 Sinclair himself became a focal point for the marketing campaign , putting a human face on the business , while Sinclair Research was portrayed in the media as a plucky British challenger taking on the technical and marketing might of giant American and Japanese corporations . As David O 'Reilly noted , " by astute use of public relations , particularly playing up his image of a Briton taking on the world , Sinclair has become the best @-@ known name in <unk> . " The popular press soon latched onto the image . His " Uncle Clive " persona is said to have been created by the gossip columnist for Personal Computer World , while the media praised Sinclair as a visionary genius ( or even , in the words of The Sun , " the most prodigious inventor since Leonardo . " ) As Ian Adamson and Richard Kennedy put it , Sinclair outgrew " the role of microcomputer manufacturer and accepted the mantle of pioneering boffin leading Britain into a technological utopia . " 
