# ~25 year old computer. What is it?



## LizardKing (Mar 2, 2010)

INCOMING SHITTY PHONE CAM PICTURE







Yeah, that. Oh man, Speech and Elite were awesome, and Quest Paint had 4 colours! But yeah, what the hell is this thing? 

I couldn't find a single image on the internet even close to it. Clearly it's a BBC Micro of some kind, but after that I'm at a loss. The motherboard says it's Issue 4, and it's possibly a Model A, but I can't find any information to verify this. All the pictures of a Model A I've seen are one unit, without a separate keyboard.

Any ideas?


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## SNiPerWolF (Mar 2, 2010)

wow a relic haha i use to have a early 90's late 80's computer that had a Turbo button i mean WTF a computer is not a spaceship "ALRIGHT GUYS ITS TURBO TIME!" also you needed a key to turn it on like a car lol does that one have that?


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## blackfuredfox (Mar 2, 2010)

SNiPerWolF said:


> wow a relic haha i use to have a early 90's late 80's computer that had a Turbo button i mean WTF a computer is not a spaceship "ALRIGHT GUYS ITS TURBO TIME!" also you needed a key to turn it on like a car lol does that one have that?



i would love that button on my comp. viruses incoming, internet going slow, TURBO BUTTON MOTHER FUCKER.


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## Irreverent (Mar 2, 2010)

It may be the US-export version of the old Acorn-built BBC microcomputer.  A failed attempt at computers for the masses, much like the CBC's ICON project.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro is the only link I could find.


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## SNiPerWolF (Mar 2, 2010)

blackfuredfox said:


> i would love that button on my comp. viruses incoming, internet going slow, TURBO BUTTON MOTHER FUCKER.



 im not joking when i say this.. it was the biggest button on the damn thing bigger than the power button anything it was a bigass button that said Turbo rofl it was a early method of over-clocking rofl


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## Irreverent (Mar 2, 2010)

SNiPerWolF said:


> also you needed a key to turn it on like a car lol does that one have that?



Typically the case-key was to lock the case closed, not to turn it off and on.  Back then on the IBM 5150-style and later AT-style cases, 64kb (yeah, kb) expansions cards ran for $600-800 each...employee theft was a problem.


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## blackfuredfox (Mar 2, 2010)

SNiPerWolF said:


> im not joking when i say this.. it was the biggest button on the damn thing bigger than the power button anything it was a bigass button that said Turbo rofl it was a early method of over-clocking rofl



i believe you, i would love to have one, then try to find one with a carbourater on the top and and 4 exhaust pipes on each side. ooh ooh, and flames painted on it.


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## SNiPerWolF (Mar 2, 2010)

Irreverent said:


> Typically the case-key was to lock the case closed, not to turn it off and on.  Back then on the IBM 5150-style and later AT-style cases, 64kb (yeah, kb) expansions cards ran for $600-800 each...employee theft was a problem.



i know rofl i had a computer like that ... but idk why but it turned on this way o.o i have no idea why.. i think someone just custom built it idk it wasnt mine i found it at a garage sale only $7


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## Tycho (Mar 2, 2010)

Old electronics are neat-o.  Gives me warm nostalgia fuzzies.


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## AshleyAshes (Mar 2, 2010)

Irreverent said:


> It may be the US-export version of the old Acorn-built BBC microcomputer. A failed attempt at computers for the masses, much like the CBC's ICON project.


 
CBC had nothing to do with the ICON program, it was an Ontario Ministry of Education thing.  But man that brings back memories.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisys_ICON


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## ToeClaws (Mar 2, 2010)

Nice!  Can't help you out on specifics. :/  Where did you come by that?


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## Irreverent (Mar 2, 2010)

AshleyAshes said:


> CBC had nothing to do with the ICON program, it was an Ontario Ministry of Education thing.



Ugh.  BBC/CBC/MoE..... its late.  That's my story and Im sticking too it.


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## ArielMT (Mar 2, 2010)

SNiPerWolF said:


> wow a relic haha i use to have a early 90's late 80's computer that had a Turbo button i mean WTF a computer is not a spaceship "ALRIGHT GUYS ITS TURBO TIME!" also you needed a key to turn it on like a car lol does that one have that?



The turbo button was on IBM PCs and clones/compatibles to slow down a PC in order to use MS-DOS applications (games, mainly) that assumed the system ran at a set speed and would never be used on a PC that ran faster.  I'm not aware of any other home computers having a turbo button, but IBM compatibles had 'em right up to the early '90s, about three or four years before Intel released the first of its Pentium chips.

As for this thing, it looks something like this to me:
http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Computers/Solidisk_BBCB.html


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## Unsilenced (Mar 3, 2010)

SNiPerWolF said:


> wow a relic haha i use to have a early 90's late 80's computer that had a Turbo button i mean WTF a computer is not a spaceship "ALRIGHT GUYS ITS TURBO TIME!" also you needed a key to turn it on like a car lol does that one have that?



I want one. A turbo button that is, not a really old computer. 

"Transferring files: 24%. Time remaining: 2 hours, 45 minutes... Transferring file: 24.1%. Time remaining, 135 hours, 21 minutes..." 

"Fuck it." 

TURBO!!!!!!!!



ArielMT said:


> The turbo button was on IBM PCs and clones/compatibles to slow down a PC in order to use MS-DOS applications (games, mainly) that assumed the system ran at a set speed and would never be used on a PC that ran faster. I'm not aware of any other home computers having a turbo button, but IBM compatibles had 'em right up to the early '90s, about three or four years before Intel released the first of its Pentium chips.
> 
> As for this thing, it looks something like this to me:
> http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Computers/Solidisk_BBCB.html



Reminds me of a computer I had a while back, and specifically of a game I had on it. It was an old 3d racing game, nothing too special about it. However, when installed on a new(er) computer something rather absurd happened. 

It ran faster, literally faster. Everything moved in double or even triple time. It was like watching someone fast forwarding  a VHS, only it was a computer game. 

It was pretty fucking trippy... not to mention incredibly difficult to play. D=<


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## AshleyAshes (Mar 3, 2010)

Turbo buttons didn't actually make the computer faster, they made it go slower for games and applications that wern't timed to any real clock so a 3x faster PC would make the program run 3x as fast.  The ENTIRE program, so imagine if EVERYTHING in your game ran 3X faster.

They only called it the 'Turbo' button cause the 'Slow' button wouldn't have been marketing friendly.


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## Bando (Mar 3, 2010)

SNiPerWolF said:


> wow a relic haha i use to have a early 90's late 80's computer that had a Turbo button i mean WTF a computer is not a spaceship "ALRIGHT GUYS ITS TURBO TIME!" also you needed a key to turn it on like a car lol does that one have that?



My dad had one of those way back in the day. Every time I saw that computer i would push that turbo button because if was so awesome. I want one of those now D:


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## Unsilenced (Mar 3, 2010)

AshleyAshes said:


> Turbo buttons didn't actually make the computer faster, they made it go slower for games and applications that wern't timed to any real clock so a 3x faster PC would make the program run 3x as fast.  The ENTIRE program, so imagine if EVERYTHING in your game ran 3X faster.
> 
> They only called it the 'Turbo' button cause the 'Slow' button wouldn't have been marketing friendly.



I realize that, but a man can dream right?


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## LizardKing (Mar 3, 2010)

What the fuck

This isn't about turbo buttons goddamnit >:[



ToeClaws said:


> Nice!  Can't help you out on specifics. :/  Where did you come by that?



I had it given to me a good 20 years ago. I remember spending hours playing Elite, or spending 2 hours typing text in to make a fun game, only for the damn thing to crash on line 580 :[


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## ToeClaws (Mar 3, 2010)

LizardKing said:


> I had it given to me a good 20 years ago. I remember spending hours playing Elite, or spending 2 hours typing text in to make a fun game, only for the damn thing to crash on line 580 :[



Arg... you're bringing back bad memories of ancient computer games for me.  Nothing worse then being all into a game then getting an error like that.  Though at least you knew what line of code to direct your pure energy hatred at.


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## LizardKing (Mar 3, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> Arg... you're bringing back bad memories of ancient computer games for me.  Nothing worse then being all into a game then getting an error like that.  Though at least you knew what line of code to direct your pure energy hatred at.



I'd never got to play the game. It would crash while I was _typing in_ line 580.

I gave up shortly after that. No wonder I stopped programming for ages xD


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## Irreverent (Mar 3, 2010)

ArielMT said:


> As for this thing, it looks something like this to me:
> http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Computers/Solidisk_BBCB.html



You've nailed it.  Its a BBC Micro B in either:

a) an after market expansion case sold by Soliddisk or

b) a factory issued OEM case (still made by Soliddisk) and when sold like this it was called a BBC-Micro "Master"

Probably option b.  There is also a Master-compact model.  The Master was the precursor to the Archimedes.  Solidisk made subsystems and upgrades for Acorn, until they folded.

That pic of yours LK may be the only one on the net. :shock:


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## LizardKing (Mar 3, 2010)

ArielMT said:


> As for this thing, it looks something like this to me:
> http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Computers/Solidisk_BBCB.html



Oh I missed that. Close, but it does have an extra metal casing on it. 

Also, I just found this:






It has the right keyboard, but still not quite. Presumably Viglen made their own case for it, along with the keyboard. 



Irreverent said:


> You've nailed it.  Its a BBC Micro B in either:
> 
> a) an after market expansion case sold by Soliddisk or
> 
> ...



Pretty sure it's not a Master, the motherboard doesn't look quite right. 

I'll have to get it out again and check the motherboard more closely.


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## LizardKing (Mar 3, 2010)

Okay, so it looks like it's a Model B, issue 4, with 12 slot ROM expansion board, repackaged by Viglen. Woo!

I wonder if it still works. I'd be astonished if the games still worked; those old floppies aren't the most durable of mediums, especially after 20 years.

Edit: It powers on, the caps lock lights up, and I can switch between caps lock and shift lock, and reset it with shift+break, and when I put a disk in it spins around, but it wont boot from any disk, and there's nothing on screen. I assume the disks are probably blank, but I can't tell if it's the TV not tuned in or the micro not giving out a signal


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## ArielMT (Mar 3, 2010)

I struggled to read what was written on the keyboard's lower right corner, never could make it out until you wrote it.


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## Stargazer Bleu (Mar 4, 2010)

this remindes me of my texas insterments one i had a long time ago. Never seen the one you shown tho. Mine had a cassete player for programs.


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## ToeClaws (Mar 4, 2010)

LizardKing said:


> I'd never got to play the game. It would crash while I was _typing in_ line 580.
> 
> I gave up shortly after that. No wonder I stopped programming for ages xD



>_< Grah... even worse.  Can't say I ever had an ancient system crash while trying to code in something on it, only when run (Commodore's always waited for that slightly higher moment of anticipation to let you down).


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## ArielMT (Mar 4, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> >_< Grah... even worse.  Can't say I ever had an ancient system crash while trying to code in something on it, only when run (Commodore's always waited for that slightly higher moment of anticipation to let you down).



Especially with hundreds of lines of super-long DATA statements.  Bonus frustration points if they have parameters that are at the same time cryptic, not commonly used, mixed case when there are letters, and not all the same length.


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## ToeClaws (Mar 4, 2010)

ArielMT said:


> Especially with hundreds of lines of super-long DATA statements.  Bonus frustration points if they have parameters that are at the same time cryptic, not commonly used, mixed case when there are letters, and not all the same length.



*laughs* Yep - and then comes the pain of realizing that you entered the same cryptic mistake at least 30 times throughout the code and have to go back and edit them all... and you never get them all on the first try.

Sidenote: What's up with the rainbow avatars?


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## ArielMT (Mar 4, 2010)

http://forums.furaffinity.net/showthread.php?t=64363


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## ToeClaws (Mar 4, 2010)

ArielMT said:


> http://forums.furaffinity.net/showthread.php?t=64363



ooooookay.  I should know better than to ask.


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## Irreverent (Mar 4, 2010)

LizardKing said:


> Edit: It powers on, the caps lock lights up, and I can switch between caps lock and shift lock, and reset it with shift+break, and when I put a disk in it spins around, but it wont boot from any disk, and there's nothing on screen. I assume the disks are probably blank, but I can't tell if it's the TV not tuned in or the micro not giving out a signal



Try the disks upside down (label down), those old drives were single sided, single density.  Also, try it with the disk in the right drive first, not the left drive.  The right drive might be boot, the left drive data; backwards from the PC/XT/AT convention.

As for TV output, have you selected the right input on the TV?  Is it composite output or analog?  Look for a  yellow RCA-type jack on your set.  If you have an old C64 or Vic20 composite to red/white/yellow cable, that might work in the composite 5-pin DIN port.


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## LizardKing (Mar 4, 2010)

Irreverent said:


> Try the disks upside down (label down), those old drives were single sided, single density.  Also, try it with the disk in the right drive first, not the left drive.  The right drive might be boot, the left drive data; backwards from the PC/XT/AT convention.



Most of the disks were double-sided (more games!), and I tried both drives. 



> As for TV output, have you selected the right input on the TV?  Is it composite output or analog?  Look for a  yellow RCA-type jack on your set.  If you have an old C64 or Vic20 composite to red/white/yellow cable, that might work in the composite 5-pin DIN port.



Nah, just the old analogue RF output. Tried channel 0 and "AV". The TV doesn't appear to have a means of tuning it without the remote, which we don't have.


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## ArielMT (Mar 4, 2010)

Could be worn/broken drives or drive motors (edit: or dirty read/write heads)?  Just guessing.

If cared for well enough, a floppy disk that lasts more than a few years can last a few decades.  I have a WordStar 8-inch floppy from 1979 that one of my customers was able to read and copy onto a modern microfloppy disk, so I can use WordStar in a CP/M emulator.


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## LizardKing (Mar 4, 2010)

ArielMT said:


> Could be worn/broken drives or drive motors (edit: or dirty read/write heads)?  Just guessing.
> 
> If cared for well enough, a floppy disk that lasts more than a few years can last a few decades.  I have a WordStar 8-inch floppy from 1979 that one of my customers was able to read and copy onto a modern microfloppy disk, so I can use WordStar in a CP/M emulator.



At one point it was stored in an semi-leaky outhouse for about a year. Most of the labels look like they've taken some water damage; they're a bit crinkled and brownish, and the text is slightly smudged, though the disks themselves look fine. Also, possibly stored near the speakers (unshielded) for the duration >_>


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## Irreverent (Mar 6, 2010)

LizardKing said:


> Also, possibly stored near the speakers (unshielded) for the duration >_>



Over time, that would do it.  There does seem to be software available on ebay if you're really keen on completing or starting a collection tho.



ArielMT said:


> If cared for well enough, a floppy disk that lasts more than a few years can last a few decades.  I have a WordStar 8-inch floppy from 1979 that one of my customers was able to read and copy onto a modern microfloppy disk, so I can use WordStar in a CP/M emulator.



What system was that?  On 8" disks?   I have Wordstar on 5.25" disks on CP/M 1.0a for the Osborne.  Sadly, my Osborne didn't survive a basement flood years back.

4,800 post get!


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## LizardKing (Mar 6, 2010)

Irreverent said:


> Over time, that would do it.  There does seem to be software available on ebay if you're really keen on completing or starting a collection tho.



I'd rather get rid of it to someone who collects them, it's just taking up space.


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## ToeClaws (Mar 6, 2010)

LizardKing said:


> I'd rather get rid of it to someone who collects them, it's just taking up space.



Yar - I know the feeling.  I have a Commodore 64 and TRS-80 I'd love to see go to a good home rather than toss. :/


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## Runefox (Mar 6, 2010)

ToeClaws said:
			
		

> ...Commodore 64...



D:

*D:*

I wish I could track down/afford to grab one of those. I totally, entirely missed out on the C64. My family never bought a computer of any kind until it wasn't a family any more, at which point my first computer was a P166. D:


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## ToeClaws (Mar 6, 2010)

Runefox said:


> D:
> 
> *D:*
> 
> I wish I could track down/afford to grab one of those. I totally, entirely missed out on the C64. My family never bought a computer of any kind until it wasn't a family any more, at which point my first computer was a P166. D:



Would you like mine?  I'll have to see if I can find all the parts, but I believe I have the base system, a disc drive or two and the adapter and stuff.  I used to have 2 - one was a complete system including monitor and about 50 games on disc, but I gave that one to a friend so he could show his kids what a real computer was, heh.  I can probably get copies of the games... err... though I don't know if I can find blank discs.  Want me to try and get it all together for ya?


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## Runefox (Mar 6, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> Want me to try and get it all together for ya?



Ahh, I dunno. As awesome as that would be, I couldn't really afford to even cover the shipping, I don't think. x_X


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## ToeClaws (Mar 7, 2010)

Runefox said:


> Ahh, I dunno. As awesome as that would be, I couldn't really afford to even cover the shipping, I don't think. x_X



*shrugs* Doubt it'd be that bad, and I was gonna cover it anyway.  Better that it find a good home than sit in my closet for the rest of eternity.  I'll have to get it out and see if I can find all the parts though - been like 7 years since the last of it was put away in there.  I'll PM ya when I know for sure if it's still all there and working.


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