in London today -

in America, later this week.

This is one of the things we hope will

be making money for Britain

this year, and in years to come.

Whether it does or not,

you can at least say

that it works, and that it goes into your pocket.

The answer is no.

But why?

Have you even looked at these accounts?

We're in no position to throw away

taxpayers' money on concept products!

This is not a concept product.

It's dreamland, Clive.

We're running a proper business here.

Not an amusement arcade!

There is no more research money for the car.

I'm sorry.

Nothing personal, Clive.

Who are these people?

What do they think they're running here?

What's the point of funding an invention

if you can't stomach the inventor?

Clive...

Jesus Christ!

What the bloody hell's the matter with you?

I don't give a sh*t about components.

Just get it working!

What the bloody hell do you think I pay you for?

F***'s sake, I'm surrounded by incompetence!

The top end, I've got people who

don't know their arse from their elbow...

I'll have a word with him.

...at the bottom end, there are people

who can't even answer a f***ing telephone!

Yes, maybe later.

Come on - pub.

Cheers man.

I've had enough of these

Bolshevik penny-pinchers.

And bugger technical instruments!

We've taken technical instruments

and hi-fis as far as they can go.

I've watched the pocket calculator we invented

be hijacked by the Japanese

and their ugly plastic grot.

I'll be damned if they take away my car.

They don't have the first idea about

Sinclair Radionics.

Can't they see we exist to push barriers?

We won't be constrained like this.

What's that line from Browning...?

'A man's reach must exceed his grasp,

or what's a heaven for?'

Who's that for?

No grudges, you know me.

As inventors, we're obliged to dream.

To be unconstrained in our quest for progress.

Always to be pushing at the barriers.

And we must never forget that allied to

innovation is a clear Sinclair aesthetic.

Practicality, simplicity and elegance

are the pillars of my vision.

Remember that, boys.

Elegance, above all.

Excuse me, Clive. I'd like you to meet

a friend of mine - Hermann Hauser.

Hermann, this is Clive Sinclair.

A pleasure to meet you.

German?

I'm Austrian. A common error.

I was just talking about the importance

of elegance in innovative design.

As with your Black Watch?

Oh - yes.

But your watch didn't work properly.

Elegance and functionality, no?

Hermann's doing a PhD at the Cavendish.

It's on oxidisation.

Yes, well some of us didn't go to university,

did we, Chris.

We prefer the cut-and-thrust of the real world

but I'm sure watching things rust

has its interest.

I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive him.

Chris, Clive here.

I'd like to have a word with you in private.

Meet me in the Rolls in five minutes.

We've had six months of this state control,

and it's been even worse than I thought.

This interference in my business is intolerable.

I've asked you here because I trust you, Chris.

I want you to consider yourself freed

from your employment at Sinclair Radionics.

What?

Don't worry, you'll still work for me.

I hold another company name:

Science Of Cambridge - it's a shell,

no more than that,

but I want you to start operating it.

Right...?

I've rented a property in King's Parade -

probably start with a couple of small projects.

There are some of those calculator chips

down in the store,

do help yourself to those.

Okay. I mean, I have been speaking to Hermann

about a basic micro-computing kit.

Yes, yes. What you'll be doing

is preparing the ground

for me to move in when this Stalinist

shibboleth crumbles, as it surely will.

You, Chris, will be keeping the flame alive.

He'll drive you up the wall,

but there is something about him.

An absolute belief in what he's doing,

and he's loyal to his staff like nobody else.

You know, he took me and Jim on

when we were just kids.

And this whole thing, starting this company,

it's been great.

A real chance to show what I can do.

He's coming to see the new

computing kit tomorrow.

I think he's going to like it.

Now, whose move?

What is a pawn?

A piece whose only function

is to protect the king.

To lay down his life, if necessary,

as part of a greater plan.

But the object of the game -

this is to kill the king.

Now are you a pawn, Chris,

or a bigger piece on the board?

Checkmate.

No, it's not.

Oh, maybe you're right.

I don't really know the rules.

CPU... RAM chips...

It's a basic micro-processing system.

It's a kit. To make your own computer,

at home.

Whatever for?

Right, well - you can find out how chips work,

how to program using computer language -

once they've got that, they'll want more powerful

computers - computers we can produce.

Hardly going to have IBM quaking in their boots.

It's a bloody ugly thing.

But it's better than nothing.

Some people like putting these together,

I suppose.

Is this the best furniture you could find?

Er, yes.

Well it doesn't exactly smack

of the Sinclair brand.

Still, it won't be long until I'm out of this

NEB cage, then I can really get cracking.

Start work on some serious products.

We've got to face facts.

Sales of the television have been disappointing.

With a little more time,

and further investment -

What? More money?

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