The Computers that made Britain

A place to discuss general QL issues.
Post Reply
User avatar
tofro
Font of All Knowledge
Posts: 2679
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:53 pm
Location: SW Germany

The Computers that made Britain

Post by tofro »

Free pdf or 12GBP paper edition. Interesting book with chapters about each and every UK-made (and some that were not) home computer - and yes, the QL has one, too, with some interesting David Karlin insights and anecdotes.

https://wireframe.raspberrypi.org/books ... de-britain

Recommended reading!


ʎɐqǝ ɯoɹɟ ǝq oʇ ƃuᴉoƃ ʇou sᴉ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ʇxǝu ʎɯ 'ɹɐǝp ɥO
Derek_Stewart
Font of All Knowledge
Posts: 3900
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi,

I downloaded and this last week, a little subjective, in that some of the subject content did not reflect the title.

I think the author missed out a few computers that were around.

But it is free so no real complaints.


Regards,

Derek
User avatar
Cristian
Aurora
Posts: 960
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2015 1:40 pm
Location: Veneto

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by Cristian »

Derek_Stewart wrote: I think the author missed out a few computers that were around.
Which ones, in your opinion?


Derek_Stewart
Font of All Knowledge
Posts: 3900
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:40 am
Location: Sunny Runcorn, Cheshire, UK

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by Derek_Stewart »

HI,

The computers I had in the 1980s are:

Newbrain
Oric 1, Atmos
Memotech MTX range
Sam Coupe
Jupiter Ace

Whether they definevthe British computer culture is open to personal taste.


Regards,

Derek
stephen_usher
Gold Card
Posts: 429
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:00 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by stephen_usher »

It'd be very difficult to map every UK computers as there were so many. Some not mentioned so far:

NASCOM
UK101
Tangerine
Camputers Lynx
Fan/Flan/Elan Enterprise 64/128


User avatar
vanpeebles
Commissario Pebbli
Posts: 2813
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:13 pm
Location: North East UK

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by vanpeebles »

No Z88 or any Psions either! Tatung Einstein?


User avatar
XorA
Site Admin
Posts: 1357
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:31 am
Location: Shotts, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by XorA »

Derek_Stewart wrote:HI,

The computers I had in the 1980s are:

Newbrain
Oric 1, Atmos
Memotech MTX range
Sam Coupe
Jupiter Ace

Whether they definevthe British computer culture is open to personal taste.
What we learn from this is never buy the same computer as Derek :-D


User avatar
tofro
Font of All Knowledge
Posts: 2679
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:53 pm
Location: SW Germany

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by tofro »

XorA wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote:HI,

The computers I had in the 1980s are:

Newbrain
Oric 1, Atmos
Memotech MTX range
Sam Coupe
Jupiter Ace

Whether they definevthe British computer culture is open to personal taste.
What we learn from this is never buy the same computer as Derek :-D
Well, depends. I guess the opposite is true: Each of these probably has a magnitude of the collector's value today than your humble ZX Spectrum or ZX81 ;)

So, if you're into collecting as an investment, absolutely go with Derek ;)


ʎɐqǝ ɯoɹɟ ǝq oʇ ƃuᴉoƃ ʇou sᴉ pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ʇxǝu ʎɯ 'ɹɐǝp ɥO
stephen_usher
Gold Card
Posts: 429
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:00 pm
Location: Oxford, UK.
Contact:

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by stephen_usher »

vanpeebles wrote:No Z88 or any Psions either! Tatung Einstein?
Well, that last one would be out as it's Korean(?)

Also, the Z88 is rather later (88), as were the (usable) Psions (90s).

If you're thinking non-home machines (as the Psion Organiser was aimed at business) then you have the ACT Apricot range of machines. Very British, eccentric MSDOS but not IBM PC compatible machines.

e.g. the F2
IMG_2308.jpg


User avatar
vanpeebles
Commissario Pebbli
Posts: 2813
Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:13 pm
Location: North East UK

Re: The Computers that made Britain

Post by vanpeebles »

stephen_usher wrote:
vanpeebles wrote:No Z88 or any Psions either! Tatung Einstein?
Well, that last one would be out as it's Korean(?)

Also, the Z88 is rather later (88), as were the (usable) Psions (90s).

If you're thinking non-home machines (as the Psion Organiser was aimed at business) then you have the ACT Apricot range of machines. Very British, eccentric MSDOS but not IBM PC compatible machines.

e.g. the F2
IMG_2308.jpg
The Tatung was designed and built in the UK.


Post Reply