Beeb Spotting

[BigEd]

Beeb spotted in this article celebrating Sinclair's computers...

[archie456]

From Tomorrows World - used to demo a new thin film coating that produces light - 2:30 in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFTPoiXU_EI&t=189s

[jgharston]

One of my favourite 1980s comedy dramas is being repeated at long long last, on Forces TV: Hot Metal. The excitement and intrique of the newspaper publishing industry - think Drop The Dead Donkey in newprint.

Anyway - ignoring the transmission mess (they are showing episode 2, 4, 6, 8, for some reason) - the last few minutes of episode two features a computer text display. "That's MODE 7...." I thought. As as the camera zoomed in, the logo on the corner of the monitor: TORCH (An encased BBC motherboard with custom second processor - picture).

[jamesfcarter]

Went looking for this episode this on Youtube and I think I've found it, although it claims to be episode 4 "Casting The Runes". Anyway... looks like it might be a Torch TX?

One of my favourite 1980s comedy dramas is being repeated at long long last, on Forces TV: Hot Metal. The excitement and intrique of the newspaper publishing industry - think Drop The Dead Donkey in newprint.

Anyway - ignoring the transmission mess (they are showing episode 2, 4, 6, 8, for some reason) - the last few minutes of episode two features a computer text display. "That's MODE 7...." I thought. As as the camera zoomed in, the logo on the corner of the monitor: TORCH (An encased BBC motherboard with custom second processor - picture).

[RobC]

That does look like a Torch Triple X. I don't think it would have been generating the teletext display though - the Triple X didn't contain a Beeb motherboard and I'm pretty sure it didn't have a teletext chip.

[Pernod]

That does look like a Torch Triple X. I don't think it would have been generating the teletext display though - the Triple X didn't contain a Beeb motherboard and I'm pretty sure it didn't have a teletext chip.

Not a Triple X but a TX, see http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/31274/Torch-TX/

The TX is on my list to look at sometime as we don't know what's in there and how it fits into the Torch range.

[RobC]

Not a Triple X but a TX, see http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/31274/Torch-TX/

The TX is on my list to look at sometime as we don't know what's in there and how it fits into the Torch range.

It does say that the TX is just a Triple X with a floppy drive.

I have a Triple X PCB but it's missing the ROMs (and possibly a PAL/GAL).

[Pernod]

Not a Triple X but a TX, see http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/31274/Torch-TX/

The TX is on my list to look at sometime as we don't know what's in there and how it fits into the Torch range.

It does say that the TX is just a Triple X with a floppy drive.

I have a Triple X PCB but it's missing the ROMs (and possibly a PAL/GAL).

The TX description is misleading as it talks more about the Triple X which is http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... -Triple-X/

[RobC]

The TX description is misleading as it talks more about the Triple X which is http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... -Triple-X/

Ah yes - looking more closely at the pictures, I suspect it's more likely to be a Unicorn and a Beeb housed together in the same box. The hard drive and floppy drive look identical to the models in my Unicorn and the boot screen is similar.

[julians]

Kate Bush at the BBC - taken from a Wogan in 1986...
Apologies for the quality but it's a snap of the TV taken on my phone.

[BigEd]

Nice one! (Here on YouTube.)

[tricky]

The main male presenter of click! Is playing Elite on a beeb with cub briefly at the beginning of today's episode.

[BigEd]

Well spotted! Just before the 1min mark here.

[drfordham]

That does look like a Torch Triple X. I don't think it would have been generating the teletext display though - the Triple X didn't contain a Beeb motherboard and I'm pretty sure it didn't have a teletext chip.

Not a Triple X but a TX, see http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/31274/Torch-TX/

The TX is on my list to look at sometime as we don't know what's in there and how it fits into the Torch range.

For those who might be interested I've attach a copy of my Torch Professional range brochure. Its 12 pages include much OTT marketing hype but page 6 lists the different models and what the model letters/numbers mean. The TX range is basically a BBC Model B plus the Unicorn (Z80+68000) board - so can run CPN or UNIX. See also: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... ter-Range/.

[paulb]

For those who might be interested I've attach a copy of my Torch Professional range brochure. Its 12 pages include much OTT marketing hype but page 6 lists the different models and what the model letters/numbers mean. The TX range is basically a BBC Model B plus the Unicorn (Z80+68000) board - so can run CPN or UNIX. See also: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/ ... ter-Range/.

This is incredibly useful because it helps us decode Torch's model naming scheme which isn't particularly obvious. Thanks for uploading it! I imagine that once Torch got going, referring to "The Torch" (as some reviewers did) or even the Communicator wasn't sufficiently descriptive, and then it seems that Torch got into more traditional looking systems based on the same architecture as the Communicator and Unicorn products.

There are other documents held by the Centre for Computing History that are not actually available online. Do you have any others as scans?

[Pernod]

For those who might be interested I've attach a copy of my Torch Professional range brochure.

Thanks, this is really informative. So looks like the CZ, TZ replaced the original Communicator range, and the CX, TX, 725, 750 are all essentially the same hardware with different RAM/floppy/HDD configurations.

There are other documents held by the Centre for Computing History that are not actually available online. Do you have any others as scans?

They're on my list of things to scan when there, but no idea when that will be.

[drfordham]

I also have:

1) Torch Reference Card - 2 sides of user tips (attached). Better than the one on https://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/ !
2) Talk with Torch - a review of the Torch Communications pack - Acorn User Aug 84 (attached). I also have software on floppy.
3) TorchNet Managers Guide (and software on floppy). Needs scanning and/or sending to someone with a multiple Torch/Econet system who can use it. Anyone interested?
4) Torch Programmers Guide (v2) - still to scan it and/or send it to RobC as promised.
v1 is already on-line at CCH/chrisacorns, but v2 has extra stuff on ATLAS/UNiX support.
5) Torch Unix Guide (v1) - I think I sent v2 of this to RobC with the Unicorn.
6) Triple X brochure and a PCW review of it - have already sent copies to RobC but I'll attached them to the Torch XXX thread.

and lots of single sheet Torch marketing handouts which give example of applications but don't provide any additional technical details.

+ some Acorn Archimedes info that you might be interested in / I don't want:

7) Archimedes 440 - brochure and Retail Price List
8 ) Archimedes High Performance Computer Systems - Fold out poster / brochure / Spec for 300 & 400 series
9) Archimedes - 8 page reprint of the PCW review (Aug 87)

+ non Torch / Acorn stuff from that era:

10) ZX Spectrum - brochure / spec
11) Husky Hawk - brochure / spec
12) Transputer - 3 page review of the Inmos chip (Computing Jan 86)

I'm visiting the Centre for Computing History in Cambridge next week - so I'm comparing what I have with their list to see if there is anything they haven't got and may donate those (after scanning them). If anyone wants a copy of any of the above not attached just ask. Its a shame that the CCH only provides scans of the covers / 1st pages (except for those done by Chris Whytehead). I'll ask them if they have any plans to scan all pages / want the scans I've done.

BTW - just found various Torch reviews etc at https://binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Reviews/index.php. Includes first Torch announcement with a very different case!

[Pernod]

If anyone wants a copy of any of the above not attached just ask. Its a shame that the CCH only provides scans of the covers / 1st pages (except for those done by Chris Whytehead). I'll ask them if they have any plans to scan all pages / want the scans I've done.

I'd be interested in a scan of the Husky Hawk brochure. For CfCH to scan everything they have is a monumental task, it's generally down to a lack of voluntary manpower.

[drfordham]

I'd be interested in a scan of the Husky Hawk brochure. For CfCH to scan everything they have is a monumental task, it's generally down to a lack of voluntary manpower.

I've attached PDFs for Husky Hawk & ZX Spectrum. CfCH only seem to scan the front page. I'll ask if they have plans to provide access to any of the complete documents.

[tricky]

In the back room in The IT Crowd.

[jamesfcarter]

I'm really not sure about this but could this be a BBC Master in the bottom right of the snapshot from in Choose or Die

[EdwardianDuck]

Upper left-hand corner of https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/b ... 0-objects/ plus link to another page further down.

[simonc]

Look at the function key strip. It's slipped sideways They used the same shot on the publicity article the other day too!

[BeebMaster]

Thought they would have managed a Police Box in that list of 100 items! Nearest we get is a bit of a Dalek!

[BigEd]

Beeb spotted in an article on the (pre)history of LEGO Mindstorms

[elkrepair]

There's one of those on eBay right now:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403961464660 ... media=COPY

Nothing to do with me.

[roland]

In https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAo5C2qbLq8 dr Julian Onions explains the Network Time Protocol. At 0:32 and 6:55 you can see a drawing of a Beeb at computer 3 :

He knows that I build a WiFi board for the Beeb and that Timo wrote a NTP stack for it

[BigEd]

To nobody's surprise, there are Beebs here and there in Channel 4's "Made in the 80s" episode 3 "Silicon Britannia" streaming here. First Beeb about the 11 minute mark.

Peter/flibble tells us his ARM1 photo is featured too... about the 25min mark perhaps.

[IanJeffray]

Owl spotting? https://youtu.be/uXu4TgKyth0?t=354 @ 5:54

[gslug]

A4 and Acorn mouse mat in a promotional video for Intercity Cross Country: https://youtu.be/m-yHuZnk-aw?t=362