Acorn
The Acorn collection documents the history of Acorn computers from 1978 to 1998. Acorn was a significant force in the history of personal computing in Britain. We have examples of early computers, such as the System 1 and Atom, which were aimed at hobbyists, as well as a system 4 which was aimed at research and industry.
In 1981 Acorn won the contract to build a computer for the BBC. This was a perfect synergy of technology, timed right at the start of the home computer boom, with a trusted backer in the BBC. It sold very well in the UK, for business, hobbyists and particularly schools. Its implementation of BASIC was powerful and was well used by programmers. The museum keeps a room full of BBC Micros which are used almost daily for groups to experience programming. These are networked and have a shared printer.
In 1987 Acorn released the Archimedes range of computers, using the powerful ARM processor they had developed. We have examples on display, including the A3000, A5000, and latterly the RISC PC. The ARM processor became highly successful and can be found in virtually all smartphones. Our Apple Newton is one of the first examples of this technology.
Our collection is extensive. We have many examples of the BBC Micro and its derivatives, such as the Electron and Master, as well as accessories by many manufacturers. We hold several Acorn prototypes, including Phoebe, the set top box, ARM second processors, the Communicator and the ABC.
In 1981 Acorn won the contract to build a computer for the BBC. This was a perfect synergy of technology, timed right at the start of the home computer boom, with a trusted backer in the BBC. It sold very well in the UK, for business, hobbyists and particularly schools. Its implementation of BASIC was powerful and was well used by programmers. The museum keeps a room full of BBC Micros which are used almost daily for groups to experience programming. These are networked and have a shared printer.
In 1987 Acorn released the Archimedes range of computers, using the powerful ARM processor they had developed. We have examples on display, including the A3000, A5000, and latterly the RISC PC. The ARM processor became highly successful and can be found in virtually all smartphones. Our Apple Newton is one of the first examples of this technology.
Our collection is extensive. We have many examples of the BBC Micro and its derivatives, such as the Electron and Master, as well as accessories by many manufacturers. We hold several Acorn prototypes, including Phoebe, the set top box, ARM second processors, the Communicator and the ABC.