Microcomputers in classroom ?

**Arch3rs** · January 16th, 2007, 12:46 PM

I'm just doing an assignment on IT in science education and was wondering if anyone know the year they introduced Microcomputers into classrooms (within UK)

Many thanks

**||Console||** · January 17th, 2007, 04:17 PM

I think that would be different for every school , I know in grade 2 ( so 17 years ago) we had a Comador64 in my class .

**Arch3rs** · January 17th, 2007, 04:33 PM

Actually due to national curriculums it probably would be in most schools at the same time ! Cheers for the info !

**paul9** · January 17th, 2007, 05:08 PM

We had some Commodore PETs and other micros in our school around 1981.
Ooooh, I'm old.
Research the history of the BBC Microcomputer. It was designed (well, already designed, more like adapted) to go with a school micro project and BBC series. That was as close an official introduction into U.K. schools as you could hope to find.
Sinclair was also in the running for that contract with the ZX Spectrum.

http://www.stairwaytohell.com/index2.html?page=history
http://bbc.nvg.org/history.php3

**paul9** · January 17th, 2007, 05:19 PM

Ooooh, you've got me started on one of my pet subjects. I love this stuff.
http://www.drobe.co.uk/riscos/artifact1781.html
http://www.mcmordie.co.uk/acornhistory/index.shtml

**Arch3rs** · January 17th, 2007, 05:26 PM

Wow paul your a handy guy to know ! Thanks for that stuff it's perfect for my needs

**howste** · January 17th, 2007, 05:46 PM

If I remember correctly, we got Apple II computers in our high school programming class in early 1981.

**dsp128** · September 11th, 2007, 12:59 PM

Talking of Acorn's / RISCOS, I still have an Atom, A5000 and a RiscPC. :-)

Don't know if it's mentione don the links above (not read them all), but when Bill Gates was looking for an OS (and he settled on DOS) he considered the OS that became RISCOS (at the time itr was called 'Arthur' - anyone know why?)

Alsowhile he (Bill) was in Cambridge at Acorn's research labs they had an ethernet set up and Mr Gates asked "what's a network" LOL. How times have changed.