{"id":3969,"date":"2011-12-01T16:01:27","date_gmt":"2011-12-01T16:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/12\/the-bbc-microcomputer-and-me-30-years-down-the-line\/"},"modified":"2011-12-01T16:01:27","modified_gmt":"2011-12-01T16:01:27","slug":"the-bbc-microcomputer-and-me-30-years-down-the-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/12\/01\/the-bbc-microcomputer-and-me-30-years-down-the-line\/","title":{"rendered":"The BBC Microcomputer and me, 30 years down the line"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The BBC Micro has a relatively fast 6502 processor and a range of interfaces allowing its output to be viewed via a monitor, television set or professional TV equipment<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The system was built by Acorn Computers as part of the BBC\u2019s Computer Literacy Project.<\/p>\n

It ran a new programming language, BBC Basic (beginners all-purpose symbolic instruction code), and helped bring computing into people\u2019s homes and schools.<\/p>\n

However, trying to establish an \u201cofficial\u201d launch date is trickier than it sounds.<\/p>\n

Although the computers were demonstrated at trade exhibitions and reviewed in the press in 1981, a production snag pushed back deliveries.<\/p>\n

A circuit, which controlled the \u201chigh definition\u201d screen display, was found to have a higher than acceptable failure rate.<\/p>\n

A redesign was ordered and as a result only a few hundred computers out of a planned batch of 3,000 were ready in time for the start of The Computer Programme when the first episode was broadcast in January 1982.<\/p>\n

This initial hiccup proved far from fatal. After Acorn overhauled its production system, the Model A and the more expensive Model B went on to sell more than 1.5 million units, wildly exceeding expectations.<\/p>\n

The BBC asked seven people whose lives were changed by the computers for their memories.<\/p>\n

BBC\/Tech<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The BBC Micro has a relatively fast 6502 processor and a range of interfaces allowing its output to be viewed via a monitor, television set or professional TV equipment The system was built by Acorn Computers as part of the BBC\u2019s Computer Literacy Project. It ran a new programming language, BBC Basic (beginners all-purpose symbolic instruction code), and helped bring computing into people\u2019s homes and schools. However, trying to establish an \u201cofficial\u201d launch date is trickier than it sounds. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nThe BBC Microcomputer and me, 30 years down the line - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/12\/01\/the-bbc-microcomputer-and-me-30-years-down-the-line\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"The BBC Microcomputer and me, 30 years down the line - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"The BBC Micro has a relatively fast 6502 processor and a range of interfaces allowing its output to be viewed via a monitor, television set or professional TV equipment The system was built by Acorn Computers as part of the BBC\u2019s Computer Literacy Project. 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