The BBC Technology blog dot.life has a post about the BBC Micro in reference to the Science Museum reuniting some of the people involved in the project over 25 years ago.
Reading it brought back quite a few memories – a BBC Model B was the computer I first learnt to program on – and I’m glad that people still think of it so fondly.
Anyway, enough reminiscing – we’ve got websites to finish!
(Feel free to post a comment about your first experiences with computers – Mister Roy had an unfortunate encounter with AMS early on!)
The mighty BBC Micro was my first experience of computers, followed by a Dragon32 and then the trusty old ZX Spectrum.
Oh the joys of captain comic, manic miner and writing programs in basic that scrolled insults across the screen in different colours.
It wasn’t that unfortunate – unless you count typing on a rubber keyboard.
I’ve always had a lot of respect for Amstrad – they’ve had the knack at picking some killer markets – they’re the main manufacturer of Sky set top boxes – but they’ve also pushed out some really lousy gear like the em@iler. They’re the kind of plucky British technology that the country needs!
My experiences, in order: ZX81, Commodore Vic 20, Commodore 64, and BBC B.
I wrote my Scottish O Grade computer studies programming project in BASIC on a BBC B. Wrote my first (and only) trojan on the Beeb too, but we won’t go there!
I still have my Commodore key and “Commodore 64″ name plate on my PC monitor at home.
(Greetings from the University of St Andrews!)
Ah, happy days! We had one of these in the library where I worked after I left uni. I programmed it to play christmas carols on a loop and drove all the other staff insane. Also, used to have to check that all the software we bought for it (most of it on tapes) would actually run – resulting in my spending many more hours than was necessary on a game called Granny’s Garden
Oh, what memories. I’ll never forget getting a floppy disc drive for BBC for Christmas, only to find I didn’t have the appropriate software to be able to use it. The novelty didn’t wear off while a waited the longest week of my life! The upgrade from cassette to floppy was truly awesome!