BBC Micro - The Ancestor to a Device You Are Guaranteed to Own
ARM-based chips are found in nearly 60 percent of the world's mobile devices
Introducing the "Beeb" - the inventors of the ARM architecture used these machines to simulate and develop chip designs. Those chips are now in every home and business.
This particular machine is my BBC Master, plus 5 1/4" floppy disk drive, and three-button mouse. Isn't she a beauty?
Like many microcomputers of the 1980s, the BBC Micro ran on a 6502 series microchip. Unlike most of the competition, however, the BBC had the best BASIC programming language by far and arguably the best expansion capabilities.
I was a bit nervous plugging all of this in because almost none of my retro computers have been switched on in the couple of years since we moved back to England from Canada.
The CRT TV has been in cold, damp shed since I was gifted it by a member of the York makerspace.
Since we got the workshop and I fitted the loft out with insulation-friendly boards, I finally have space to get stuff out of storage and onto my bench!
This owl logo was everywhere in school computer labs and on educational TV programming.
That TV programming is where the BBC part of the name came in. Yes, the same BBC that was responsible for television and radio entertainment in the UK.
In the early 1980s the UK government was concerned that the Kingdom might get left behind by the computer age so they invested a fortune into standardised computer education, programming, and IT grants, to ensure a generation of computer literate kids.
They succeeded for the most part, and the hardware that won the bidding war was actually excellent. Unfortunately, being government-backed, only the most wealthy families and schools could afford the equipment unless heavily subsidised.
My Junior school (from ages 7-11 years old) had only one BBC computer. A teacher was an enthusiast so for a short time he might also bring in his ZX Spectrum, but officially the entire school had one computer to share between all the teachers and kids.
We did briefly get a BBC on loan for data entry. The target computer was to be a Master like the one I own now, but with a laser disk drive. This was for an ambitious project called the Domesday Project. Unfortunately the machine went back home before we got to see the fruits of our efforts.
The Master series featured several improvements over earlier BBC Micro models. Rather than the MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor used by the Model B, Master series models used the slightly improved 65C12.[4] Fabricated using CMOS technology, the 65C12 used less power than the 6502 and offered somewhat better performance, reportedly "almost as fast" as the original 3 MHz 6502 second processor for the BBC Micro.[5] The systems had 128 KB of dynamic RAM as standard, alleviating the shortage of available RAM which had previously discouraged use of the display modes offering the highest quality graphics on earlier models
From talking to friends around the world, and watching retro YouTube channels, it seems that in Canada Commodore PET was a popular choice in schools, along with the Apple II which seems to have dominated in the USA.
I'm in the U.S. so we didn't have BBCs of course. My first experience in school with computers was with Apple IIs which were the most common here in schools at the time. My High School had TRS-80s and IBM PCs. At home I had a Commodore 64.
That seems to be a common theme for 80s kids, Apple II at school and either Apple II or C64 at home, until the end where Amiga and then PC dominate.
Although I do speak to a lot of people who used C64 right into the 90s. At the time I thought we got our Atari ST late to the party (88/89). I am glad people still got use out of their 8 bit machines after that!
I wish I still had my Beeb, but I sold it many years ago. I was about 15 when I bought my Model A and that was a lot of money then. Way more than a Spectrum, but it seemed like better quality. The Spectrum did have good games though. I wrote loads of programs on it with a lot of playing around with graphics.
I watched all those shows about computers back then. Did you see this dramatisation of the battle to be the Beeb?
Yeah the beeb was out of reach for too many people but amazing quality hardware, had ahead of its time networking and expansions, so unsurprising it was popular in science/labs.
That docudrama was excellent :)
I do have a mini Beeb. Someone who used to be on here 3d printed it for me and it's a case for Raspberry Pi.
Cute!
Timely, I just saw this article on Hackaday.
https://hackaday.com/2024/12/19/old-bbc-micro-gets-some-disk-help-from-a-raspberry-pi/
In grade school we had the Commodore that we were doing BASIC on but in 88 my dad got our first 286-8 which started the forever process of continuous upgrades.
1988, wow that 286 was amazing for the day! My first PC was a 286 12mhz in I think 1992 :)
Sierra Online started in my home town so we had a little tech haven in the mountains and a steady stream of the great early days games like King's Quest, Quest For Glory, and Leisure Suit Larry.
I didn't realise the BBC made computers, or was it OEM by another firm?
It was made by Acorn who went on to start up ARM. They were based in Cambridge. See the docu-drama video on my comment for the story.
Just watched a few minutes of it, looks interesting, gonna watch it on telly later. I like ARM, I've done well off them when they've listed in UK previously, and in USA now.
Lovely specimen that, I bought one from a car boot around 2001. You could pick up all manner of 80's computers then.
Yeah I haven’t paid too much for my retro collection because most were “parts or repair” or gifted, but around the pandemic things got super expensive for sure
!LOL !DOOK !PGM !BBH !LUV !BEER !PIZZA !WRD
You talk to yourself with your alt accounts, which is a clear sign that you need help. Even the people you speak to have said that you need help, but they're too afraid to say it to your face in fear of being downvoted.
You're inflicting harm on others, and it's time for you to take responsibility for your actions Stop the abuse on Hive and get the help you need.
Understand you're not just hurting individuals, but you're also killing Hive with your abuse LOL, we have exposed you and the Buildawhale farm scam.
You've used your downvotes to abuse people on Hive for years, and it's clear that you did the same thing on Steemit transactions don't lie people do people like you.
What are you burning LOL let's not forget that the supply of Hive is unlimited LOL, so you're not even contributing to the scarcity of the token. All you do is make curation rewards and make our votes worth less.
You're not interested in building Hive, but rather in profiting from Hive and abusing Hive and hivers you are sad.
You shouldn't have any power on Hive, as all you do is abuse it and contribute nothing to the community.
Sadly you find joy in bullying people online, it only goes to show that you have serious mental issues.
We've even caught some top Hivers using their alt accounts to fund their own projects and manipulate the system. It is like they are playing a game of Hiveopoly, but instead of rolling dice, they are rolling out downvotes and taking money as they wish
You must understand that we have finally exposed you and, quite frankly, you're not doing yourself any favours.
Stop the Abuse of power and stop downvoting to silence dissenting voices stop using alt accounts to fund personal projects and manipulate the system.
We have exposed how certain top hivers use their influence to silence others through downvoting and exploiting the system for personal gain.
Our recent posts on Hive highlight concerns about abuse of power and bullying on the platform.
We aim to shed more light on the abuse that is allowed to go down on Hive the Bilpcoin team is devoted to exposing these scams, particularly focusing on the Buildawhale farm scam and other manipulative practices within the Hive ecosystem.
Hive has various scams and manipulative practices threatening its core values
The Bilpcoin team have highlighted how some are leveraging their power to manipulate the blockchain, hoarding Hive for personal gain while preaching community values LOL SELF FUNDING WHAT THEY LIKE WHEN THEY LIKE NO RULES FOR THEM.
We bravely exposed the Buildawhale farm scam, and other scams on Hive emphasizing the urgent need for accountability.
The Bilpcoin team have exposed individuals who engage in scamming and manipulation, using their influence to downvote and silence others.
STOP THE ABUSE ON HIVE
STOP THE BUILDAWHALESCAM FARM
STOP THE BAD DOWNVOTES ON HIVE
STOP THE #Buildawhalescam #buildawhalefarm
https://hive.blog/hive-167922/@bpcvoter1/https-peakd-com-themarkymark-activities-curation-rewards
A new card game on Hive coming soon, funded by self-voting and farming LOL, we must question if it will benefit Hive
https://hiveblocks.com/@themarkymark
WE EXPOSED A SUPER FARM ON HIVE
Super farm https://peakd.com/@memesandstuff/wallet spam scam accounts
https://hive.blog/hive-167922/@bpcvoter1/we-started-investigating-after-being-wrongly-downvoted-we-spoke-with-hive-blurt-steem-users-and-others-who-are-following-our
https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@bpcvoter3/it-s-funny-how-you-can-try-to-lie-on-hive-where-every-transaction-is-public-to-all-which-makes-it-quite-dumb-to-deny-or-deflect
https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@bpcvoter3/it-s-quite-funny-to-observe-the-behavior-of-individuals-when-they-find-themselves-in-a-situation-where-their-actions-are-exposed
https://www.reddit.com/r/stoptheabuseonhive
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buildawhalefarmonhive
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buildawhale
https://www.reddit.com/r/Thedarksideofhive
https://hive.blog/created/bpc
https://peakd.com/created/bilpcoin
https://ecency.com/created/bilpcoin
https://www.bilpcoin.com/created
You cannot triumph when opposed to the truth my friend the Buildawhalefarm on Hive, Blocktrades is a major player, delegating Hive power to one of Hive's most significant issues. Buildawhale
On Hive Buildawhalescam the notion that one can prevail by standing against the truth is a misguided one
Burn post just like @Buildawhale
themarkymark (80)in LeoFinance 18 hours ago You are the abuse on Hive hive.blog/hive-167922/@themarkymark/re-bpcvoter3-smp740 LOL TRANSACTIONS DON'T LIE PEOPLE DO PEOPLE LIKE YOU DO Curation reward for BUILDAWHALE COMMENT FARM buildawhale51.108 HP
STOP THE DOWNVOTE ABUSE ON HIVE
STOP THE BUILDAWHALE FARM SCAM
The Buildawhale Farm Scam Chapter 6
In the late 1980s we had Corvette computers at school. This was in the USSR.
I love seeing these computers that are unfamiliar to me :)
Did you get permission to do things with them?
!LOL !DOOK !PGM !BBH !LUV !BEER !PIZZA !WRD
You talk to yourself with your alt accounts, which is a clear sign that you need help. Even the people you speak to have said that you need help, but they're too afraid to say it to your face in fear of being downvoted.
You're inflicting harm on others, and it's time for you to take responsibility for your actions Stop the abuse on Hive and get the help you need.
Understand you're not just hurting individuals, but you're also killing Hive with your abuse LOL, we have exposed you and the Buildawhale farm scam.
You've used your downvotes to abuse people on Hive for years, and it's clear that you did the same thing on Steemit transactions don't lie people do people like you.
What are you burning LOL let's not forget that the supply of Hive is unlimited LOL, so you're not even contributing to the scarcity of the token. All you do is make curation rewards and make our votes worth less.
You're not interested in building Hive, but rather in profiting from Hive and abusing Hive and hivers you are sad.
You shouldn't have any power on Hive, as all you do is abuse it and contribute nothing to the community.
Sadly you find joy in bullying people online, it only goes to show that you have serious mental issues.
We've even caught some top Hivers using their alt accounts to fund their own projects and manipulate the system. It is like they are playing a game of Hiveopoly, but instead of rolling dice, they are rolling out downvotes and taking money as they wish
You must understand that we have finally exposed you and, quite frankly, you're not doing yourself any favours.
Stop the Abuse of power and stop downvoting to silence dissenting voices stop using alt accounts to fund personal projects and manipulate the system.
We have exposed how certain top hivers use their influence to silence others through downvoting and exploiting the system for personal gain.
Our recent posts on Hive highlight concerns about abuse of power and bullying on the platform.
We aim to shed more light on the abuse that is allowed to go down on Hive the Bilpcoin team is devoted to exposing these scams, particularly focusing on the Buildawhale farm scam and other manipulative practices within the Hive ecosystem.
Hive has various scams and manipulative practices threatening its core values
The Bilpcoin team have highlighted how some are leveraging their power to manipulate the blockchain, hoarding Hive for personal gain while preaching community values LOL SELF FUNDING WHAT THEY LIKE WHEN THEY LIKE NO RULES FOR THEM.
We bravely exposed the Buildawhale farm scam, and other scams on Hive emphasizing the urgent need for accountability.
The Bilpcoin team have exposed individuals who engage in scamming and manipulation, using their influence to downvote and silence others.
STOP THE ABUSE ON HIVE
STOP THE BUILDAWHALESCAM FARM
STOP THE BAD DOWNVOTES ON HIVE
STOP THE #Buildawhalescam #buildawhalefarm
https://hive.blog/hive-167922/@bpcvoter1/https-peakd-com-themarkymark-activities-curation-rewards
A new card game on Hive coming soon, funded by self-voting and farming LOL, we must question if it will benefit Hive
https://hiveblocks.com/@themarkymark
WE EXPOSED A SUPER FARM ON HIVE
Super farm https://peakd.com/@memesandstuff/wallet spam scam accounts
https://hive.blog/hive-167922/@bpcvoter1/we-started-investigating-after-being-wrongly-downvoted-we-spoke-with-hive-blurt-steem-users-and-others-who-are-following-our
https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@bpcvoter3/it-s-funny-how-you-can-try-to-lie-on-hive-where-every-transaction-is-public-to-all-which-makes-it-quite-dumb-to-deny-or-deflect
https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@bpcvoter3/it-s-quite-funny-to-observe-the-behavior-of-individuals-when-they-find-themselves-in-a-situation-where-their-actions-are-exposed
https://www.reddit.com/r/stoptheabuseonhive
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buildawhalefarmonhive
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buildawhale
https://www.reddit.com/r/Thedarksideofhive
https://hive.blog/created/bpc
https://peakd.com/created/bilpcoin
https://ecency.com/created/bilpcoin
https://www.bilpcoin.com/created
You cannot triumph when opposed to the truth my friend the Buildawhalefarm on Hive, Blocktrades is a major player, delegating Hive power to one of Hive's most significant issues. Buildawhale
On Hive Buildawhalescam the notion that one can prevail by standing against the truth is a misguided one
Burn post just like @Buildawhale
themarkymark (80)in LeoFinance 18 hours ago You are the abuse on Hive hive.blog/hive-167922/@themarkymark/re-bpcvoter3-smp740 LOL TRANSACTIONS DON'T LIE PEOPLE DO PEOPLE LIKE YOU DO Curation reward for BUILDAWHALE COMMENT FARM buildawhale51.108 HP
STOP THE DOWNVOTE ABUSE ON HIVE
STOP THE BUILDAWHALE FARM SCAM
The Buildawhale Farm Scam Chapter 6
There were about 10 computers in the computer class. We did something on them, some tasks. But most of all we liked it when after class they let us play computer games.
!LOL !DOOK !PGM !BBH !LUV !BEER !PIZZA !WRD
You talk to yourself with your alt accounts, which is a clear sign that you need help. Even the people you speak to have said that you need help, but they're too afraid to say it to your face in fear of being downvoted.
You're inflicting harm on others, and it's time for you to take responsibility for your actions Stop the abuse on Hive and get the help you need.
Understand you're not just hurting individuals, but you're also killing Hive with your abuse LOL, we have exposed you and the Buildawhale farm scam.
You've used your downvotes to abuse people on Hive for years, and it's clear that you did the same thing on Steemit transactions don't lie people do people like you.
What are you burning LOL let's not forget that the supply of Hive is unlimited LOL, so you're not even contributing to the scarcity of the token. All you do is make curation rewards and make our votes worth less.
You're not interested in building Hive, but rather in profiting from Hive and abusing Hive and hivers you are sad.
You shouldn't have any power on Hive, as all you do is abuse it and contribute nothing to the community.
Sadly you find joy in bullying people online, it only goes to show that you have serious mental issues.
We've even caught some top Hivers using their alt accounts to fund their own projects and manipulate the system. It is like they are playing a game of Hiveopoly, but instead of rolling dice, they are rolling out downvotes and taking money as they wish
You must understand that we have finally exposed you and, quite frankly, you're not doing yourself any favours.
Stop the Abuse of power and stop downvoting to silence dissenting voices stop using alt accounts to fund personal projects and manipulate the system.
We have exposed how certain top hivers use their influence to silence others through downvoting and exploiting the system for personal gain.
Our recent posts on Hive highlight concerns about abuse of power and bullying on the platform.
We aim to shed more light on the abuse that is allowed to go down on Hive the Bilpcoin team is devoted to exposing these scams, particularly focusing on the Buildawhale farm scam and other manipulative practices within the Hive ecosystem.
Hive has various scams and manipulative practices threatening its core values
The Bilpcoin team have highlighted how some are leveraging their power to manipulate the blockchain, hoarding Hive for personal gain while preaching community values LOL SELF FUNDING WHAT THEY LIKE WHEN THEY LIKE NO RULES FOR THEM.
We bravely exposed the Buildawhale farm scam, and other scams on Hive emphasizing the urgent need for accountability.
The Bilpcoin team have exposed individuals who engage in scamming and manipulation, using their influence to downvote and silence others.
STOP THE ABUSE ON HIVE
STOP THE BUILDAWHALESCAM FARM
STOP THE BAD DOWNVOTES ON HIVE
STOP THE #Buildawhalescam #buildawhalefarm
https://hive.blog/hive-167922/@bpcvoter1/https-peakd-com-themarkymark-activities-curation-rewards
A new card game on Hive coming soon, funded by self-voting and farming LOL, we must question if it will benefit Hive
https://hiveblocks.com/@themarkymark
WE EXPOSED A SUPER FARM ON HIVE
Super farm https://peakd.com/@memesandstuff/wallet spam scam accounts
https://hive.blog/hive-167922/@bpcvoter1/we-started-investigating-after-being-wrongly-downvoted-we-spoke-with-hive-blurt-steem-users-and-others-who-are-following-our
https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@bpcvoter3/it-s-funny-how-you-can-try-to-lie-on-hive-where-every-transaction-is-public-to-all-which-makes-it-quite-dumb-to-deny-or-deflect
https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@bpcvoter3/it-s-quite-funny-to-observe-the-behavior-of-individuals-when-they-find-themselves-in-a-situation-where-their-actions-are-exposed
https://www.reddit.com/r/stoptheabuseonhive
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buildawhalefarmonhive
https://www.reddit.com/r/Buildawhale
https://www.reddit.com/r/Thedarksideofhive
https://hive.blog/created/bpc
https://peakd.com/created/bilpcoin
https://ecency.com/created/bilpcoin
https://www.bilpcoin.com/created
You cannot triumph when opposed to the truth my friend the Buildawhalefarm on Hive, Blocktrades is a major player, delegating Hive power to one of Hive's most significant issues. Buildawhale
On Hive Buildawhalescam the notion that one can prevail by standing against the truth is a misguided one
Burn post just like @Buildawhale
themarkymark (80)in LeoFinance 18 hours ago You are the abuse on Hive hive.blog/hive-167922/@themarkymark/re-bpcvoter3-smp740 LOL TRANSACTIONS DON'T LIE PEOPLE DO PEOPLE LIKE YOU DO Curation reward for BUILDAWHALE COMMENT FARM buildawhale51.108 HP
STOP THE DOWNVOTE ABUSE ON HIVE
STOP THE BUILDAWHALE FARM SCAM
The Buildawhale Farm Scam Chapter 6
Hello please tell your friend to stop downvoting my original content thank you
What? Who?
You can play dumb if you like and you downvoted me I would love for you to try this in real life 😂
Let me know if you are ever in east London I would love to meet you
I'm old school I never forget as I said if you want to speak we can speak in private but you choose to downvote me just shows you are part of it 😂
I have no idea what you are talking about and throwing accusations and threats is not an explanation so I can only assume you need medical help. I downvote anything that is spam or abusive so enjoy your downvote.
Ok cool play dumb I don't make threats
Call me mad as much as you like you sound like your friend maybe you should use your own advice and get help
I'm not going to respond to you because you are just one of those keyboard warriors 😭 with no balls in real life 😂
I won't reply to you again hopefully we can cross paths in real life 😂 here's a little tip for you I think you need it 👍🏾 @tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 43/53) Liquid rewards.