BBC Basic Anniversary

Chris Abbott · Post by **Chris Abbott** » 26/10/2006 - 8:24

I've got a big soft spot for the ole' Beeb, since it gave me my first composing job, introduced Galway to the C64, had some excellent arcade conversions, and was just all round powerful (at the time).

BBC Basic has its 25th Anniversary today

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/91575/b ... guage.html

[edit: BBC Basic is available for Windows, and it's not just a novelty!]

http://www.cix.co.uk/~rrussell/bbcwin/bbcwin.html

Chris

Tonka · Post by **Tonka** » 26/10/2006 - 8:48

It was the first home computer I used (was my Uncle's - I couldn't afford one)!

Fondest memories are the fasntastic 'BBBEEEEEPPPP' when you turned it on, the wonderful smell of burning plastic (I kid you not) and a wireframe game where you flew down in between mountains and valleys blasting the shit out of everything - I have no idea what it was called, but can still remember the music

Matrix · Post by **Matrix** » 26/10/2006 - 9:17

mmmmmm tower bridge

merman · Post by **merman** » 26/10/2006 - 9:37

Spent many a happy hour on the BBC computers at various schools, remember one evening when I should have been at football practice, but stayed inside playing games on the Beeb instead...

Analog-X64 · Post by **Analog-X64** » 26/10/2006 - 22:13

huh?? British Broadcasting Corporation?? heheheh Just kidding.

I dont recall the BBC Being available here in North America, but I will check out the links and read more about it.

merman · Post by **merman** » 26/10/2006 - 22:59

Analog-X wrote:huh?? British Broadcasting Corporation?? heheheh Just kidding.

I dont recall the BBC Being available here in North America, but I will check out the links and read more about it.

No, it was actually the British Broadcasting Corporation. They wanted a low-cost computer to sell to the masses, alongside a series on computer technology. Acorn Computers in Cambridge came up with the winning design, which went through several models (A, B, Master, etc).

The BASIC is excellent, with some useful shortcuts, the inbuilt teletext mode (mode 7) and more.