Why Did Acorn Computers Fail?
Acorn Computers was once one of the most recognisable names in British computing. Famous for its BBC Micro compute, Acorn was a pioneer of affordable home computing.
Acorn’s history began in the early 1980s when venture capitalists backed the company to build a new computer for schools. The result was the Acorn Computer Company, based in Cambridge and led by David Johnson, Chris Curry, Hermann Hauser (all of whom had previously been involved with Cambridge Graphics Computer Services). Its first release was the 1250 business computer, which featured an Intel 8085 microprocessor and user-friendly graphics.
In 1981 Acron released its second computer model, the Acorn Computer A2000. This used an even more powerful processor, an Intel 8086. However, it struggled to compete with other brands at that time and only 200 were sold before production ceased in 1983.
Acorn’s fortunes changed in 1985 after it won a contract from BBC Education to develop a new microcomputer for classroom use — again using an Intel 8086 processor as this was now commonplace among manufacturers such as Apple and Commodore International Ltd . It would be called the BBC Microcomputer Computer or ‘BBC Micro’ for short.
The main selling point of this device was its cost effectiveness: at £235 it was not only cheaper than anything else on the market but also cheaper than almost any other personal computer ever produced up until that point.
What Was So Great About The BBC Micro?
The BBC Micro was probably best known for its use in schools. It was a very robust computer that could take a lot of punishment and was almost indestructible, featuring a sturdy metal case and housed in a plastic desktop case.
The BBC Micro was also very powerful for its time. It could run a number of programming languages including Basic, COBOL and Pascal. It also had an integrated networking facility that could be used to link several machines together.
The BBC Micro’s only major drawback was that it had a very small amount of memory (only 48k) and didn’t have much disk storage. However the machine was incredibly useful for education and was used in British schools for more than a decade.
Why was the BBC Micro so Popular?
The BBC Micro’s popularity was largely because of its use in schools. Many students learned their first programming language on this device, and a large number of schools were supplied with the machine. Its cheap price also made it attractive to schools as it was way more affordable than other computers available at that time.
The computer’s popularity was also boosted by its use in the home. It was in many ways the first computer that could be used in the home, as previous machines such as the Apple II had been too expensive. It was also a very expandable computer that could be upgraded with more memory or peripherals.
The BBC Micro was also widely used by businesses. It was very powerful and flexible for the day, and many companies relied on this machine as their main office computer.
Problems With Installing New Software
The BBC Micro’s main drawback was that it could only run software written for the 6800 processor that it used. This meant that it could only use software written specifically for that processor rather than more powerful machines that could run a variety of programs using an Intel processor.
However, the BBC Micro had the advantage that its 6800 processor was an open architecture. This meant that its functions could be accessed by users and programmers using a Basic command. This meant that the BBC Micro could run programs written for other computers and that programmers could create software for this computer without needing much technical knowledge.
This was a significant advantage for companies because it meant that unqualified personnel could use the computer without having to employ technical staff. It also meant that the BBC Micro could run programs written for the Apple II. This greatly increased the computer’s versatility.
Design Flaws
One of the most common complaints about the BBC Micro was that it was not very user-friendly. It had an intimidating front panel with a host of switches and lights. In fact, it had far too many controls that were often confusing to operate and had no standardised way of being used.
These complaints were addressed with the introduction of the BBC Micro Model B in 1985. This was a much more user-friendly computer that had USB ports and a standard keyboard. However, the Model B had other design flaws. Oneissue was the computer’s power supply. The Model B’s PSU was notorious for failing as it was poorly designed and used a cheap transformer. This led to the computer being unceremoniously switched off by an overloaded circuit breaker in many homes.
Although it was affordable and easy to use, the BBC Micro was not a powerful computer and was just one step above a home computer. This meant that it could not run many business applications and you could only programme it using an approved language. It was also slow to load software and it had a relatively small memory compared to other computers of the period.
The Rise of Acorn Computers: 1985 – 1990
The BBC Micro was a massive success in classrooms and one of its most important features was that it could be connected to other computers. This meant that a network of machines could be created with a central computer controlling the others. This feature was so popular that Acorn Computer developed a system to expand the BBC Micro’s networking capabilities. This was called Acorn Networking and allowed several computers to be linked together.
However, the BBC Micro’s networking capabilities were limited. They could only be used to exchange files and a central computer had to control all the computers linked together. This disadvantage was addressed in 1990 when Acorn launched the Acorn Network Computer. This was a BBC Micro computer with networking capabilities integrated into its motherboard.
Sadly, the network computer was a commercial failure.
So why did Acorn Computers Fail?
The BBC Micro computer was a solid machine, but it was very difficult to update. This meant that it was very difficult to make improvements or introduce new features. This changed with the release of the Archimedes computer in 1987. This was a BBC Micro with a new operating system and a much faster processor.
However, the Archimedes was a very expensive computer that was far too difficult to programme. Although the BBC Micro’s Basic language was easy to use, it was very limiting and could not address the computer’s full potential.
The Archimedes’s high cost and complexity were two major factors in Acorn’s decline. The company was also involved in a long and drawn-out legal dispute about the ownership of the Acorn name with a Canadian computer manufacturer called Advanced Computer Research Inc. (ACR).
Where is Acorn Computers Today?
Acorn Computer failed in 1994. After a long legal dispute with Advanced Computer Research Inc. (ACR) the latter company bought the rights to the Acorn name. This company manufactured computers based on the Acorn design but with Intel processors.
ACR was eventually bought by ICL, which eventually became part of Fujitsu. Fujitsu continues to produce computers based on the Acorn design today.
Final Words: Where Did Acorn Go Wrong?
The BBC Micro was an excellent computer with many innovative features. It was well designed, relatively cheap to produce and had a number of advanced features such as networking. This computer was the result of a great deal of innovation and was a product that would be very difficult to create today.
However, it was a product that was almost impossible to update and Acorn was unable to produce a new computer that was as successful as the BBC Micro. This is one of the dangers that faces many companies and suggests that the only way to succeed is to keep innovating and not to rest on your laurels.