Established 1997

System: BBC Model B • Manufacturer: Acorn • Launch Date: 1983 • CPU: 2Mhz MOS 6502 • Original RRP: £335 • Rarity: Low

It is an indisputable truth (wink, wink) that the BBC Micro was the hallmark of the well-heeled youth in the UK. This prestigious status was not only due to its heftier price tag compared to the likes of the Commodore 64 and Sinclair Spectrum, but also because it was the educational apparatus of choice in schools. If your parents were readers of 'The Guardian', your school uniform looked tailor-made, and your father cruised around in a Vauxhall Cavalier CDi, then you were likely the proud operator of an Acorn BBC Micro. Frankly, it's almost inconceivable that any holder of a Blue Peter Badge didn’t have one nestled in their study. Turning to a more earnest analysis, the BBC Micro was fundamentally an educational tool, hardly a contender in the gaming arena when stacked against the game-rich libraries of the C64 or the Spectrum. However, where the BBC truly shines is in its assembly. Designed for disassembly, it is a tinkerer's paradise. Equipped with ROM slots, EPROM burners, and robotic add-ons, the BBC Micro is endlessly expandable—a true educational machine, through and through. The ease with which one can dismantle and reassemble the Beeb is almost legendary. Attempt the same with a Sinclair, and you'll find yourself grappling with recalcitrant case parts and a motherboard layout that seems to defy logic. Not so with the Beeb. In this regard, Acorn could give Apple a run for its money. The process is straightforward and satisfying; the motherboard, spacious and intelligently laid out. For those looking to hone their skills with a soldering iron on a computer repair project, the BBC Micro is an excellent starting point. And, let’s not forget, it boasts the definitive version of Braben's 'Elite'.