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Topic: In the beginning. (Read 2265 times) |
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Geoff Steeper
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In the beginning.
« Thread started on: Nov 10th, 2008, 07:14am » |
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You will gather from the heading that I am a newbie. A newbie who is a bit old in the tooth. A silver surfer who took to the computer at the age of 55 when I embarked on the BBC Computer Literacy course armed with a new computer pre-loaded with BBC Basic. Since then I have moved on through the Acorn range to the all singing all dancing Windows PC. I have a few practical uses for the computer but in the main it is a hobby and I use it for fun.
I have dabbled with HTML and Web pages, Visual basic and Blogging but the inner workings of the computer have always been a bit beyond me. I got into basic programming via that literacy couse (You had to go into it a bit in order to get anything out of the old Beeb). The operating system however was always out of reach going beyond my mental capabilities. Logical thinking was never one of my strong points. 
That's enough for now. I just need to check to see if I have got this message 'out' and to see what sort of response it gets.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/g.steeper/
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Geoff Steeper
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #1 on: Nov 10th, 2008, 4:10pm » |
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The original BBC Basic was sold as an integral part of the Acorn computer. It should be the case that anyone familiar with the old Beeb has a simple knowledge of Basic. Whether or not that extends to a knowledge of Basic programming depends upon the way that the schools were using the computers at the time (1980's). As I remember turtle graphics was the programming sofware of the day. There are a lot of people in the 30/40 age group who should remember the Beeb from school and who own Windows PC's today. That is the area where there should be a market. Link, being at school in the 80's with BB4W ( a language that they may well be familiar with) and it's potential to program a Modern Windows Computer. Many people moved over from Acorn computers as the web became popular, compatibility in that area and the general availability of software and hardware, almost drove Acorn users into the hands of Microsoft. Acorn and BBC Basic were fighting a loosing battle. Could it be that BB4W lives under the shadow of the Acorn and needs to get rid of that image? In some way BB4W needs to be linked to a modern product. In this day where software is going to be held on the web and accessed on demand BB4W has to find a slot. What version of Basic is packaged with the Open Office Suite. Sell BB4W as the silver lining for the 'cloud'.
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eekster11
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #2 on: Nov 10th, 2008, 6:11pm » |
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I'm the same, looking at 50 and finishing off what I couldn't do in the early 1980s.
Still fascinates me though, even now.
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Geoff Steeper
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #3 on: Nov 19th, 2008, 09:13am » |
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Most people who bought the Beeb were computer novices, hobbiests or educationalists. There was no Interenet and only limited software. The machine begged to be investigated. The main way to investigate was try to program it. Today who needs to program ? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7303288.stm
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Geoff Steeper
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #4 on: Nov 24th, 2008, 06:39am » |
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The modern computer, drives straight into built in software and all singing all dancing applications. Access to email, the internet, and more often than not the word suite does nothing whatsover to introduce a computer user to programming. Where is the interest in programming genereated ? Richard has asked 'How do you improve the Group ?' The answer can only be by introducing BB4W at root level just as was done way back with the old Beeb. How to do this is another matter but an interactive Welcome program put together in a way that generates 'curiosity' would surely help. What we have now is wonderful tool but you need to be a craftsman to use it.
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eekster11
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #5 on: Jul 3rd, 2009, 07:49am » |
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I reckon that nowadays there's too much choice for people for anything like we had in the 1970s and early 80s.
When ah' were lad you had playing football, four channels of TV or these new fangled computer thingumybobs.
Things are very different nowadays.
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Ironman
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #6 on: Jan 14th, 2012, 6:13pm » |
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I've been reading these posts with interest and have been there with the early computers. My first was the Sinclair ZX81. Didn't like the pre-programmed keys too much and soon got a Commodore Vic 20. Great big fonts and very little memory but it was damn good fun. The C64 followed; much better, Huge Memory (Well it was then) and that superb built in basic where you could write your own programs. The Amiga 1200 was my final pre-pc computer; floppy disks and Amiga Basic.
Yes I fully agree with the previous comments in that you don't really need to program at all. Bundled software is the answer to everybodys dreams, (maybe some.)
Before I got my very first pc I made sure that I could find some software that would allow me to carry on writing programs, because I had an awful dread that pc's were all about staring at the screen and clicking the mouse like some pathetic zombie.
Thank goodness for BBC Basic.
May your GOSUBS always RETURN
God bless you.
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dynamic35
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #7 on: Mar 1st, 2012, 1:01pm » |
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'By "accident" (i.e Google) I found this article by Richard very good! Everybody should read that:
http://www.bbceng.info/Designs/designs_reminiscences/Richard_Russell/rtrdd.html
In summer 1974 I had my first computer cource in Reading, UK. There we had to learn PDP-11 /RT 11 op sys, assembler etc.
I felt in love in the nearby (1974) hotel 'George' . I wonder if still exists there near DEC (HP?) building.
My very 1st application in 1974-75 was FFT program to analyze magnetic tape signals recorded in noisy paper factories. Then salesmen could prove to paper factories --all around the world - that they should purchase new high speed paper machinery from N62E to get steady process. Most did.
Greetings dyna
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| « Last Edit: Mar 1st, 2012, 1:04pm by dynamic35 » |
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dynamic35
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #9 on: Mar 1st, 2012, 4:14pm » |
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on Mar 1st, 2012, 4:01pm, Richard Russell wrote:
Ok, ... at the end of ' part 1' there was that link given also.
Dyna
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admin
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Re: In the beginning.
« Reply #10 on: Mar 1st, 2012, 9:54pm » |
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on Mar 1st, 2012, 4:14pm, dynamic35 wrote:| Ok, ... at the end of ' part 1' there was that link given also. |
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I know (that's where I copied it from) but you've got to read to the end of Part 1 before you are likely to spot it! The material in Part 1 is so ancient that, from my perspective, it's not likely to be of much interest to anybody other than (ex-) BBC employees. Part 2 comes much more up-to-date and covers things that are still relevant today such as HDTV, Test Cards, the Transform PAL Decoder etc.
Richard.
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