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 BBC Micro Model A/B (standard configuration) | |
| Developer | BBC |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Acorn Computers |
| Type | 8-bit home computer |
| Release date | 1 December 1981 |
| Lifespan | 1981–1994 |
| Introductory price | £235 Model A, £335 Model B (in 1981) |
| Discontinued | 1994 |
| Units sold | Over 1.5 million |
| Media | Cassette tape, floppy disk (optional) – 5+1⁄4-inch or (later) 3+1⁄2-inch, hard disk also known as 'Winchester' (rare), Laserdisc (BBC Domesday Project) |
| Operating system | Acorn MOS |
| CPU | 2 MHz MOS Technology 6502/6512 |
| Memory | |
| Storage |
|
| Display | PAL/NTSC, UHF/composite/TTL RGB |
| Graphics |
|
| Sound |
|
| Input | Keyboard, twin analogue joysticks with fire buttons, lightpen |
| Connectivity | Printer parallel, RS-423 serial, user parallel, Econet (optional), 1 MHz bus, Tube second processor interface |
| Power | 50 W |
| Predecessor | Acorn Atom |
| Successor | Acorn Archimedes |
| Related | Acorn Electron |
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, is a family of microcomputers developed and manufactured by Acorn Computers in the early 1980s as part of the BBC's Computer Literacy Project. Launched in December 1981, it was showcased across several educational BBC television programmes, such as The Computer Programme (1982), Making the Most of the Micro and Computers in Control (both 1983), and Micro Live (1985). Created in response to the BBC's call for bids for a microcomputer to complement its broadcasts and printed material, Acorn secured the contract with its rapidly prototyped “Proton” system, which was subsequently renamed the BBC Micro.
Although it was announced towards the end of 1981, production issues initially delayed the fulfilment of many orders, causing deliveries to spill over into 1982. Nicknamed the “Beeb”, it soon became a fixture in British schools, advancing the BBC’s goal of improving computer literacy. Renowned for its strong build quality and extensive connectivity, including ports for peripherals, support for Econet networking, and the option of second processors via the Tube interface, the BBC Micro was offered in two main variants: the 16 KB Model A (initially priced at £299) and the more popular 32 KB Model B (priced at £399). Although it was costlier than many other home computers of the era, it sold over 1.5 million units, boosted by the BBC’s brand recognition and the machine’s adaptability.
The BBC Micro's impact on education in the United Kingdom was notable, with most schools in Britain acquiring at least one unit, exposing a generation of pupils to computing fundamentals. Central to this was its built-in BBC BASIC programming language, known for its robust feature set and accessible syntax. As a home system, the BBC also fostered a community of enthusiasts who benefited from its flexible architecture, which supported everything from disk interfaces to speech synthesis. Through these expansions and its broader software library, the BBC Micro had a major impact in the development of the UK’s home-grown software industry. Acorn’s engineers used the BBC Micro as both a development platform and a reference design to simulate their pioneering ARM architecture, now one of the most widely deployed CPU designs worldwide. This work influenced the rapid evolution of RISC-based processing in mobile devices, embedded systems, and beyond, making the BBC Micro an important stepping stone in computing.
The BBC Micro had multiple display modes, including a Teletext-based Mode 7 that used minimal memory, and came with a full-travel keyboard and ten user-configurable function keys. Hardware interfaces were catered for with standard analogue inputs, a serial and parallel port, and a cassette interface that followed the CUTS (Computer Users’ Tape Standard) variation of the Kansas City standard. In total, nine BBC-branded microcomputer models were released, although the term “BBC Micro” generally refers to the first six versions (Model A, B, B+64, B+128, Master 128, and Master Compact). Later BBC models are typically classed as part of Acorn’s Archimedes line.