Gallery

Whatever happened to the Micro Men?

Posted on 16 Jun 2010 at 17:40

We uncover the fascinating stories of the men behind the 1980s home computing revolution

They were the “Micro Men” – the entrepreneurs and engineers behind legendary 1980s computers such as the Sinclair Spectrum, BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. Between them, they gave birth to a home-grown computer industry, the likes of which we’re never likely to see again.

Last year’s BBC comedy drama entertainingly – if rather cruelly – told the story of their sometimes bitter battle for the nascent home computing market of almost 30 years ago (click here to find out exactly what they thought of the BBC’s portrayal).

But what happened to these pioneers of British home computing? What have they been up to since their much-loved machines disappeared from view following the emergence of the global PC giants of the 1990s?

We’ve caught up with the Micro Men to uncover the fascinating and varied paths they’ve followed since. From Steve Furber’s million-CPU “brain” to Christopher Curry’s attempt to launch online shopping before the internet, they each have a remarkable tale to tell.

Profiles of the Micro Men

Sir Clive Sinclair

Steve Furber

Chris Curry

Hermann Hauser

The Micro Men on Micro Men

Click here to find out what the real Micro Men thought of the BBC comedy drama of their lives

Author: Barry Collins and Stuart Turton