Mark Fixes Stuff @markfixesstuff.com · Feb 27 Did you ever use a school computer? 🏫💻 BBC Micro, RM Nimbus, Acorn Archimedes, Amstrad PC1640 or something else? What was the best (or worst) thing about using these machines in class? #retrocomputing #uk #nostalgia #education Image: Marcin Wichary
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BBC B and then the RM nimbus. Best thing.. playing Leisure Suit Larry on the Nimbus when I was doing my GCSE computer studies 😃
The Apple II with Oregon Trail was a staple. I also remember a trio of Commodore PETs in the middle school classroom where we had typing class. Though we all used IBM electric typewriters to learn keyboarding. Man, I’m old.
Yes, BBC Micro at school and college, and also a PDP/11 at college. Never got to use the RM 380Z. They were only available to 6th formers at school.
Both the Micro and Archimedes for me. My gripe as a child was that there was never enough time allocated to have a decent crack at playing Granny's Garden or Lemmings respectively. Now nobody can stop me!
CBM 8032
Yeah we had a range of computers at my high school. Some IBM clone things for the word-processing class, Acorn A310's, A3000's, A3020's, A4000 and BBC Model B and Masters.
I think I was the right age to have used all of those as I progressed through my education! Quirkiest ones were the ‘nearly PC compatible’ Nimbus machines running Windows 2 (yes, 2) that my 6th form computer lab had…
Our school BBC had "L - A Mathemagical Adventure" on it. Great fun.
Some Nascom 1s and. couple of Acorn Atoms with a 380Z as well.
I'm a yank, so over here Apple had their "computers in the classroom" program where they funded school computer departments. Started with apple iis in 1st grade
Used a BBC Model B in primary school. Best thing was playing games on it. Got to Secondary School and was given access to the suite of Archimedes machines. Wasted most of my IT classes playing Lemmings. The IT work was too easy and got finished in 20 minor so most weeks.
C64-grades 1-6, Apple IIGS-grades 7-8, and IBM PS/2-high school. C64 Best: I liked the interaction with the disk drive and typing in commands. Worst: Monitors were 13" RF TVs. Apple IIGS Best: Fun edutainment software. Worst: Slow. IBM Best: Learned to type on Model M. Worst: DOS only.
My school computers were both Research Machines 380Zs. But I then spent two years working at a college and wrote educational software for BBC, 380/480Z and Nimbus among others. Too early for Archie's and Spamstrads (Viglen, the dirty secret). Happy to discuss if you have a reason to.