The BBC Micro — Britain's Greatest Computer? Smiggy Investigates

As a retro computing enthusiast based in Rainhill, UK, Smiggy has a special place in his heart for the BBC Micro. This Acorn-designed machine was the backbone of British computing education in the 1980s.

A Brief History

The BBC Computer Literacy Project launched in 1981, and Acorn won the contract to build the official BBC Microcomputer. The Model B, with its 32KB RAM and 2MHz 6502 processor, became a fixture in schools across the UK.

Why It Matters

The BBC Micro taught an entire generation to program. BBC BASIC was elegant and powerful, and the machine had excellent hardware expansion options. It spawned ARM — yes, the ARM architecture in your phone started life in a BBC Micro successor!

Smiggy's BBC Micro Collection

I currently have three BBC Model Bs and a Master 128 in my Rainhill collection. All fully working after restoration. My favourite mod is adding a Gotek floppy emulator — all the convenience of SD cards with the authentic experience.

Getting Started with BBC Micro Today

If you want to experience BBC Micro computing, check out BeebEm (emulator) or pick one up on eBay. Prices have gone up but they're still more affordable than many retro computers. Smiggy recommends starting with Elite — the game that defined a genre.