Differences between version 11 and predecessor to the previous major change of Acorn.
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Newer page: | version 11 | Last edited on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 11:44:05 pm | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
Older page: | version 10 | Last edited on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:26:20 pm | by DavidHallett | Revert |
@@ -1,28 +1,20 @@
-A series of [ARM]
and [StrongARM] based computers
, running [RiscOS]
.
-For more comprehensive info, see
[FOLDOC|http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?query=acorn]
+A now disfunct, innovative british system design company -
and the story of an underdog who didn't but did win
, kinda
. See also
[FOLDOC|http://foldoc.doc.ic.ac.uk/foldoc/foldoc.cgi?query=acorn]
-Very popular with some schools as they were
the successor to
[BBC
] model B micros
in a lot of classrooms before
the rise
of the [PC
].
+(One of?) their first products was
the Electron computer. It plugged into the television, had 16 KB of memory, and ran
[BASIC
] in [ROM]. You could load programs from cassette tape via
a normal audio tape deck, or you could type them in. A floppy disk, even a harddrive, were available as insanely expensive expansion modules. The [CPU] was a 6502B, just slightly different from what powered
the hugely successful [Commodore64] home computer. Unfortunately, neither graphics nor sound capabilities could hold a candle to those
of the [Commodore64
].
-''Note to original author,
I do not believe the [Acorn]s ever used the [StrongARM] Chip, just the [ARM]
. I could be wrong so I just leave this note
.''
+''I had one of those.. *sigh* memories
..'' --AristotlePagaltzis
-''Whoever made the above comment is incorrect.
The [RiscPC] series of computers made by [Acorn
] used the [StrongARM
] processor.''
--DavidHallett
+The next model was the Acorn
[BBC
]. Because they were British, schools in the UK
used the [BBC
] computers. Some schools in NewZealand followed suit. The BBC Model B also had a 6502
processor. This was probably mid
-to
-late 80's to early 90's.
-''Yeah
, you're right Olly, it
was late
, I was lazy! - BTW, I DTPed our Te Awamutu College school magazine on an Archimedes (A3000?) back when
a [GUI] was SERIOUSLY cool
...''
--GreigMcGill
+After that was the Acorn Archimedes. They were very popular with some schools as they were the successor to [BBC] model B micros in a lot of classrooms before the rise of the [PC]. Their [CPU] was [Acorn]
's own
, later incredibly successful [ARM] chip. Their OS
was called RiscOS
, which had
a [GUI] and
was very well designed
. Eventually, though, schools and the public started using the cheaper mass
-produced drivel that still haunts us today.
-Actually, Acorn
was the company
.
+''I DTPed our Te Awamutu College school magazine on an Archimedes (A3000?) back when a [GUI]
was __seriously__ cool
...'' --GreigMcGill
-We used to have an Acorn Electron computer. It plugged in
to the television, had 16 KB
of memory,
and ran [BASIC
] in
[ROM
]. You could load programs from cassette tape via
a normal audio tape deck
, or
you could type them in
.
-No idea what sort of chip these ran
.
+An attempt
to counter
the rising popularity
of the then so-called "[IBM] compatibles" was called [RiscPC]
and ran the
[StrongARM
] series
[CPU
]s
. These too ran RiscOS and had
a novel system design consisting of modules. To update the hardware
, you didn't have to open the case, you just added a new module just as you do to "update" your stereo system. Unfortunately.
..
-''
In case you're referring to
the Acorn Electron
, I actually had one of those. The
[CPU
] was a 6502 just slightly different from what powered
the hugely successful
[Commodore64
] home computer. Unfortunately, neither graphics nor sound capabilities could hold a candle to those
of the [Commodore64]
. --AristotlePagaltzis''
+In the end
, [Acorn
] Computers Ltd.
was shut down (accompanied by much mourning in
the connaissant geek community), as
[WinTel
] machines dominated the market and drove them out
of business
.
-The next model was
the Acorn
[BBC
]. Because they were British, schools in the UK used
the [BBC] computers
. Some schools in NewZealand followed suit
. Again
, I don't know what sort of chips these ran. This was probably mid-to-late 80's to early 90's.
-
-''The BBC Model B had a 6502 processor. --DavidHallett''
-
-After
that was
the Acorn Archimedes
. This definitely had an
[ARM
] chip in
it, and ran the flash RiscOS with
a [GUI
]. [RiscOS] was very well designed. Unfortunately...
-
-Eventually
, schools (and
the public) started using the cheaper mass
-produced drivel that still haunts us today
...
+However,
the [CPU
] design was sourced out to
the newly funded
[ARM Ltd
.|http://www
.arm.com]
, an IntellectualProperty only company
that holds
the rights to the [StrongARM] architecture
. Even
[Intel
] have licensed
it, and a huge market share of hand held and embedded devices nowadays run on
[StrongARM
] derivatives
. So
, in a way, "
the king is dead
- long live the king"
...
----
Part of CategoryCompany and OldComputers