Hello from ... Cambridge

[quantumslug]

Hello,

I've looked at this forum before; I have an interest in the BBC Micro and ARM, so here we go. My first job (yikes, over 40 years ago) was at a biotechnology start-up called IQ (Bio) - Chris Curry and Hermann Hauser were directors. We occupied the now-demolished Downham House off Milton Road, next to the MRC Dunn Nutritional Laboratory. My role was the sole Software Developer in a group of biochemists, which was great fun. With the Acorn connection, of course we used BBC Micros for both office duties (View word processor) and the scientific software I wrote in BBC Basic. We had an early Econet network and a massive 20Mb 'winchester' disc. I had come to Cambridge with a university friend (he landed a job at Acorn and later Acornsoft) and over the next six years I stayed at IQ (Bio) and continued to develop on the BBC Micro and later the Archimedes. I was lucky enough to attend previews at Acorn's Fulbourn Road site and distinctly remember a Roger Wilson demo of a very early Risc OS. Later I was offered a job at Acorn but turned it down in favour of freelance work and travelling. Funnily enough, some 30 years later I found myself working further up the Fulbourn Road and always wondered what might have been...

Whilst I sold all my BBC Micro gear many years ago, more recently, while clearing out some cupboards, I discovered a prototype ARM 2nd Processor board. I've got some additional information on this from ex-Acorn people and I'm considering inviting offers for it on this forum (assuming that's possible). I don't have the knowledge to check whether it fully works, but I guess it might be desirable to someone. Watch this space...

Anyway, if anyone's interested in the history of IQ (Bio), let me know.

[Multiwizard]

Hi,

welcome to this great Forum...


Greetings from my little Dutch Atomic Attic, Wim...

[danielj]

Welcome to the forum!

Whilst I sold all my BBC Micro gear many years ago, more recently, while clearing out some cupboards, I discovered a prototype ARM 2nd Processor board. I've got some additional information on this from ex-Acorn people and I'm considering inviting offers for it on this forum (assuming that's possible). I don't have the knowledge to check whether it fully works, but I guess it might be desirable to someone. Watch this space...

Those are worth a pretty penny and are very desirable. Make sure you know the value before you list it, and beware unsolicited low-ball advances via private message!

d.

[flaxcottage]

Welcome, quantumslug.

[Cruxinc]

welcome to this great forum! ive always wanted a arm co pro but they are way out of my budget. i would be interested to see what it goes for though! anyway have a great day!

[paulb]

Anyway, if anyone's interested in the history of IQ (Bio), let me know.

We do have an off-topic section here as well! I don't remember hearing about IQ (Bio) before, and the name seems like something that would be highly resistant to searching, but...

Biochemists now call the technique "enzyme amplification". When Self first described it to a young entrepreneur from the computer industry, Chris Curry, who then ran Acorn Computers, Curry remarked on the similarity with amplification in electronics. "My God," Curry told Self, "you've invented the transistor." Curry and his business partner, Hermann Hauser, had established IQ Bio just before meeting Self, and now their company had a raison d'etre.

"A licence on life", New Scientist, 20 August 1987.

Apparently, Acorn had a shareholding in IQ (Bio), but contrary to the following, it did not entirely sell its stake in Torus:

Acorn is expected to go ahead with sales of its stakes in two separate ventures - Torus Systems and IQ Bio.

"Acorn deal saves new BBC micros", Popular Computing Weekly, 1 August 1985.

Anyway, welcome aboard!

[VectorEyes]

Welcome QuantumSlug, and congratulations on having one of the rarest and most desirable pieces of Acorn hardware! I will second what DanielJ said. They’re worth a lot, and they’re in the “valuable because they’re rare but also genuinely historically significant” category, so think
carefully before you accept any early private offers via DM! I along with many others will be watching this thread with interest!

[lovebug]

Welcome

[tricky]

Welcome, Ditto v the arm, I would love one, but would probably never use it, so won't be investing my pension good luck though.

[quantumslug]

Wow - thanks for the warm welcome and interest in IQ (Bio) and the ARM board. I'm at a bit of a loss where to go next with the ARM. danielj said "Make sure you know the value before you list it" - the problem is I don't know the value, only that it sounds like it could be substantial. Is it acceptable on the "for sale" board to invite offers and see what comes in? I'm not in a hurry and I haven't advertised it anywhere else. I've been caught by eBay scams a few times over the past couple of years and am reluctant to go down that route.

[daveejhitchins]

Welcome to the Forum, Mark . . . Enjoy . . .

Dave H.

[danielj]

Wow - thanks for the warm welcome and interest in IQ (Bio) and the ARM board. I'm at a bit of a loss where to go next with the ARM. danielj said "Make sure you know the value before you list it" - the problem is I don't know the value, only that it sounds like it could be substantial. Is it acceptable on the "for sale" board to invite offers and see what comes in? I'm not in a hurry and I haven't advertised it anywhere else. I've been caught by eBay scams a few times over the past couple of years and am reluctant to go down that route.

We're talking well over £2k I'd have thought. Put it up for a price you'd be happy with, if no one wants it, reduce the price. Really try not to get into bidding wars on the forum as it just gets messy and I hate policing that sort of thing. We expect people to offer first-come-first served based on who replies in the thread, not by PM, and we don't tolerate people making sneaky little back door offers after it's been promised to someone else. It's not nice, it's not transparent, and it leaves a fairly nasty taste in everyone's mouth. So, the key thing is to list it, with photos, for a price that *you* would be happy with. If you want to see how high it will actually go, pop it on ebay.

d.

[paulb]

So, the key thing is to list it, with photos, for a price that *you* would be happy with. If you want to see how high it will actually go, pop it on ebay.

And, of course, remember to read the rules for the sales forum, particularly the bit about not using the forum to advertise listings elsewhere. If in doubt, ask our friendly moderators for advice!