History Platform / BBCMicro

It also saw use in the entertainment industry, creating visual effects and synthesised music. One prominent use was by Music/{{Queen}} in their song "A Kind of Magic". The BBC itself made as extensive use of this facility as it could, probably so they could be seen "eating their own dogfood", but also for practical reasons. While it depended on what you wanted, you could usually whip up programs for producing effects and captions in-house in a very short space of time. These could then be re-used on demand -- while productions had to jostle for time on one of the BBC's Quantel systems, they could have their ''own'' BBC Micro(s) as required. The early years of Creator/{{CBBC}} (when they were in the Broom Cupboard) utilized Micros to generate on-screen graphics, most notably their {{station ident}}s. The Micro also had a deep relationship with the BBC's UsefulNotes/{{Teletext}} service Ceefax, including [[http://teletext.mb21.co.uk/gallery/ceefax/telesoftware/ telesoftware broadcast over-the-air for Micro users]] from 1983 to 89.

* [[UsefulNotes/GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]]: Motorola 6845 + custom circuitry. The Electron replaced these with a custom ULA chip that also provided all I/O and sound.

* ''VideoGame/{{Commando}}''

* ''VideoGame/SpyHunter''

The UsefulNotes/RaspberryPi is often portrayed as a SpiritualSuccessor, right down to having a Model A and Model B as a deliberate ShoutOut. More recently, the BBC introduced their own modern microcomputer (again intended for students in schools), the BBC [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Bit Micro Bit]].

Like the UsefulNotes/AppleII and UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}}, but unlike the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum and UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC, the Beeb clocked its RAM at twice the speed of its CPU and therefore was able to switch alternately between CPU and video circuits without a speed penalty.

Second processors were actually available — as well as the official Acorn model (shown off in the promo literature but rarely bought), there was the Torch Systems Z80 board (which could run their version of CP/M and business software), and a few other third-party systems. As it was, the Tube was really a developer feature, included to aid future prototyping — the ARM processor was tested on it and the UsefulNotes/AcornArchimedes developed with its aid.

* ''VideoGame/CrystalCastles''

The UsefulNotes/RaspberryPi is often portrayed as a SpiritualSuccessor, right down to having a Model A and Model B as a deliberate ShoutOut. More recently, the BBC's introduced their own modern microcomputer (again intended for students in schools), the BBC [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Bit Micro Bit]].

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bbcmicro_2214.jpg]]

The Beeb remains a CultClassic mainly because of its remarkable customisability. Network interfaces, extra tape and disk drives, and custom peripherals could be added easily. Several prominent early adopters, such as author Creator/TerryPratchett, took this to its logical extreme and ended up with a machine at the centre of a dozen custom circuitboards that would turn the lights on, check the weather via a Teletext adaptor and display it on the screen, and play a fanfare as soon as he entered the room. After a while Pratchett forgot exactly what component did what and the machine seemed like some mysterious organic whole, inspiring the self-aware computer HEX from ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''.

The BBC Microcomputer System (aka "BBC" or just "Beeb"), built by Acorn Computers under the auspices of (naturally) Creator/TheBBC, was the most popular computer in [[UsefulNotes/BritishEducationSystem British primary and secondary schools]] during the 1980s. The BBC had sought a microcomputer to serve as the cornerstone of their "Computer Literacy Project" and be used to demonstrate a wide variety of features on the educational TV series ''The Computer Programme''; Acorn's microcomputer (known as the Proton in its prototype state) turned out to meet and exceed the BBC's ambitious specifications, but it also became known as a gaming platform and an early technology for computer special effects.

Some of the platform's most impressive games--''VideoGame/{{Elite}}'', ''[[VideoGame/ExileBBCMicro Exile]]'', and ''VideoGame/TheSentinel''--employed ProceduralGeneration to create vast universes in extremely limited memory. These titles continued to stand out when ported to far more powerful machines, and ''Elite'' launched an enduring subgenre of WideOpenSandbox space-trading-and-combat sims.

The Beeb remains a cult classic mainly because of its remarkable customisability. Network interfaces, extra tape and disk drives, and custom peripherals could be added easily. Several prominent early adopters, such as author Creator/TerryPratchett, took this to its logical extreme and ended up with a machine at the centre of a dozen custom circuitboards that would turn the lights on, check the weather via a Teletext adaptor and display it on the screen, and play a fanfare as soon as he entered the room. After a while Pratchett forgot exactly what component did what and the machine seemed like some mysterious organic whole, inspiring the self-aware computer HEX from ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''.

It also saw use in the entertainment industry, creating visual effects and synthesised music. One prominent use was by Music/{{Queen}} in their song "A Kind of Magic". Creator/TheBBC itself made as extensive use of this facility as it could, probably so they could be seen "eating their own dogfood", but also for practical reasons. While it depended on what you wanted, you could usually whip up programs for producing effects and captions in-house in a very short space of time. These could then be re-used on demand — while productions had to jostle for time on one of the BBC's Quantel systems, they could have their ''own'' BBC Micro(s) as required. The early years of CBBC (when they were in the Broom Cupboard) utilized Micros to generate on-screen graphics, most notably their idents. The Micro also had a deep relationship with the BBC's UsefulNotes/{{Teletext}} service Ceefax, including [[http://teletext.mb21.co.uk/gallery/ceefax/telesoftware/ telesoftware broadcast over-the-air for Micro users]] from 1983 to 89.

It also saw use in the entertainment industry, creating visual effects and synthesised music. One prominent use was by Music/{{Queen}} in their song "A Kind of Magic". Creator/TheBBC itself made as extensive use of this facility as it could, probably so they could be seen "eating their own dogfood", but also for practical reasons. While it depended on what you wanted, you could usually whip up programs for producing effects and captions in-house in a very short space of time. These could then be re-used on demand — while productions had to jostle for time on one of the BBC's Quantel systems, they could have their ''own'' BBC Micro(s) as required. The early years of CBBC (when they were in the Broom Cupboard) utilized Micros to generate on-screen graphics, most notably their idents. The Micro also had a deep relationship with the BBC's Main/{{Teletext}} service Ceefax, including [[http://teletext.mb21.co.uk/gallery/ceefax/telesoftware/ telesoftware broadcast over-the-air for Micro users]] from 1983 to 89.

It also saw use in the entertainment industry, creating visual effects and synthesised music. One prominent use was by Music/{{Queen}} in their song "A Kind of Magic". Creator/TheBBC itself made as extensive use of this facility as it could, probably so they could be seen "eating their own dogfood", but also for practical reasons. While it depended on what you wanted, you could usually whip up programs for producing effects and captions in-house in a very short space of time. These could then be re-used on demand — while productions had to jostle for time on one of the BBC's Quantel systems, they could have their ''own'' BBC Micro(s) as required. The early years of CBBC (when they were in the Broom Cupboard) utilized Micros to generate on-screen graphics, most notably their idents. The Micro also had a deep relationship with the BBC's UsefulNotes/{{Teletext}} service Ceefax, including [[http://teletext.mb21.co.uk/gallery/ceefax/telesoftware/ telesoftware broadcast over-the-air for Micro users]] from 1983 to 89.

It also saw use in the entertainment industry, creating visual effects and synthesised music. One prominent use was by Music/{{Queen}} in their song "A Kind of Magic". Creator/TheBBC itself made as extensive use of this facility as it could, probably so they could be seen "eating their own dogfood", but also for practical reasons. While it depended on what you wanted, you could usually whip up programs for producing effects and captions in-house in a very short space of time. These could then be re-used on demand — while productions had to jostle for time on one of the BBC's Quantel systems, they could have their ''own'' BBC Micro(s) as required. The early years of CBBC (when they were in the Broom Cupboard) utilized Micros to generate on-screen graphics, most notably their idents.

The UsefulNotes/RaspberryPi is often portrayed as a SpiritualSuccessor, right down to having a Model A and Model B as a deliberate ShoutOut.

The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi Raspberry Pi]] is often portrayed as a SpiritualSuccessor, right down to having a Model A and Model B as a deliberate ShoutOut.

The BBC Microcomputer System (aka "BBC" or just "Beeb"), built by Acorn Computers under the auspices of (naturally) Creator/TheBBC, was the most popular computer in British primary and secondary schools during the 1980s. The BBC had sought a microcomputer to serve as the cornerstone of their "Computer Literacy Project" and be used to demonstrate a wide variety of features on the educational TV series ''The Computer Programme''; Acorn's microcomputer (known as the Proton in its prototype state) turned out to meet and exceed the BBC's ambitious specifications, but it also became known as a gaming platform and an early technology for computer special effects.

It also saw use in the entertainment industry, creating visual effects and synthesised music. One prominent use was by Music/{{Queen}} in their song "A Kind of Magic". Creator/TheBBC itself made as extensive use of this facility as it could, probably so they could be seen "eating their own dogfood", but also for practical reasons. While it depended on what you wanted, you could usually whip up programs for producing effects and captions in-house in a very short space of time. These could then be re-used on demand — while productions had to jostle for time on one of the BBC's Quantel systems, they could have their ''own'' BBC Micro(s) as required.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bbcmicro_2214.jpg

* [[GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]]: Motorola 6845 + custom circuitry. The Electron replaced these with a custom ULA chip that also provided all I/O and sound.

It also saw use in the entertainment industry, creating visual effects and synthesised music. One prominent use was by Music/{{Queen}} in their song "A Kind of Magic". TheBBC itself made as extensive use of this facility as it could, probably so they could be seen "eating their own dogfood", but also for practical reasons. While it depended on what you wanted, you could usually whip up programs for producing effects and captions in-house in a very short space of time. These could then be re-used on demand — while productions had to jostle for time on one of the BBC's Quantel systems, they could have their ''own'' BBC Micro(s) as required.

Second processors were actually available — as well as the official Acorn model (shown off in the promo literature but rarely bought), there was the Torch Systems Z80 board (which could run their version of CP/M and business software), and a few other third-party systems. As it was, the Tube was really a developer feature, included to aid future prototyping — the ARM processor was tested on it and the AcornArchimedes developed with its aid.