Tim Almond

via The BBC:-

The creators of the BBC Micro are reuniting at the Science Museum in London to discuss the legacy of the computer known fondly as “the Beeb”.

Dr Tilly Blyth, who is writing a book about the machine said: “The Beeb helped shape today’s IT landscape.”

“The story of the BBC Micro is one of British innovation; it’s about how one machine inspired a generation of youngsters to use computers,” said Dr Blyth.

I was there, it didn’t. What inspired a generation of youngsters (of which I was one) were the Sinclair and Commodore Machines - the ZX81, Spectrum, Vic 20 and Commodore 64. I had one school friend with a BBC Micro. The rest had Sinclairs and Commodores.

Whilst the BBC was technically superior, it just cost far too much money. The Model A cost £299, compared to a Spectrum that cost £125 (I think the Vic-20 was about £160). The main purchasers of BBC Micros were schools and colleges (and a few businesses who liked them because they could display Prestel information).

Tags: Technology //