Mark Fixes Stuff @markfixesstuff.com · Mar 5 The Acorn Electron was meant to make the BBC Micro tech more accessible and offer a compact and affordable home machine. Delays meant it missed the 1983 Christmas market, limiting its impact. I do wonder how much timing affected its place in computing history? #AcornElectron #RetroComputing #80s
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speccy was already entrenched, didn't have a chance. Maybe if they hadn't overpriced the BBC in the first place.
Got mine for the Christmas after in 1984. Although my dad did get a BBC Micro soon after, so didn't much use my Electron after that. Still have it though on permanent display. Such a pretty micro.
Had it gone to plan, the Electron would probably have competed strongly against the Spectrum: Much better keyboard, high resolution graphics for serious work, low resolution graphics with colours (but no clash) and BBC BASIC.
Quite a bit I'd bet. Here in the States, Atari didn't have enough 800XLs to sell in the Christmas of 1983 so people went home with Commodore 64s instead. Atari didn't recover and the C-64 went on to be the bestselling computer model of all time.
The Acorn Electron was my first home computer and I have SO many fond memories of using it. It shaped my love for adventure games and all things fantasy and sci-fi. Also, I have never found a more joyously tactile keyboard to type on!
I love Chuckie Egg! Years ago I had an Acorn Electron from a car boot (3 quid I think it was?) wish I still had it.
Timing was everything. Although, it didn't miss the 1983 as it was released in late summer of that year. I know this because I got one for Christmas as a 5 year old. I also got the Data Recorder and an RGB television/monitor. I must have been so spoilt.
I remember those and the Archimedes littering the Art and Design block at my secondary school with their ancient CAD and drawing suites. Which was hilarious when we got fully-equipped iMacs in the PC lab in 1998.