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'{{Infobox information appliance | name = Acorn Archimedes | title = | aka = | logo = Archimedes-logo-full.png | image = AcornArchimedes-Wiki.jpg | caption = Archimedes 400/1 series computer. The function keys on the keyboard are the standard grey; on [[BBC Microcomputer|BBC]] branded models, the function keys were red. | developer = [[Acorn Computers Ltd]] | manufacturer = | family = | type = [[Personal computer]] or [[home computer]] | releasedate = {{Start date and age|1987|06}} | lifespan = | price = [[Pound sterling|£]]800 (circa £{{Inflation|UK|800|1987|r=-2}} today) | discontinued = Mid-1990s | unitssold = | unitsshipped = | media = | os = [[RISC OS]] or [[RISC iX]] | power = | soc = | cpu = [[ARM architecture|ARM]] | memory = 512&nbsp;[[kibibyte|KB]]–16&nbsp;[[mebibyte|MB]] | storage = | memory card = | display = | graphics = | sound = | input = | controllers = | camera = | touchpad = | connectivity = | platform = | service = | dimensions = | weight = | topgame = | compatibility = | predecessor = [[BBC Micro]] | successor = [[RiscPC]] | related = | website = <!--{{URL|example.org}}--> }} The '''Acorn Archimedes''' is a family of [[personal computer]]s designed by [[Acorn Computers Ltd]] in [[Cambridge|Cambridge, England]]. The systems are based on Acorn's own [[ARM architecture]] processors and proprietary operating system [[RISC OS]]. The first model was introduced in 1987, and systems in the Archimedes family were sold until the mid-1990s. ARM's [[Reduced instruction set computing|RISC]] design, a [[32-bit]] CPU (using 26-bit addressing), running at 8&nbsp;[[Hertz|MHz]], was stated as achieving 4.5+&nbsp;[[Million instructions per second|MIPS]],<ref name="MIPS"/> which provided a significant upgrade from [[8-bit]] home computers, such as Acorn's previous machines. Claims of being the fastest micro in the world and running at 18 MIPS were also made during tests.<ref>{{cite news | first = Ray | last = Hammond | title = 'Fastest' micro in the world | date = 1987-06-18 | work = New Scientist | page = 41}}</ref> The first models were named "BBC Archimedes", yet the name "Acorn Archimedes" is commonly used to describe any of Acorn's contemporary designs based on the same architecture. == Description and history == === Early models{{anchor|A300|A310}} === The Acorn Archimedes was the first [[Reduced instruction set computer|RISC]]-based home computer.<ref name="pountain198710">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1987-10-rescan/1987_10_BYTE_12-11_Heuristic_Algorithms#page/n129/mode/2up | title=The Archimedes A310 | work=BYTE | date=October 1987 | accessdate=4 August 2014 | author=Pountain, Dick | pages=125}}</ref> The first models were released in June 1987, as the 300 and 400 series. The 400 series included four expansion slots (although a two slot [[backplane]] could be added to the 300 series as an official upgrade, and third parties produced their own 4-slot backplanes) and an [[ST-506]] controller for an internal [[hard drive]]. Both models included the [[Arthur (operating system)|Arthur operating system]] (later replaced by [[RISC OS]] as a paid-for upgrade), [[BBC BASIC]] programming language, and an [[emulator]] for Acorn's earlier [[BBC Micro]], and were mounted in two-part cases with a small central unit, [[Computer display|monitor]] on top, and a separate [[Computer keyboard|keyboard]] and three-button [[computer mouse|mouse]] (the middle one used for pop-up [[context menu]]s of the operating system). All models featured eight-channel 8-bit [[stereo sound]] and were capable of displaying 256 colours on screen.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrj-EEnsacQ Acorn Archimedes Promotion from 1987]</ref><ref>[http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Acorn/Misc/Acorn_VIDC_Datasheet.pdf VIDC (Video Controller) datasheet]</ref> Three models were initially released with different amounts of memory, the A305, A310 and A440. These were soon replaced with the A410/1, the A420/1 and A440/1 which featured an upgraded MEMC1a. The A540, which supported up to 16&nbsp;MiB of [[random-access memory|RAM]] and included higher speed SCSI and provision for connecting [[Genlock]] devices,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.apdl.co.uk/riscworld/volume9/issue2/blast20/index.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120730032141/http://www.apdl.co.uk/riscworld/volume9/issue2/blast20/index.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-07-30 | title = The RISC OS Time Machine&nbsp;— A £3000 computer | accessdate = 2011-06-08 | last = Williams | first = Mike | author2 = Wrigley, Alan | date = November 1990 | work = RISC User | publisher = RISC User | quote = [...] further differences, one of major importance. This is the SCSI connector on the rear of the SCSI interface card [...] Internally, provision has also been made for Genlock and similar video digitiser boards to be connected directly into the Archimedes. }}</ref> was unveiled in September 1990. The 300 and 400 were followed by a number of machines with minor changes and upgrades: === A3000 and A5000 === [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3000 Computer Main Unit.jpg|thumbnail|right|Acorn Archimedes A3000 computer main unit]] [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3000 Computer with cover removed.jpg|thumb|right|Acorn Archimedes A3000 computer with cover removed]] [[File:Acorn Archimedes A3000 Main PCB.jpg|thumb|Acorn Archimedes A3000 main PCB. Corrosion from a leaky NiCd battery can be seen in the bottom left corner.]] [[Image:BBC owl.svg|thumb|131x131px|The owl logo of the BBC Computer Literacy Project appeared on the keyboard, above the numeric keypad on the Archimedes 300 series and A3000 keyboards.|alt=]]Work began on a successor to the [[Arthur (operating system)|Arthur operating system]]. Initially named Arthur 2, it was renamed to [[RISC OS]] 2. New computers were shipped with it pre-installed. A number of new machines were introduced along with RISC OS 2 and in May 1989, the 300 series was phased out in favour of the new Acorn A3000 (the 400 series was kept in production). Earlier models which shipped with Arthur could be upgraded to {{nowrap|RISC OS 2}} by replacing the [[read-only memory|ROM]] chip containing the operating system. Because of the ROM chip containing the operating systems, the computer [[booting|booted]] instantly (to its GUI system, rare for its time). The A3000 used an 8&nbsp;MHz [[ARM architecture|ARM]]2 and was supplied with {{nowrap|1 MB}} of RAM. Unlike the previous models, the A3000 came in a single-part case similar to the [[BBC Micro]], [[Amiga 500]] and [[Atari ST]] computers, with the keyboard integrated in the base unit. This kind of housing consumes a lot of desktop space, a problem that Acorn tried to overcome by offering a monitor stand that attached to the base unit.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAqnfZ_su6I Fred Harris Introduces the Acorn Archimedes BBC A3000 Part 1]</ref> The new model sported only a single internal [[expansion slot]], which was physically different from that of the earlier models, although electronically similar. An external connector could interface to existing expansion cards, although they really needed to be housed in an external case joined to the main unit. A300 series, A400 series, R140 and A3000 machines had the VIDC1a video chip, which provided a wide variety of screen resolutions, such as those provided officially by the operating system: * 160 × 256 with 4, 16 or 256 possible colours * 320 × 256 with 2, 4, 16 or 256 possible colours * 640 × 256 with 2, 4, 16 or 256 possible colours * 640 × 512 with 2, 4, 16 or 256 possible colours * 800 × 600 with 2, 4 or 16 possible colours while the chip could be made to run others, such as: * 1152 × 896<ref name="pcworld.pl daszkiewicz 20140212">{{cite news | url=http://www.pcworld.pl/artykuly/394559/ARM.kontra.x86..pojedynek.technologii.procesorowych.html | title=ARM kontra x86 - pojedynek technologii procesorowych | work=[[PC World]] (Poland) | date=12 February 2014 | accessdate=17 February 2014 | author=Daszkiewicz, Krzysztof | author2=Wolski David | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307235041/http://www.pcworld.pl/artykuly/394559/ARM.kontra.x86..pojedynek.technologii.procesorowych.html | archive-date=7 March 2014 |url-status = dead}}</ref> with 2 possible colours where the palette range was 4096&nbsp;colours (12-bit) and the VIDC1a had 16 hardware palette registers. This meant that in screen modes with sixteen colours or fewer, the colours could be mapped to any of the 4096 available. However, in 256 colour modes, 4 bits of the colour data were hardware derived and could not be adjusted. The net result was 256 colours, covering a range of the 4096 available colours.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Riscos : Specifications of Legacy RISC OS machines|url=http://www.riscos.org/legacy/|access-date=2020-09-15|website=www.riscos.org}}</ref> It also had no [[horizontal sync]] interrupt, meaning that it was difficult to display additional colours by changing the palette for each scan line, but not impossible, thanks to the 2&nbsp;MHz IOC timer 1.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120708165748/http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.acorn.programmer/browse_thread/thread/b5fd3717bda6a8d0/d4d3e151a783dffa?lnk=gst&q=ioc%23d4d3e151a783dffa IOC Timer / IRQs - comp.sys.acorn.programmer | Google Groups<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Many demos managed to display 4096 colours on screen, or in a sense more though dithering.<ref>ftp://arcade.demon.co.uk/flist.txt{{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> It had also one hardware 32-pixel wide sprite with unlimited height (by default used for the mouse pointer), where each pixel is coded on two bits: value 0 is for transparency, and the three others are freely chosen from the 4096 colour palette.<ref>[http://retro-treasures.blogspot.com/2009/04/acorn-archimedes-a3000.html Retro Treasures: Acorn Archimedes A3000<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/reference/early_datasheets/ |title=RISC OS News, Software and Information<!-- Bot generated title --> |website= |access-date=2012-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713031919/http://www.drobe.co.uk/reference/early_datasheets/ |archive-date=2012-07-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[File:Acorn Archimedes A5000 open.jpg|thumb|left|A5000 with top removed]] In 1991, the A5000 was launched. It featured the new 25&nbsp;MHz ARM3 processor, 2 or 4&nbsp;MB of RAM, either a 40&nbsp;MB or an 80&nbsp;MB [[hard drive]] and a more conventional [[Pizza box form factor|pizza box-style]] two-part case (HxWxD: 100&nbsp;mm × 430&nbsp;mm × 340&nbsp;mm<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicacorn.freeuk.com/32bit_machine_spec/a5000_spec/a5000_spec.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060313180838/http://www.classicacorn.freeuk.com/32bit_machine_spec/a5000_spec/a5000_spec.html |url-status = dead|archive-date=2006-03-13 |title=A5000 Spec's |publisher=Classicacorn.freeuk.com |date= |accessdate=2011-06-13 }}</ref>). Its enhanced video capabilities allowed the A5000 to comfortably display [[VGA]] resolutions of up to 800×600&nbsp;pixels. It was the first Archimedes to feature a High Density capable [[floppy disc]] drive as standard. This natively supported various formats including [[DOS]] and [[Atari]] discs; RISC OS' own ADFS floppy format had a relatively large capacity of 800&nbsp;KB for "double" (low) density or 1600&nbsp;KB for high density. A later version of the A5000 featured a 33&nbsp;MHz ARM3, 4 or 8&nbsp;MB of RAM,{{cn|date=September 2019}} an 80 or 120&nbsp;MB hard drive. The A5000 initially ran the new 3.0 version of RISC OS, although several bugs were identified; most were shipped with RISC OS 3.10 or 3.11. As before, earlier machines were capable of being upgraded to the new RISC OS 3, though some needed to have an additional daughterboard installed first.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/32bit_Upgrades/Simtec_ROS3_ROMCarrier.html |title=Chris's Acorns: 32bit Upgrades & Expansions by company |publisher=Acorn.chriswhy.co.uk |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2011-06-13 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718090744/http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/32bit_Upgrades/Simtec_ROS3_ROMCarrier.html |archivedate=2011-07-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Earlier models could also benefit from the video performance of the A5000 via a third party upgrade.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/32bit_Upgrades/CC_ColourcardGold.html |title=Chris's Acorns: 32bit Upgrades & Expansions by company |publisher=Acorn.chriswhy.co.uk |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2011-06-13 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718090905/http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/32bit_Upgrades/CC_ColourcardGold.html |archivedate=2011-07-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> === New range and a laptop === [[File:Acorn A3010.jpg|thumb|A3010]] In 1992, a new range was produced, utilising the first ARM [[system-on-chip]]: the ARM250 [[microprocessor]], a single-chip design including the functionality of an ARM3 chip without cache, the IOC1 (Input Output Controller), VIDC1a (VIDeo and sound Controller) and MEMC1a (MEMory Controller) chips all integrated into one chip. The increase in [[clock frequency]], from 8&nbsp;MHz to 12&nbsp;MHz, gave a performance of 7 MIPS. The machines were supplied with RISC OS 3.10 or 3.11. The A30x0 series had a one-piece design, similar to the A3000 but slightly more shallow, while the A4000 looked like a slightly slimmer A5000. The A3010 model was intended to be a [[home computing]] machine, featuring a [[RF modulator|TV modulator]] and standard 9-pin [[joystick]] ports, while the A3020 targeted the home office and educational markets, featuring a built-in 2.5" hard drive and a dedicated network interface socket. Technically, the A4000 was almost identical to the A3020, only differing in hard disk size (3.5-inch in the A4000), though it sported a different appearance. All three ARM250-based machines could be upgraded to 4&nbsp;MB with plug-in chips (though the A3010 was designed for 2&nbsp;MB, third party upgrades overcame this) and one "mini-podule" slot as used for internal expansion in the A3000. Also in 1992, Acorn introduced the A4 [[laptop]] computer featuring a slower 24&nbsp;MHz (compared to the 25&nbsp;MHz A5000) version of the ARM3 processor and a [[LCD]] screen capable of displaying a maximum resolution of {{nowrap|640 × 480 pixels}} in 15 levels of grey. However, it did feature a monitor port which offered the same display capabilities as an A5000. A notable omission from the machine was a built-in [[pointing device]], requiring users to navigate with the cursor keys or attach a conventional Acorn three-button mouse.<ref>[http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/Announce/A4_Launch.txt Announcing Acorn's A4 Portable - "... a quart in a pint pot"]</ref> The ''[[Acorn A7000|A7000]]'', despite its name being reminiscent of the Archimedes naming conventions, was actually more similar to the [[RiscPC]], the line of RISC OS computers that succeeded the Archimedes in 1994. It lacked, however, the DEBI expansion slots and multi-slice case that characterized the RiscPC (though by removing the CDROM, a backplane with one slot could be fitted). == List of models == {| class="wikitable" |- ! style="text-align:left; width:160px"| Model ! style="text-align:center; width:50px"| Memory ([[RAM]]) ! style="text-align:center; width:50px"| Hard disk space ! style="text-align:center; width:50px"| ARM processor (single core) ! style="text-align:center; width:100px"| Launch date ! style="text-align:center; width:50px"| [[United Kingdom|UK]] retail price at launch ! style="text-align:left; width:200px"| Notes |- | BBC Archimedes 305 | style="text-align:center"| 512 [[kibibyte|KB]] | style="text-align:center"| - | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| July 1987 | style="text-align:center"| £799<ref name="Acorn Retail Price List">{{cite news |title=300 SERIES A British Broadcasting Corporation Microcomputer| work=Archimedes High Performance Computer Systems Retail Price List | date=July 1987 | url=http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/Misc/Acorn_ArchimedesPriceList.pdf }}</ref> | style="text-align:left"| - |- | BBC Archimedes 310 | style="text-align:center"| 1&nbsp;[[mebibyte|MB]] | style="text-align:center"| - | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| July 1987 | style="text-align:center"| £875<ref name="Acorn Retail Price List"/> | style="text-align:left"| - |- | BBC Archimedes 310M | style="text-align:center"| 1 MB | style="text-align:center"| - | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| July 1987 | style="text-align:center"| Unknown | style="text-align:left"| Includes PC emulation software |- | Acorn Archimedes 410 | style="text-align:center"| 1 MB | style="text-align:center"| - | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| July 1987 | style="text-align:center"| £1,399<ref name="Acorn Retail Price List"/> | style="text-align:left"| - |- | Acorn Archimedes 440 | style="text-align:center"| 4 MB | style="text-align:center"| 20 [[mebibyte|MB]] | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| July 1987 | style="text-align:center"| £2,299<ref name="Acorn Retail Price List"/> | style="text-align:left"| - |- | BBC A3000 | style="text-align:center"| 1 MB | style="text-align:center"| - | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| May 1989 | style="text-align:center"| £649<ref name="Cain 1994">{{cite news | last=Cain | first=Chris | title=Acorn A3000 | work=Personal Computer World | date=July 1989 }}</ref> | style="text-align:left"| This model was the last BBC-branded microcomputer until the [[Micro Bit|BBC Micro Bit]] |- | Acorn Archimedes 410/1 | style="text-align:center"| 1 MB | style="text-align:center"| - (ST506 interface on motherboard) | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| June 1989 | style="text-align:center"| £999 | style="text-align:left"| Improved ''MEMC1A'' memory controller over previous 410 model |- | Acorn Archimedes 420/1 | style="text-align:center"| 2 MB | style="text-align:center"| 20 MB ST506 | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| June 1989 | style="text-align:center"| £1,099 | style="text-align:left"| - |- | Acorn Archimedes 440/1 | style="text-align:center"| 4 MB | style="text-align:center"| 40 MB ST506 | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| June 1989 | style="text-align:center"| £1,299 | style="text-align:left"| Improved ''MEMC1A'' memory controller over previous 440 model |- | Acorn R140 | style="text-align:center"| 4 MB | style="text-align:center"| 47 MB ST506 | style="text-align:center"| ARM2 | style="text-align:center"| June 1989 | style="text-align:center"| £3,500 | style="text-align:left"| [[RISC iX]] workstation |- | Acorn Archimedes 540 | style="text-align:center"| 4 MB (max. 16&nbsp;MB) | style="text-align:center"| 100 MB SCSI | style="text-align:center"| ARM3 | style="text-align:center"| June 1990 | style="text-align:center"| £2,499 | style="text-align:left"| |- | Acorn R225 | style="text-align:center"| 4 MB | style="text-align:center"| - | style="text-align:center"| ARM3 | style="text-align:center"| July 1990 | style="text-align:center"| £3,000 | style="text-align:left"| [[RISC iX]] [[network computer|network]] workstation |- | Acorn R260 | style="text-align:center"| 8 MB | style="text-align:center"| 100 MB SCSI | style="text-align:center"| ARM3 | style="text-align:center"| July 1990 | style="text-align:center"| £5,000 | style="text-align:left"| [[RISC iX]] workstation |- | Acorn A5000 | style="text-align:center"| 1, 2, 4 or 8&nbsp;MB | style="text-align:center"| 20 MB to 160&nbsp;MB IDE | style="text-align:center"| ARM3 | style="text-align:center"| September 1991 | style="text-align:center"| £999 or £1,499 | style="text-align:left"| 25 or 33&nbsp;MHz ARM3 processor, launched with various sub-models |- | Acorn A4 | style="text-align:center"| 2 or 4&nbsp;MB | style="text-align:center"| 40 or 60&nbsp;MB IDE (2.5") | style="text-align:center"| ARM3 | style="text-align:center"| June 1992 | style="text-align:center"| £1,399 or £1,699 | style="text-align:left"| Notebook model with ARM3 processor clocked at 24&nbsp;MHz, 640x480 greyscale LCD screen |- | Acorn A3010 | style="text-align:center"| 1 MB | style="text-align:center"| - | style="text-align:center"| ARM2/ARM250 | style="text-align:center"| September 1992 | style="text-align:center"| £499 | style="text-align:left"| ARM250 processor (early models had an ARM2 [[Expansion_card#Daughterboard|mezzanine]] processor codenamed "Adelaide"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classicacorn.freeuk.com/32bit_machine_spec/a3010_spec/a3010_spec.html |title=A3010 Specs |publisher=Classicacorn.freeuk.com |date= |accessdate=2011-06-13}}</ref>) |- | Acorn A3020 | style="text-align:center"| 2 MB | style="text-align:center"| 0–80&nbsp;MB IDE (2.5") | style="text-align:center"| ARM250 | style="text-align:center"| September 1992 | style="text-align:center"| £799 | style="text-align:left"| |- | Acorn A4000 | style="text-align:center"| 2 MB | style="text-align:center"| 0–210&nbsp;MB IDE | style="text-align:center"| ARM250 | style="text-align:center"| September 1992 | style="text-align:center"| £999 | style="text-align:left"| |} Also produced, but never sold commercially were: * A500: 4 MB RAM, ST506 interface, Archimedes development machine<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact476.html |title=Rare A500 surfaces on ebay &#124; Drobe.co.uk archives |publisher=Drobe.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-06-13 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608092755/http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact476.html |archivedate=8 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * A680 and M4: 8 MB RAM, SCSI on motherboard, [[RISC iX]] development machines == Impact == The Archimedes was one of the most powerful home computers available during the late 1980s and early 1990s; its main CPU was more powerful than the [[Motorola 68000]] microprocessors found in both the cheaper [[Amiga 500]] (while the Amiga computers had many coprocessors compensating) and [[Atari ST]] machines, and the more expensive [[Apple Macintosh]] and [[Amiga 2000]] computers. An {{nowrap|8 MHz}} [[Motorola 68000|68000]] had an average performance of roughly {{nowrap|1 MIPS}} for [[16-bit]] workloads and {{nowrap|0.5 MIPS}} for [[32-bit]] workloads, with peak performance of {{nowrap|2 MIPS}} for simpler 16-bit instructions. The {{nowrap|8 MHz}} [[ARM architecture#Acorn RISC Machine: ARM2|ARM2]] yielded {{nowrap|4.5–4.8 MIPS}} for 32-bit workloads in repeatable benchmark tests.<ref name="MIPS">{{cite web |url=http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Performance.html |title=Chris's Acorns - RISC OS Performance Page |publisher=Acorn.chriswhy.co.uk |date=2008-10-31 |accessdate=2011-06-13 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718091050/http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/Performance.html |archivedate=2011-07-18 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The computer was exhibited at the 1987 [[Personal Computer World Show]], along with the [[Amiga]], [[Atari ST]], and [[video game console]]s. Commenting on the show, ''[[Crash (magazine)|Crash]]'' magazine reported that "despite whiz-bang demos of Acorn’s Archimedes" the [[8-bit]] machines were not dead.<ref>{{cite news | title = News from the PCW Show | date = November 1987 | publisher = [[Newsfield Publications]] | url = http://www.crashonline.org.uk/46/pcw_software.htm | work = [[Crash (magazine)|Crash]] | accessdate = 2011-07-12 | quote = Despite the number of STs and Amigas demonstrating titles at the show, despite whiz-bang demos of Acorn’s Archimedes, and despite the undeniable interest shown in the games machines, The PCW Show indicated to me that it's a bit early to announce the death of the 8-bit machines. | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606124655/http://www.crashonline.org.uk/46/pcw_software.htm | archivedate = 2011-06-06 | url-status = dead }}</ref> The Archimedes won significant market share in the [[education]] markets of the [[United Kingdom|UK]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]]; the success of the Archimedes in British schools was due partly to its predecessor the [[BBC Micro]] and later to the [[Tesco#Corporate social responsibility|Computers for Schools]] scheme organised by the [[Tesco]] supermarket chain in association with Acorn, and most students and pupils in these countries in the early 1990s were exposed to an Archimedes or A-series computer. The Archimedes range was available in the US and Canada via Olivetti Canada.<ref>{{Cite newsgroup | title = Acorn Micros? | author = Roger Wilson | date = April 10, 1990 | newsgroup = comp.misc | message-id = 5357@ucrmath.UCR.EDU | url = https://groups.google.com/group/comp.misc/msg/98372d46016a52b8 | accessdate = June 14, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111220090430/http://groups.google.com/group/comp.misc/msg/98372d46016a52b8 | archive-date = December 20, 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref> By the mid to late 1990s the UK educational market began to turn away from the Archimedes. Apple Macintosh computers or IBM compatible PCs eclipsed the Archimedes in their multimedia capabilities, which led to an erosion of the Archimedes' market share. The Tesco Computers for Schools scheme later changed partnership from Acorn to [[RM plc]] and many other computer-related suppliers, which also led to the decrease of the Archimedes' educational market share. Acorn itself had gradually moved its focus away from computers and instead began exploiting the lucrative ARM processor technology as a separate enterprise through the spin off [[Arm Holdings]] which it had founded in 1990. == Legacy == [[File:Omnibus RiscPC.jpg|thumb|Omnibus RiscPC]] Between 1994 and 2008 a model superseding the Archimedes computer, the [[RiscPC]], was also used in television for broadcast automation, programmed by a company named Omnibus Systems Ltd (UK). Original desktop models and custom made 19-inch rack models were used to control/automate multiple television broadcast devices from other manufactures in a way that was very unusual at the time. It was used at several large European television stations including the BBC, NRK, TMF (NL, UK). Also between 1994 and 2004 the Archimedes and RiscPC models were used for teleprompters at television studios. The hardware was easy to adapt for TV broadcast use and cheaper than other hardware available at the time. == See also == * [[The Fourth Dimension (company)]] * [[RISC OS character set]] * [[:Category:Acorn Archimedes games]] * {{-}} == References == {{Reflist|30em}} == External links == {{Commons category|Acorn Archimedes}} * [https://media.ccc.de/v/36c3-10703-the_ultimate_acorn_archimedes_talk The Ultimate Acorn Archimedes talk by Matt Evans] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110222033817/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/company.asp?st=1&m=3 Acorn systems page] at Old-Computers.com * [http://www.flatbatteries.com/archimedes.html Acorn Archimedes] at Flatbatteries * [http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/Computers/Archimedes.html Chris's Acorns: Archimedes] {{Acorn computers}} {{RISC OS}} {{BBC Computer Literacy Project}} [[Category:Acorn Computers]]<!-- may need focusing --> [[Category:ARM-based home computers]] [[Category:Home computers]] [[Category:Computers designed in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Personal computers]] [[Category:ARM architecture]]'