BBC Micro creators reunite

Solid Snake · 20 March 2008, 14:11

A real milestone in home computing for the masses.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7306703.stm

This brought a tear to my eyes

BBC B was a cool machine!

Ian · 20 March 2008, 14:42

Eh?

How many people do you know that had the extremely expensive BBC micro at home?

TheCorfiot · 20 March 2008, 14:54

The BBC Machines are as big a love as the Amiga to me...

I've still got quite a few expanded real Hardware systems, which I've repaired and kept going.

The Beeb was very influential for it's day and if anyone is interested BeebEM for the PC and MAC is available, PC by Mike Wyatt - MAC by Jon Welch. and these guys work as hard as Toni to provide a superb emulation platform.

Agreed the addons were expensive but copro Elite is still one of my faves
and the emulation platforms let you emulate just about every addon / expansion that was available.

Go on Guys give it a Go.

matthew · 20 March 2008, 16:26

Nice story, the BBC was the first computer I ever programmed on.

Galahad/FLT · 20 March 2008, 20:16

BBC model B was my first computer.

alexh · 20 March 2008, 20:20

I wanted one, after seeing my cousin's Acorn Atom a few years earlier and then a BBC micro at school but in the end we got the cheaper Acorn Electron (FYI the BBC Micro was to have been be called the Acorn Proton, in keeping with the other two)

TheCorfiot · 20 March 2008, 20:59

Yep Ordered my First ATOM in kit form, all weekend to solder up, and gobsmacked when it worked... (I was only 14).

The Beeb was my first real machine though I learnt programming, Hardware design.. everything,

It still has a healthy User Base too.
I alternate my time between Acorn BBC and Amigas,,,,
I cannot choose between the two...

alexh · 20 March 2008, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCorfiot

I learnt programming, Hardware design.. everything

I am a hardware designer and this is on my desk at work

HenryCase · 20 March 2008, 22:31

@alehx
Sounds dumb, but what did that Make-A-Chip software actually show you?

@thread
Watched that video Solid Snake posted the link to. Is it just me, or are journalists becoming more and more annoying? The BBC Micro was a great machine for the time, the journalist was clueless "didn't lead on to the creation of a great big British computer industry", what a load of bollocks. ARM bitch, ARM! Not to mention the UK gaming industry that 8-bit machines like the Spectrum and the BBC Micro kickstarted.

Charlie · 20 March 2008, 22:44

Ahhh, wonderful system(s), happy memories.

Thanks for the link.

alexh · 20 March 2008, 22:47

It just introduces you to binary and the elemental logic circuits, not, and, or, xor, nor etc.

You draw schematics of these gates to make circuits.

You cant do much, but it was my first taster of what would end up being my career.

http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infos...xp=make+a+chip

I would say the BBC Micro, Make-a-chip on the spectrum and the character Miles Dyson from Terminator 2 are the biggest influences in me becoming an ASIC engineer.

girv · 21 March 2008, 02:13

I did a lot of BASIC and some 6502 programming on the BBC Micros in school. They were good machines and fairly powerful for the time. They were even networkable !

My friend wrote multiplayer network Battleships for his Computer Science A-Level project on them, we had distributed Mandlebrot / Julia Set rendering and we even had plans for a multiplayer, 3D, runaround-inna-maze killin-things game a loooong time before Wolfenstein was created.

BBCs had some good and innovative commercial games too that are still worth a bash today. Heard of Revs, Chuckie Egg, Thrust or Elite by any chance?

blade002 · 21 March 2008, 02:33

I never had a BBC but what "great" video

Galahad/FLT · 21 March 2008, 09:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by girv

I did a lot of BASIC and some 6502 programming on the BBC Micros in school. They were good machines and fairly powerful for the time. They were even networkable !

My friend wrote multiplayer network Battleships for his Computer Science A-Level project on them, we had distributed Mandlebrot / Julia Set rendering and we even had plans for a multiplayer, 3D, runaround-inna-maze killin-things game a loooong time before Wolfenstein was created.

BBCs had some good and innovative commercial games too that are still worth a bash today. Heard of Revs, Chuckie Egg, Thrust or Elite by any chance?

Chuckie Egg ruled, as did Strykers Run, Apple Pie, Elite, Felix and the Factory, Felix and the Evil Weevils, and the Ultimate games looked really good on the Beeb like Alien-8 and another one I can remember the name of, had a really nifty feature whenever you walked behind an isometric building, it would remove it so you didn't get lost.

musashi5150 · 21 March 2008, 10:13

sigh... Clogger, Repton and of course Killer Gorilla

I used these at school... they were replaced with black & white Macs in the end.

girv · 21 March 2008, 10:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by musashi5150

I used these at school... they were replaced with black & white Macs in the end.

Same thing happened at my school too. The Macs did have Daleks though

Galahad/FLT · 21 March 2008, 11:36

Yeah i forgot Killer Gorilla, don't know how, when he's constantly unnerving us here on EAB

Superior Software rocked!

Frogger!!!

P-J · 21 March 2008, 11:48

I'd love to know what PC that guy has that comes with 16GB of RAM!

Mick_AKA · 21 March 2008, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

Eh?

How many people do you know that had the extremely expensive BBC micro at home?

Early on, nobody, during the late 80's when the local schools were givingthem away every fucker and his mate had one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by P-J

I'd love to know what PC that guy has that comes with 16GB of RAM!

The quad opteron boards I used to get in at work took 64GB if I recall correctly, most good quality dual opteron boards I've seen will take 16 or 32GB max.

Ian · 21 March 2008, 16:26

Well, the main point of contention was it was a milestone in home computing, but the C64 and Speccy had already gone by the late 80s.

The BBC was popular in schools, not in homes.

20 March 2008, 14:11	#1
Solid Snake Wonderful World Of Amiga Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 359	BBC Micro creators reunite A real milestone in home computing for the masses. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7306703.stm This brought a tear to my eyes BBC B was a cool machine!

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20 March 2008, 14:42	#2
Ian Global Moderator Join Date: May 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 46 Posts: 2,287	Eh? How many people do you know that had the extremely expensive BBC micro at home?

20 March 2008, 14:54	#3
TheCorfiot Amibay Senior Staff Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff / Wales Posts: 1,302	The BBC Machines are as big a love as the Amiga to me... I've still got quite a few expanded real Hardware systems, which I've repaired and kept going. The Beeb was very influential for it's day and if anyone is interested BeebEM for the PC and MAC is available, PC by Mike Wyatt - MAC by Jon Welch. and these guys work as hard as Toni to provide a superb emulation platform. Agreed the addons were expensive but copro Elite is still one of my faves and the emulation platforms let you emulate just about every addon / expansion that was available. Go on Guys give it a Go.

20 March 2008, 16:26	#4
matthew Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: England Age: 46 Posts: 108	Nice story, the BBC was the first computer I ever programmed on.

20 March 2008, 20:16	#5
Galahad/FLT Going nowhere Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: United Kingdom Age: 50 Posts: 8,986	BBC model B was my first computer.

20 March 2008, 20:20	#6
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	I wanted one, after seeing my cousin's Acorn Atom a few years earlier and then a BBC micro at school but in the end we got the cheaper Acorn Electron (FYI the BBC Micro was to have been be called the Acorn Proton, in keeping with the other two)

20 March 2008, 20:59	#7
TheCorfiot Amibay Senior Staff Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cardiff / Wales Posts: 1,302	Yep Ordered my First ATOM in kit form, all weekend to solder up, and gobsmacked when it worked... (I was only 14). The Beeb was my first real machine though I learnt programming, Hardware design.. everything, It still has a healthy User Base too. I alternate my time between Acorn BBC and Amigas,,,, I cannot choose between the two...

20 March 2008, 22:31	#9
HenryCase Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bath, UK Posts: 125	@alehx Sounds dumb, but what did that Make-A-Chip software actually show you? @thread Watched that video Solid Snake posted the link to. Is it just me, or are journalists becoming more and more annoying? The BBC Micro was a great machine for the time, the journalist was clueless "didn't lead on to the creation of a great big British computer industry", what a load of bollocks. ARM bitch, ARM! Not to mention the UK gaming industry that 8-bit machines like the Spectrum and the BBC Micro kickstarted.

20 March 2008, 22:44	#10
Charlie . . Mouse . . Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Nowhere Age: 55 Posts: 1,792	Ahhh, wonderful system(s), happy memories. Thanks for the link.

20 March 2008, 22:47	#11
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	It just introduces you to binary and the elemental logic circuits, not, and, or, xor, nor etc. You draw schematics of these gates to make circuits. You cant do much, but it was my first taster of what would end up being my career. http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infos...xp=make+a+chip I would say the BBC Micro, Make-a-chip on the spectrum and the character Miles Dyson from Terminator 2 are the biggest influences in me becoming an ASIC engineer.

21 March 2008, 02:13	#12
girv Mostly Harmless Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 1,109	I did a lot of BASIC and some 6502 programming on the BBC Micros in school. They were good machines and fairly powerful for the time. They were even networkable ! My friend wrote multiplayer network Battleships for his Computer Science A-Level project on them, we had distributed Mandlebrot / Julia Set rendering and we even had plans for a multiplayer, 3D, runaround-inna-maze killin-things game a loooong time before Wolfenstein was created. BBCs had some good and innovative commercial games too that are still worth a bash today. Heard of Revs, Chuckie Egg, Thrust or Elite by any chance?

21 March 2008, 02:33	#13
blade002 Zone Friend Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Australia Age: 50 Posts: 2,616	I never had a BBC but what "great" video

21 March 2008, 10:13	#15
musashi5150 move.w #$4489,$dff07e Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Norfolk, UK Age: 42 Posts: 2,351	sigh... Clogger, Repton and of course Killer Gorilla I used these at school... they were replaced with black & white Macs in the end.

21 March 2008, 11:36	#17
Galahad/FLT Going nowhere Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: United Kingdom Age: 50 Posts: 8,986	Yeah i forgot Killer Gorilla, don't know how, when he's constantly unnerving us here on EAB Superior Software rocked! Frogger!!!

21 March 2008, 11:48	#18
P-J Registered User Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Moorpark, California Age: 44 Posts: 1,153	I'd love to know what PC that guy has that comes with 16GB of RAM!

21 March 2008, 16:26	#20
Ian Global Moderator Join Date: May 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 46 Posts: 2,287	Well, the main point of contention was it was a milestone in home computing, but the C64 and Speccy had already gone by the late 80s. The BBC was popular in schools, not in homes.

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