Comments on: Sinclair User: BBC’s Micro Men

By: Robin Bradbeer

Robin Bradbeer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:32:31 +0000

This programme is 50% travesty of history. As someone invoved with both Clive and Chris since they were at St Ives, and who also was on the committee that formulated the BBC Micro spec. it was good fun but not at all accurate. When will someone write the REAL story – which was far more interesting than this fiction…………….

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:27:46 +0000

As someone who aged 13 started programming using a ZX81 and a few years later used the Beeb at school this was superb entertainment, probably more from a nostalgia point of view than anything else.

For me the most striking thing of that time was the innovation, these guys were really pushing the boundaries, exploring and delivering things that had simply not been done before. Forward to now and look back over the last 15 years and what do we have? The same basic Intel chip but faster, graphics cards that are faster with more memory, better soundcards, better monitors but these are just improvements on what already exists. Nothing has been innovative or new and thats a real shame.

By: Timbo

Timbo — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:47:29 +0000

Fantastic program that reminded me of the “good old days”, I just love the eccentric manner of Sir Sinclair, i have even had a go in one of his ‘electric cars’ haha but i fondly remember my I.T lessons in school on the BBC computers, few how things have changed.

Its a shame people outside the us can’t see this program its worth it

By: Jayt

Jayt — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:58 +0000

fuck region locking, fuck it right off

By: James G

James G — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:29:50 +0000

Caught it last night, and found it strangely sad. There was a dramatic irony underlying the whole thing for one, knowing that the expansion would ultimately end in failure. As a result, even the begining, was overshadowed by what was to come.

But on top of all this was a sadness in the passing of the pioneer (something that Sinclair himself commented on in one of the closing scenes) the death of the UK computing hardware industry, and also, more personally, the end of my childhood. The latter sounds a bit silly, what with half the events occurring before I was even born, but the Spectrum, and to a lesser extent the BBC, are intimately connected to my early years.

I also can’t help but connect the death of the Spectrum with a homogenisation of the global gaming industry. However, I’m having a bit of trouble working out exactly what I mean by this, and why I think it is a bad thing (and also, why I think things are on the up.) It is probably a topic best discussed when I’ve been able to better dissect it out from my own personal experiences, and worked out whether it is British development per se. or the flexibility of the smaller developer, which I miss most.

By: Pod

Pod — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:11:10 +0000

Steve Furber was one of my University professors.
WHOOP.

By: Pod

Pod — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:09:46 +0000

Steve Furber was one of my Uni professors.
Whoop.

By: GCU Speak Softly

GCU Speak Softly — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:26:00 +0000

Was I the only person who wanted a game of Atic Atac after watching it appear on screen?

By: Kadayi

Kadayi — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:27:51 +0000

Loved the fact that they had a Ruckus in the Pub. ;)

By: CdrJameson

CdrJameson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:49:28 +0000

Just watched again with other half.

On Clive Sinclair:
“He’s like a ginger Darth Vader.”

By: Fred Wyropiquet

Fred Wyropiquet — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:00:29 +0000

The best/worst joke was at the end where Acorn was sold cheap to the Italians who didn’t know they were getting a whole chunk of world-beating technology until they had bought it: ARM (RISC) processors and the 32-bit Archimedes computers together with the RISC operating system and built-in BBC Basic + Assembler language. Both hardware and OS continue today and the ARM processors are those most used throughout the world.

And hardly anyone notices …

By: Al Ewing

Al Ewing — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:51:09 +0000

A terrific bit of telly – I was a BBC Micro kid myself, so this all brings back some fond memories. Very poignant final image. I’d advise anyone who liked this to pick up a copy of Backroom Boys by Francis Spufford.