Description

In the early 1980s it became clear that schools would have to start teaching computer literacy and the BBC responded to this by creating the Computer Literacy Project, part of their plan for this project was to collaborate with a computer manufacturer to create a BBC branded computer that would be used in schools across the UK. In December 1980 Sir Clive Sinclair showed the computer that would eventually become the ZX81 to the BBC; they rejected it because the machine wasn’t as powerful as they hoped, ultimately the deal went to Acorn with the computer they originally planned to call the Acorn Proton but had its name changed to the BBC Micro but was nicknamed “The Beeb”. Despite Acorn initially anticipating sales figures of around 12000 they ended up selling 1.5 million and comprised 85% of all computers used in British schools by 1985. Acorn made a low cost alternative to the Micro called the Acorn Electron which was designed for home use. The last BBC Acorn computer was the BBC A3000 in 1989.