Steve Furber - His First Computer and the Prototype Acorn BBC Micro!

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ธ.ค. 2024

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  • @SuperBoobaloo
    @SuperBoobaloo 6 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    What a fascinating interview. Steve is a national treasure.

  • @firsteerr
    @firsteerr 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    lets have a shout to Steve , it was he and the others guys of the time that laid the foundation for the world we live in today they pioneered the affordable computer and put it in our homes , without Steve his acorn pals Sinclair etc competing with each other we would not be able to afford technology

  • @orangedac
    @orangedac 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    You are doing a great service to mankind by carefully documenting and accumulating these pieces of history before all these legendary guys are dead & gone. Don't let them take the history to the grave with them. Please keep the museum alive as it serves as an inspiration to many. One day, this will be the only surviving record of how the world got to be where it is.

  • @peterjennings8258
    @peterjennings8258 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I could listen to BBC micro anecdotes for hours.... its so great you have recorded this history.... I hope to visit the museum soon.

  • @cbturner46
    @cbturner46 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    We used alphabetic PCB issues for prototyping / pre-production internal use. Switching to numeric issue 1 onwards for production releases at manufacturing sites.

  • @another3997
    @another3997 6 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Excellent video and Steve seems like a great guy, as well as being a genius. So pleased to see these machines being preserved and hearing the history straight from the horses mouth is fantastic. Well done.

  • @coolvideos8864
    @coolvideos8864 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Such a humble man. So many people owe there livelihoods to this man!

    • @paulanderson7796
      @paulanderson7796 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      IN what way is he horrible? (And it's "their", not "there").

    • @coolvideos8864
      @coolvideos8864 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@paulanderson7796 thanks for pointing out a post 2 years ago, but I’d work on reading before you start writing….

  • @dhuslin100
    @dhuslin100 7 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    Another brilliant video. Thanks. Steve is an amazing man and a really interesting interviewee. I can't wait to see the museum in person. Please keep these brilliant interviews and videos coming. I always look forward to them.

  • @dangersam
    @dangersam 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Fascinating conversation with an absolute legend! I'll have to check out the museum next time I'm back in the UK.

  • @harvestjet
    @harvestjet 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The BBC Micro badge is designed to be attached to the radiator grill (cars had them in the 80's::-) ) the AA & RAC used them.

  • @cpcnw
    @cpcnw 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    At Liverpool poly, my course work marks started to go up when I got an old PC XT and a Dot Matrix printer and typing stuff up. The editor was Software ToolWorks, an office suite [WP DB SS] that ran in 256Kb - you could even task switch and paste data across apps. What's office now? 3GB?

  • @wisteela
    @wisteela 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Superb
    I think I can solve the mystery of the 9 volt battery connector for prop use. It was featured on the BBC's Trojan Mouse, 10 year anniversary of the Computer Literacy Project.

    • @TheCentreforComputingHistory
      @TheCentreforComputingHistory  7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Paul Potter Thanks - Did you know that as a viewer or were you involved?

    • @wisteela
      @wisteela 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I thought I recognised it as a viewer, and the light up prop part confirmed my thinking. I can remember him flicking switches and lights working.

  • @Rockythefishman
    @Rockythefishman 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Wow what a donation. What a lovely man

  • @waldsteiger
    @waldsteiger 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    that 40 minutes just flew by. of course it would be nice to get the first machine going again, but i wouldnt be too sad if not. somehow it is in the state the original creator last used it in.

  • @robprupe
    @robprupe 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Did you ever get the 2650 machine up and running again?

  • @connomar55
    @connomar55 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Does the Centre have any Torch Machines. First time I ever saw Multi-processing via Acorn hardware.

  • @melanierhianna
    @melanierhianna 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That's a badge bar plate. Old sports cars often had a bar across the front which drivers would put on car enthusiasts badges, AA / RAC badges and so on.

  • @steve_ancell
    @steve_ancell 7 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    I bet you're glad you had clean socks :D
    You have another susbscriber BTW! ;-)

  • @TJ-cg8mq
    @TJ-cg8mq 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    ...Aviator on the BBC Micro was a classic. . Was it created by the guy who did Stunt Car Racer..??!

  • @stevesgaming7475
    @stevesgaming7475 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    What a legend Steve is!

  • @penfold7800
    @penfold7800 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Regarding the 'issue c' bbc micro pcb. I used to work in a circuit board manufacturers that used a 'bed of nails' machine to test the boards for shorts or breaks (no resistance or capacitance test). that manually operated press-based machine used a bbc micro issue c board, which i think was a bbc micro b, issue II. the program that it ran was contained on eproms, presumably they were used in the same place as the volatile ram would have been. it had 6 columns of 8 sockets on the back, each supporting 64 pin-outs for the 'nails'. after it 'learnt' the correct layout from a verified good board, it only read the connections related to the plugs that were connected at the 'learn' stage. whats impressive to me is that on a completely populated pinout scenario it took less than 10 seconds to 'read' and compare the status of every single pin to every other pin with its 'learnt' status. the machine was called an MS2000, and this was in the early 1990's. in the UK.

  • @keithrobinson6511
    @keithrobinson6511 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Repopulate those sockets and get it running!
    And high-res scan those bare PCB for posterity.

  • @jamesrbrindle
    @jamesrbrindle 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Sygnetics 2650 was used on a few arcade games of 78/79

  • @limpfishyes
    @limpfishyes 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Love this video. oh, and nice socks!

  • @goodfodder
    @goodfodder 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    love the size of the psu of his first machine

  • @Zadster
    @Zadster 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This is the micro equivalent of going round to Moses' house and having a chat about the tablets he made, and the prototype Arc of the Covenant he put together as a postgrad. A bit of a coup for the Centre, but I can't think of a better place for the computer equivalent of whole books of the old testament to live.

  • @buffplums
    @buffplums 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Does anyone know where I can donate a load of my old computer stuff. I have a BBC B and monitor, Commodore Amiga and C64 Floppy disk drives etc…?

  • @taketimeout2share
    @taketimeout2share 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    So flight sims got him going. Maybe I might invent the quantum PC in my kitchen at home. I'm into them.

  • @outaspaceman
    @outaspaceman 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Wow...
    Just, Wow

  • @GlassDarkly
    @GlassDarkly 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Everyone has to take their shoes off round at Steve's house... :)

    • @EgoShredder
      @EgoShredder 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yep shoes are outdoor hardware! Once inside give your feet an airing and a bit of comfort on a nice soft carpet.

  • @petermitchell6348
    @petermitchell6348 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    Oh, I thought we were going to look at that BBC B that was on the side. Interesting show though, many thanks CCH and the legendary Steve Furber

  • @kevroodenman3283
    @kevroodenman3283 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    i saw a kit built with wires wraped on nails

  • @marrrtin
    @marrrtin 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Steve Furber: This is THE board which accidentally proved the low power characteristics of ARM.
    Jason: So where exactly did you mess up?

  • @8-bitsteve500
    @8-bitsteve500 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    A total legend!

  • @TerribleFire
    @TerribleFire 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    The only folks that might have done their thesis on computer before Steve were the folks at CERN. Maybe!

  • @mazharsaid4812
    @mazharsaid4812 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    In 1989 the acorn archimedes had sound in lander but today's machines have no sound in lander does any one know why maybe thanks

    • @nigelbarrett4936
      @nigelbarrett4936 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      if i recall correctly the free demo Lander had no sound but the full game Zarch did.

  • @axs203
    @axs203 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Limitations are what push you.....the old stuff made you do that............I love bbc micros!

  • @jamesdecross1035
    @jamesdecross1035 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    In his 'home-brew' first computer, are those capacitors?!

    • @paulanderson7796
      @paulanderson7796 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      There are some in there, yes. A couple of hefty electrolytics in the PSU

  • @Spongman
    @Spongman 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    both these machines can be seen here: th-cam.com/video/5mQ9XOfqbH8/w-d-xo.html&t=368

    • @peterjennings8258
      @peterjennings8258 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      thanks for this Link! just watched the video.

  • @penfold7800
    @penfold7800 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    oh yeah, another thing, unlikely but... if somewhere on the white legend of that board, around the edge, it has the initialls PWC and a date, then it was made by our factory (just the board). I know that at the time, we made single-sided boards for Cambridge Systems that were for transistor-based amplifiers and were very well designed to make manufacturing easier so there were far less rejected boards at test stage. Sir Clive, doesnt get enough credit for how good he was at getting good people to work together to create well-designed products. Youve outlined well here why it was essential for him to source components that even though outside tollerances for thier intended use, worked well as alternatives in his projects - components were very hard to come by, and waiting a whole year for your own properly tested, experly designed component was not viable, because the technology that other companies will have developed by then would have been superior. My personal Sinclair favourite achievement is the ZX81 programming manual. Very well written and an excellent doorway for anyone at the time to get passionate about programming.

  • @rdoetjes
    @rdoetjes 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Kids have indeed arduino etc and those little tiny cheap machines like the Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi (to bring it back to arm) are astonishing and I would’ve killed to have one in the 80s. But kids now grow up with a computers as a mass product. Like we did with radios and TVs. Our dads build radios, we hacked computers. Not sure what kids hack today though.
    But I did realize back when I was employed, that when we had interns and I showed them programming electronics that they are really intrigued. The see computers as boxes that are fully integrated and not something that can control and measure external stuffz

  • @neocort4513
    @neocort4513 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Life is nothing but information. so we have to learn how to deal with information well.

  • @ms-ex8em
    @ms-ex8em 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    hello does Lander on Archimedes (Archie) have sound? thanks.

  • @ms-ex8em
    @ms-ex8em 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Lander on the Archie - no sound do u know where i can dl it with sound fx?

  • @jkdsteve
    @jkdsteve 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    A prop for Dr Who, Blakes 7 or equally great BBC SciFi maybe? :D

  • @unlokia
    @unlokia 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Wait... he built a BAT PLANE? Does Bruce Wayne know about this?!
    :p

  • @qwertyface
    @qwertyface 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    The mystery of the 'C' circuit board seems to be resolved by your later interview with Chris Turner. Letters were pre-production, numbers production. th-cam.com/video/ZoAXoUMWc90/w-d-xo.html at 26:22

  • @LawnMowersThingsThatMakeNoise
    @LawnMowersThingsThatMakeNoise 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love the videos but. why is it good that he inhaled fairly noxious fumes. and you clapped your hands together lol. :-)

  • @codewizard58
    @codewizard58 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Signetics 2650 was my first cpu. Not as nice looking.

  • @connorcanwell
    @connorcanwell ปีที่แล้ว

    This interviewer keeps talking about himself. He doesn't even seem interested in Steve Furber just wants to take his machines.

  • @YouTubeSupportTeams
    @YouTubeSupportTeams 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    why is he in his socks? lol

    • @EgoShredder
      @EgoShredder 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      He's indoors.

    • @YouTubeSupportTeams
      @YouTubeSupportTeams 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@EgoShredder so?

    • @EgoShredder
      @EgoShredder 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@TH-camSupportTeams That should be obvious. Shoes can step in all manner of things outside, that would then prevent you from walking bare foot indoors. Also dirt and filth transfers from the floors to the furniture and bedding. Despite washing, the dirt still becomes engrained over time, meaning it will never look clean again. The same goes for any clothes that are in contact with dirty surfaces like this. We once had a guest walk dog mess around our home once. A very expensive thing to fix, but the person responsible paid nothing towards this.

    • @YouTubeSupportTeams
      @YouTubeSupportTeams 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@EgoShredder sounds like the most pretentious thing i've ever heard. carpets get dirty no matter what, that's why they are cleaned when they are soiled.

    • @EgoShredder
      @EgoShredder 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@TH-camSupportTeams Not at all. It's just decency and common sense.