A Snapshot of British Computing
Take a glimpse into the British Computing industry during the latter half of the 20th century. Explore some of the major competitors in the British Computing market and the plethora of machines they produced.
Sinclair ZX Spectrum+3 (1987) by Sinclair Research/AmstradThe National Museum of Computing
Sinclair Research Ltd.
Founded in 1973 by Sir Clive Sinclair, this company endured several name changes but became Sinclair Research Ltd in 1981. Entering the home computing market in 1980, they competed aggressively against their rivals and produced the UK's best selling personal computer in 1982.
The ZX80 Home Computer
Released: 1980
Developer: Sinclair Research Ltd
Price: £79.95 (Kit) to £99.95 (Ready-built); it was the UK's cheapest computer at the time, making it very popular.
Fun fact: Named after the Z80 processor, the 'X' referred to a 'mystery ingredient.'
Acorn Archimedes Personal Computer (1987) by Acorn Computers Ltd.The National Museum of Computing
Acorn Computers Ltd.
Founded in March 1979, the first product launched by Acorn Computers Ltd was Sophie Wilson's System One, a competitor to Sinclair's microcomputer kit. In 1981, Acorn was awarded the contract to manufacture a home computer for the BBC's Computer Literacy Project.
The Atom Personal Computer
Released: 1980
Developer: Acorn Computers Ltd
Price: £120 (Kit) to £170 (Ready-built)
Fun fact: It featured built-in Atom BASIC (Beginner's All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) programming language, unusual because it allowed the inclusion of assembly code in BASIC programs.
The ZX81 Home Computer
Released: 1981
Developer: Sinclair Research Ltd
Price: £49.95 (Kit) to £69.95 (Ready-built)
Fun fact: Using fewer components than the ZX80, it was even cheaper to manufacture! As an inexpensive and simple system, it was enormously successful and sold over 1.5 million units.
The Hektor I
Released: 1981
Developer: The Open University
Fun fact: This computer was used exclusively to teach Electronics and Engineering students at the Open University how to design and build a microcomputer.
(Pictured: Hektor III, an updated model of Hektor I/II).
The BBC Microcomputer
Released: 1981
Developer: Acorn Computers Ltd
Price: £235 (Model A) to £335 (Model B)
Fun fact: The BBC Micro was purposefully developed with education in mind, for the BBC's ‘Computer Literacy Project’, which aimed to teach the British public how to use computers.
BBC Micro Logo (1981) by British Broadcasting CorporationThe National Museum of Computing
Computing Spotlight: The Acorn Proton
The BBC Micro actually began life as the Acorn Proton, an upgraded version of the Atom, which it replaced in 1983. It became synonymous with computer literacy in schools; hardwearing, versatile and expandable, it boasted a combination of characteristics ideal for the classroom.
The ZX Spectrum Home Computer
Released: 1982
Developer: Sinclair Research Ltd
Price: £125
Fun fact: The Spectrum made use of a ULA (Uncommitted Logic Array) to provide colour graphics, sound and many other features. Over the years, it was released in eight different models.
Dragon 32 Home Computer (1982) by Dragon Data Ltd.The National Museum of Computing
Computing Spotlight: The Spectrum's Legacy
Among the first home computers marketed at a mainstream audience, the Sinclair Spectrum became the UK's best selling computer. Some even consider it to have launched the UK IT industry. In the early 1980's, its' rivals included the Dragon 32, Oric-1 and the Amstrad CPC series.
The Quantum Leap (QL) Personal Computer
Released: 1984
Developer: Sinclair Research Ltd
Price: £399
Fun fact: Aimed at more serious home users and professional/executive user markets, the Sinclair QL unfortunately suffered from several design flaws and failed to achieve commercial success.
The Jupiter Ace Home Computer
Released: 1984
Developer: Jupiter Cantab Ltd
Price: £89.95
Fun fact: The Ace was designed by two members of the original ZX Spectrum design team. What made it unusual for the time was its' use of FORTH as a built-in programming language rather than BASIC.
Amstrad CPC 6128 Personal Computer (1984) by AmstradThe National Museum of Computing
Amstrad
Founded by Sir Alan Sugar in 1968, by the late 1980s Amstrad had a substantial share in the PC market in the UK. In 1986, Amstrad bought the rights to sell and manufacture Sinclair computers. But by the end of the century, Amstrad had shifted focus to communication technology.
The CPC 464 Personal Computer
Released: 1984
Developer: Amstrad
Price: £299 (With colour monitor)
Fun fact: The CPC 464 was the first computer manufactured by Amstrad and went on to be one of the most successful computers in Europe, selling over two million units.
The CPC 6128 Personal Computer
Released: 1985
Developer: Amstrad
Price: £399 (With colour monitor)
Fun fact: The most notable asset of the CPC 6128 was its compatibility with the CP/M+ mass-market operating system, which made it attractive to many businesses.
The Archimedes Personal Computer
Released: 1987
Developer: Acorn Computers Ltd
Price: £800
Fun fact: Providing a fast desktop, high resolution graphics and the ability to run BBC BASIC programs, the Acorn Archimedes was widely adopted by schools.
Acorn Archimedes Personal Computer (1987) by Acorn Computing LtdThe National Museum of Computing
Computing Spotlight: The RISC Microprocessor
The Acorn Archimedes was the first computer to use the new ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) microprocessor. Fast and extremely power efficient, it became the processor of choice for the mobile electronics industry.
Atari Portfolio (DIP Pocket PC)
Released: 1989
Manufacturer: DIP Research Ltd
Price: $399.95
Fun fact: Licensed to Atari, the DIP Pocket PC was IBM PC compatible and is credited with being the world's first Palmtop PC. Part of the memory operated as a RAM disk whose content was preserved by AA batteries!
The Amstrad Mega Personal Computer
Released: 1993
Developer: Amstrad
Price: £999.99
Fun fact: Under license from Sega, this standard PC used Sega Mega Drive game console hardware. Unfortunately, it quickly became a market flop due to its' outdated CPU and high price tag.
British Computing Tour (2020) by The National Museum of ComputingThe National Museum of Computing
British Computing at The National Museum of Computing
Like what you see? The computers featured in this article and more are currently on display, many operational, in TNMOC's pop-up British Computing exhibition. Can't visit us in person? We offer curated, expert led virtual tours to immerse you in the history of modern computing.
Plan your visit to The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC), home of the world's largest collection of working historic computers, here.
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