Open University HEKTOR

[dangermouse]

Anyone remember these? It was an 8085 based computer produced by the OU specifically for teaching a course (or several?) that they offered. I remember my mother teaching using these and thinking that my BBC micro was a lot more fun.

It didn't have much RAM, or any good games, bit it did have a peripheral board with an electric fan blowing over a thermistor. That would never happen these days, someone would stick their fingers in the fan and get blood all over the circuits

Anyway I've just found two of them in the loft. There's someone on eBay trying to sell one for £1000, he's taking the piss right? Or are they really super rare?

[hoglet]

They are not that common.

One sold a few weeks ago for £60:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115929043679

Dave

[dangermouse]

Heh that's more like what I expected. And that was a nice boxed unit with a monitor included.

Sadly I've no way of testing these ones I i found as I don't have a TV that will accept composite input any more.

[jgharston]

My uncle had one of these when he was doing an OU course. Naturally, I imaged the ROM.

[jonb]

They remained the property of the OU (so I read once) and should have been returned after the course was complete. Allegedly!

[SKS1]

They remained the property of the OU (so I read once) and should have been returned after the course was complete. Allegedly!

Often the OU will offer home kit materials to students studying the last presentation of a particular course - saves cost of returning large parcel!

[danielj]

Often the OU will offer home kit materials to students studying the last presentation of a particular course - saves cost of returning large parcel!

I did the last year of S260, Geology - unfortunately they didn't let us keep the excellent petrological microscopes

[SKS1]

Often the OU will offer home kit materials to students studying the last presentation of a particular course - saves cost of returning large parcel!

I did the last year of S260, Geology - unfortunately they didn't let us keep the excellent petrological microscopes

Oh no! These were actually very good, weren't they? By the time I did S339, they had gone digital; I think the year before still had real microscopes.

[Retro_Jon]

The Hektor turns up from time to time on Ebay, probably less so these days than a decade ago. I'd say it's a £200 machine if tested but unboxed, £300 boxed, working and with all the manuals.

There are a few sellers on Ebay pitching the rarer stuff at 3 to 4 times what it would / should usually sell for, but they seem to be repeatedly re-listed due to being unsold. Good luck to them anyway, you never know when a TV company needs a prop and is prepared to pay whatever it takes!

Jon