Computer museum seeks BBC Micro fixers | Hacker News Reader

Computer museum seeks BBC Micro fixers

bbc.co.uk

34 pointsbenjamta9 comments

I used to fix these all the time. UK schools were kicking them out by the skip load in the mid 1990s. I was there snagging them before they were collected. I had 30 BBC Bs and 12 Master machines at one point and a 1.5m tall pile of cumana disk drives.

Managed to shift them all on yahoo auctions and ebay between 1998-2001 making a small fortune.

However I really couldn't be bothered with it all today. Found something much smaller and easier to fix and post!

"Has about 80 BBC Micro computers... the majority form part of an interactive exhibit that recreates a 1980s classroom"

IME you only need one BBC Micro to recreate an 80s classroom.

At my school circa '82-'85 we had a beeb, a PET and two (different) Research Machines boxes that ran CP/M. That was all for the whole school, and with it we somehow managed to produce a remarkable portion of the UK's games programming talent.

I think I'd better tie an onion to my belt now...

Our cash-strapped school still had a BBC B in 1993/1994 for an adventure game (no idea what it was teaching us), and also a motor control system that ran off the user bus. I think I still have that control box somewhere.

They also had another Acorn machine, not sure which one though. And a machine with Windows 3.11 on it which appeared to be FROM THE FUTURE.

When my secondary school chucked all their Beebs out, we took them (with permission!) so my dad has a loft FULL of As, Bs, B+ and a couple of Masters. He has a second processor too.

We had a network of beebs at school - literally 100+ of them in several rooms.

I remember those CP/M machines: RM 380Z. Took a non-functional one of them home from my school (weighed about 25kg and I walked home carrying it, well dragging it on a Head bag - took forever and ruined the bag) and sifted it for 74xx parts and static RAM. Built my first computer from scratch from the remains.

My school had all the kit: BBC econet network, an early archimedes deployment, CNC mills and lathes, properly kitted out electronics and science labs, the lot. Unfortunately no teachers that knew what to do with it all. I was privileged to have it all as my own personal playground that no one else touched or had any interest in, the only payment being to make them look good on parents evening.

I genuinely would't have been the person I am without all this. Thanks UK government!

Joining the onion on the belt club as well now.

  *SPEECH
  *SAY I WISH I STILL HAD A BBC MICRO

   10PRINT"BBC Computer 32K"
   20PRINT
   30PRINT"BASIC"
   40PRINT
   50PRINT">";
   60INPUTA$
   70PRINT"You are a dick"
   80GOTO40
   *KEY0 RUN
   <<break>>

Hours of fun watching people trying to get rid of that one.

> renumber 10,1000

Silly

I wish all my Beebs had a Speech ROM! Only one does

Where's that bloke from those Acorn User "You break 'em, we mend them" ads?

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