VOOZH about

URL: https://clp.bbcrewind.co.uk/timeline

⇱ Computer Literacy Project Timeline

👁 Image

We use cookies to ensure you get the best website experience. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website.

However, you can change your cookie settings at any time.

Computer Literacy Project Timeline

External Events

BBC Events

1940-60s
  • COLOSSUS, BABY (Manchester), EDSAC (Cambridge), WITCH (Harwell)
1960-70s
  • Era of Mainframes, ‘mini’ computers and business machines
1964
  • First IBM Mainframe
1968
  • ICL (in UK)
1974
  • CEEFAX
1975
  • Sinclair Computers founded
1978
  • Acorn Computers founded
  • Commodore Pet £780
  • Tandy TRS80 £500
  • NASCOM 1, Apple II/Visicalc
  • BBC Computer Project initiated
1979
  • Stand alone word processing machines in offices; Business applications
  • Manpower Services Commission Report
  • ‘Something must be done’
1980
  • Sinclair ZX80 sub £100
  • Atari games machine
  • Apple III $4,000-$8,000
  • Consultative meetings with government etc
  • Decision to have an overall awareness project
  • Early audience research
  • Futile search for compatibility across machines
  • Decision to have our own machine (modest level)
  • Newbury’s New Brain developed - NRDC funded
  • New Brain fails
  • The Silicon Factor

  • First broadcast: 19th March 1980

  • View series
1981
  • Sinclair ZX81 (£100)
  • IBM PC launched $1500
  • Commodore 64
  • Lotus 1-2-3
  • BBC Spec distributed to British manufacturers (January)
  • BBC Engineering and Research and others involved
  • Acorn awarded contract (March)
  • BBC Micro evolving design
  • Telesfotware technical development
  • Managing the Micro
  • Welcome Software commissioned, The Computer Book,
  • Micro Handbook written, Guidelines for Software Writers
  • Organisation of local courses, helplines, etc. Tutors briefed
  • NEC’s 30 Hour BASIC
  • Delay in production and transmission - chip problems
1982
  • Sinclair Spectrum
  • BBC Micro Model A £299
  • Model B £399
  • BBC computers in majority of Schools; MEP and Scottish SMDP funded
  • The BBC Computer Project launch January 1982.
  • Machines more available
  • BBC Publications appoint software editor
  • Packs commissioned with eg Which?
  • Analysis and respose and preparation for second series
  • Half a million machines sold
  • Information Technology Year
  • The Computer Programme

  • First broadcast: 11th January 1982

  • View series
1983
  • The mouse emerges on Apple
  • WIMP interface (ex Xerox)
  • The BBC Buggy
  • Audience Research. Overseas sales fo programmes etc
  • BBC Telesoftware service
  • Making the Most of the Micro

  • First broadcast: 10th January 1983

  • View series
  • MTMOTM Live Special

  • First broadcast: 2nd October 1983

  • View series
1984
  • “Uk at leading edge of market”
  • (PC World).
  • Mac ‘proper’ appears
  • IBM Dos3. Cellular radio mobile phones appear
  • Work on Domesday Project begins
  • Computers in Control

  • First broadcast: 2nd March 1984

  • View series
1985
  • Atari. Apple drops Steve Jobs
  • The Learning Machine

  • First broadcast: 25th April 1985

  • View series
  • With a Little Help from the Chip

  • First broadcast: 30th August 1985

  • View series
1986
  • Amstrad’s PC
  • The internet goes ‘public’
  • Launch of Domesday Project
1987
  • Archimedes; Acorn RISC
1988
  • Jobs back at Apple
  • Repeats and some new series
  • Era of BBC interactive Laservision
  • Micro Mind Stretchers

  • First broadcast: 9th May 1988

  • View series
1989
  • BBC.co.uk registered 1989),
1990s
  • Lap tops, PDAs, tablets, games machines (sony 1994), set top boxes,
  • Spread of BBC desktop
1992
1993
  • World Wide Web proposed
1997
  • BBC Website established
1999
  • Blackberry pager
2004
  • Facebook - social networking. Mobile phone explosion
2007
  • First iphone
2008
  • ARM chips (ex Acorn) dominate in mobile phones (still do)
  • iPlayer