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Popular Computing Weekly (1984-03-01)

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POPULAR ^o /-d^^. BRITAIN'S BEST-SELLING MICRO WEEKLY News Desk Sinclair Timex pulls out interest builds up of US market rmm C M hnelJiJcnbi. c ng nge o ompu e umpu ma k *iM oaiu dc fcned by S n h p c o on nu ofalldum TS J(K ZX8 he Tb 511 a Ivl m k ng difficull I 6K on of h ZX8 and m k n be protil." 2 6S he 48K Spe um Tm h v "^''"""^"''m'"' h h ndo Apn Sn h h d n 1) nd £ Bn o u ome m n n Read rs Tni Acco n mnpan sam ^ IXK n e e? ound 16 pt U for ihL OL 5itll planned : cilhct hdCTi tancelleri O! conllnuMl on pags S ^ nnonnonaohdWmVHJiauOQQQaQQQQ • Street Life Gz-Btan, Ta,l„nM> ornvarToylDF. producer orn\=C]i\piin<f. -.Kc/J^ProRrBrnming gtiler.1 in Ihe 650! milZSOpmcessars. Srepa •r 20. m Dragon ALTe.»,„e machine codf from Biaic by Chra Wom/,. Pflgf -y. •New Releases aiiiIu to« ,ofl<^.r.Mud,n,H.d..u. ^%^ SO-SOFT WAR E CAN YOU HANDLE THE ULTIMATE? FEATURE PACKED, 100% MACHINE CODE. THE MOST AMAZING PROGRAMMES, THE SMOOTHEST AND PURE ADDICTION. ACTION, THE HIGHEST RESOLUTION GRAPHICS? SO WHICH WILL BLOW FIRST - muR COMPUTER OS ALL ULTIMATE GAMES ARE ARCADE STANDARD, YOUR MIND? 2yi;I?5'^5.~t!„.i p;:,s,.T DL^nurJ-rmun D P«.1 QlranzAm |HSt GWof-E^por^lsdVICJO DAHcAMc 1 r„.. 1 1 Send to: UltimotePla The Greer, Aihbydela Lelcestafili ,rhi Gmn, Aihby da Id ZducH, LilE«liiihlr«,1W(U3g| 41I4U, Otdu anquinM wi Timex's hasty relreal from the US Edllor Mug By home micro market comas as no B'enflon Gore consistent- Letters 7 surprise. The company has <s Edllor ly retused 10 release sales tigures ol its David Ksliy MOD 5ort«sre ban TS2068, but it IS nosecret thai very tew Reporter StarQeme ID sola. ChrlBlma Erskine machines have been Sea AllacK on BBC a by Mail. Gldlav of releasing a US version ot Software Edtlor Instead immediately after its Grartam Taylor SlreelLiie 13 the Spectrum spent montfis Production Editor launch in the UK, Timex Graham Taylor talks to Tievor Taylor attempting to improve ttie Spectrum's Lynne Consiable of rne cnip snap Editorial Secretary design. The result was that orders for Revlevfs 16 Cieo Cliefry the ZX81 and the TS1000 dried up, Advert IsemenI Manager Anolhar salectlon ol SpBCtnim software while Timex had no machine lo replace David LaKe them. When the TS2068 finally made Prog ra m in 1 n9 20 Atsletant Advertisement Manager its debjt, dealers and customers had The S50Z and ZBO procBssora Alasiair Macintosh already switched to other machines AdvertiMment EKeciitive Spectrum 23 which were readily available. The final nail in Timex's coffin was Claesltled Executive Sinclair's announcement that it was Dragon is going lo market the QL in the US itself, Production Accsasing machine coda liom Basic Advertising not through Timex. With no immediate BBC & Education 28 prospect of an uplift in sales, and no Admtnlstrallon David Pryka upmarket micro to continue the range, There! Tenni5 by Colin anO Timex decided lo cut its losses and Managing Editor 36 follow Mattel and Texas Instruments in Duncan Scot Bditor Laa Tanner SpnlB by pulling out of the home market, Publishing Director This move undoubtedly leaves Com- Jenny Ireland Open Forum 40 modore in an even stronger position. Popular Coinpuling Weekly. Five pageE of your programs though the recent departure of Jack 12-13 Utile Newpon Sireet, MIcroradIo 45 Tramiel still leaves some question 3on WC2R 3LD Ray Barry's column company. Telephone 01-437 4343 marks against the Adventure 4S Sinclair, however, is left with no Published by Sunshine Publications Ltd. computer sales in the US until the QL is Tony Bridge's comar ready for launch. Judging from experi- wpDSIOtfloa Peek A poke 51 ABC ence in the UK so far, the QL is unlikely to appear in the LfS for some consider- able time. New releases 60 ISSN 0265-O5O9 Lateal software programs Typeset by The Artwork Group, This week 62 55-63 Gosweii Road, London EC1, Next week's star game is Showdown tor Top 10 plUE all IhiB wean's software Spectrum by — : on Paper Ltd. 48K Andrew MacCade Pfiniefl by East Miatand Litho Prtmers Competitions 63 shoot your opponent llrsi but avoid the 1, Oundle Road, Woodslon, Peterborough FEZ 9QR. Id by S M OistnbuLion Subscribe to London SW9 01-2748611 Telex; 261643 Popular Computing Weekly e Publications Ltd 1984 to PODlKn'CMCIrnS 1 „o^ld kkD IDSUbK^bB WSW, isaie copyright lo copy proi 3LIIIB PlaasB senO IITI5 lorm. Hf« cn«HJ8. lo Popu/si Compuling IVoH*)/. SuI«=„PI. ow.ia Newport Streel, LoMmi WC^n 3L0 . iUL VouVe read the game. now play fhe book. MY SECRET FILE ^^« Program by Phil Nathans Based on tiie best-selling Puffin book by iohn Astrop . A personal database for your darkest thoughts. Do you have secrets you wouldn't even confide to your closest friend? Let alone your family? Do you have secrets about your friends and family you wouldn't confide to anyone but yourself? At last, you're no longer alone. My Secret File turns your personal computer into a personal confidante. And to keep your confidences confidential, it's even password protei !s?c because thesedays, you can 't even trust your micro not lo blab Trust no-one: fileyourfriendsfaefore they file you. Available for the: CommodoreMiH^wtsssjoy Spectrum 48K no BBCMkroBisE,N*i^^,^4o. THE UNORTHODOX ENGINEERS: THE PEN AND THE DARK Adventure game program by Keith Campt>ell Based on the story by Colin Kapp Colm Kapp created the classic SF stories about the UnorthodoxEngineers-andnowyoucan try to solve the mystery of the indestructible pillar of darkness and the riddle of conlra-energy in this mind-bending text adventure game ading Colin's story in this pack should help you. But once you and your micro are locked into the problem, not even Colin could get you out. By special arrangement with an unspecified alien culture. Mosaic will let you have the story along with the program -so at least you're in with a chance. Please read ttie story carefully because we'd like to release our Spring SF bookware blockbuster (Harry Hamson's Stainless Steel Rat on micro for the first timel) before you carelessly unleash contra-energy across the universe. Thank you. Available lor the: Spectnjm4aKisBKWuH>t3 BGC Micro BitB»»46e»iD> w Wtey 1> Sont. DepL PM, Baflint Lone, Chkhnler, Siase> P019 1UD esofUnorflioda.&ig.VwenDSpeflnimASKnafiC'H' aipie5olSeaB(f;feDComm54 BBC'B'Dspectrum. Payment endosed (£9.9S each induding postage) ... orpleaH charge to Ciecfit Csd r4o ... anExprEs/anefi/Budaycaid/Accen.Expfiydate GOSH condemns Acorn centre given up MoD ban companies spent a great deal of in Silicon time and effort trying to sup- THE Guild of Software -.lions with senior Timei port Sinclair out in the US and Houses (GOSK) has reacted inagemeiK Sinclair has now Valley it looked like it was just begin- ijuickly to condemn the Minis- tiounced thai ii hus no plans nig lo lake off. We will just try of Defence's action in ban- ACORN has markel Ihi; TimcK mai:hint» ning a software protection de- set up an at Ihc QL." vice (see FCW 16.22 centre in Silicon Valley In the Sinclair too will presumably February). US. This follows Acom'smoi be hanging on till the OL goi "It seems outrageous that inio the American market la the government is. by this ac- year and Ihe setting up of » US tion, endorsing and giving subudiary. Acorn Com| rates", commented GQSH The company has chairman Nick Alexaniler. announced profits for Sinclair, bul also a sel-back fni "ff Ihe JLC system docs whole group for the sii months the many Brilish software work and Ihe MoD refiise (o to January 1. 1984 up IS6 houses pteparing to sell 206X release it. [hen the govemmeiil percent to £5. 21m. This deiipite versions of their Spectrum should compensate the games incuiring £2.5ni costs lo set up its industry for the flOOm It is US operation. One of the hardest hit com estimated is being lost due lo During the same period. panics will be Psion. Its Vu- File. Vu-Cfl/cand Vu-JDpK'g- £14.31)ni 10 £40.4m. X Hon Despite acute manufaclur. were all being marketed by Whistle Test ing problems with the Electron Timex for the 206K, Melbourne WH/yiLE Tesl — ihe BBC-2 computer — few retailers have House will be affected as will rock show — takes a look at Soflsync. an Atneritan house. computer music this Friday, Software from companies like .March 2. at ll.SSpm. 'ciog markelcd by lid by Timei or sold off to much Ihe Timcx colfapsc will It's a mugs game r US software houses, influence sales of the OL. The MELBOURNE Hou; : who will buy and market Sinclair spokeswoman com- adventure game is Mugiy, mented: do not believe "We which will be released before thai Ihe problems in the US Sherlock Halma. unclear. home computer market affecl Mugsy is set in a Chandleres- Marl Eyies. spcBkini products in Ihe price range of que world of gangsters, molls widi bullet holes. ^f Quid the OL." and organized crime. As an In other sections of the ga mi Timex's difticuliies fiisi be- a.spirant gangster you allempi characters speak with balloon gan in January 1983 when it showed a Spectrum al the Chi- bourhood by bribing corrupt cago Show, Sales of the CES officials and.
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  • THE LEGACY of the BBC MICRO: Effecting Change in the UK’S Cultures of Computing

    THE LEGACY of the BBC MICRO: Effecting Change in the UK’S Cultures of Computing

    1 THE LEGACY OF THE BBC MICRO: effecting change in the UK’s cultures of computing THE Legacy OF THE BBC MICRO EFFECTING CHANGE IN THE UK’s cultureS OF comPUTING Tilly Blyth May 2012 2 THE LEGACY OF THE BBC MICRO: effecting change in the UK’s cultures of computing CONTENTS Preface 4 Research Approach 5 Acknowledgments 6 Executive Summary 7 1. Background 9 2. Creating the BBC Micro 10 3. Delivering the Computer Literacy Project 15 4. The Success of the BBC Micro 18 4.1 Who bought the BBC Micro? 20 4.2 Sales overseas 21 5. From Computer Literacy to Education in the 1980s 24 5.1 Before the Computer Literacy Project 24 5.2 Adult computer literacy 25 5.3 Micros in schools 29 6. The Legacy of the Computer Literacy Project 32 6.1 The legacy for individuals 32 6.2 The technological and industrial Legacy 50 6.3 The legacy at the BBC 54 7. Current Creative Computing Initiatives for Children 58 7.1 Advocacy for programming and lobbying for change 59 7.2 Technology and software initiatives 60 7.3 Events and courses for young people 63 8. A New Computer Literacy Project? Lessons and Recommendations 65 Appendix 69 Endnotes 76 About Nesta Nesta is the UK’s innovation foundation. We help people and organisations bring great ideas to life. We do this by providing investments and grants and mobilising research, networks and skills. We are an independent charity and our work is enabled by an endowment from the National Lottery. Nesta Operating Company is a registered charity in England and Wales with a company number 7706036 and charity number 1144091.