yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
b274874139
1,289 discussions, 9,527 archived comments; pages no longer carry the comments themselves. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
256 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
256 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Acorn Computer Archimedes
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Home Computer
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origins:
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- United Kingdom
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years:
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- '1987'
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cpus:
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- ARM-2 32 bit RISC
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params:
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name: Archimedes
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_system_s1.jpg
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company: /companies/acorn-computer
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company_name: Acorn Computer
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Archimedes
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Acorn Computer
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- label: TYPE
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value: Home Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: United Kingdom
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1987'
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- label: END OF PRODUCTION
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value: '1989'
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: BBC BASIC V
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: Complete 102 keys full-stroke keyboard - PC/AT layout
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- label: CPU
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value: ARM-2 32 bit RISC (ARM-3 in the A500 series)
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- label: SPEED
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value: 4 / 8 mHz
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- label: CO-PROCESSOR
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value: MEMC (memory), VIDC (Video and Sound), IOC (I/O)
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- label: RAM
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value: 512 KB (up to 16 MB)
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- label: ROM
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value: 512 KB
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 132 chars. x 32 lines maximum
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: '21 screen modes, including: 640x480 (256 colours), 640 x 512 (256 colours), 800x600 (16 colours), 896x352 (256 colours), 1280x960 (monochrome)'
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- label: COLORS
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value: 256 maximum
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- label: SOUND
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value: 8 voices
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Centronics, RS423, Video composite, RGB, Econet (network 250 KBits). Optional 4 expansion slots (podule slots), the 400/500 series came with 4 slots.
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: 800 KB 3.5'' floppy drive, 3.5'' disk-drive, from 20 to 53 MB
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- label: OS
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value: ARTHUR (and RISC OS later)
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Built-in switching power supply unit
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- label: PERIPHERALS
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value: Various expansion cards
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- label: PRICE
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value: 'A300: from $800 to £1200 - A400: up to £3150, depending on the monitor supplied'
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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- hardware
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- emulators
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- links
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- docs
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forum_thread: 90
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photos:
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- title: LARGE VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_leftside_s1.jpg
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- title: FRONT VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_frontside_s1.jpg
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- title: TOP VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_topview_s1.jpg
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- title: REAR SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_rearside_s1.jpg
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- title: 440/I FRONT PANEL CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_frontpanel_s1.jpg
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- title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: The keyboard has the same layout as a standard PC/AT keyboard with the addition of a reset switch, a mouse plug and a plastic stand which allowed users to insert command summaries for various programs.
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_keyboard_s1.jpg
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- title: REAR CONNECTORS
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Optional buffer card connector. Allows connection of an external 5.25" floppy disk unit.\
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**(2)** Monochrome monitor Video and Sync jacks\
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**(3)** Analog RGB video output DB9 plug\
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**(4)** Serial DB9 plug\
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**(5)** Stereo audio output jack\
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**(6)** Parallel DB25 plug\
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**(7)** Power in and out plugs and power switch
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_rearside_s2.jpg
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- title: INSIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Optional drive buffer\
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**(2)** 4 expansion connectors back plane\
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**(3)** The 440/I version shipped with a 53 MB HDD
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_inside_s1.jpg
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- title: MAINBOARD EXPLAINED
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** 2 MB RAM chips (32 x 84256-10)\
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**(2)** Memory controller custom chip (improved in the 400 series)\
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**(3)** Acorn ARM-2 processor\
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**(4)** Expansions back plane connecctor\
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**(5)** RISC OS 3 and built-in programs ROM chips\
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**(6)** Video controller custom chip\
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**(7)** Econet card connector\
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**(8)** I/O controller custom chip\
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**(9)** MFM hard disk drive connectors. Up to 2 HDD can be connected\
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**(10)** Floppy disk drive connector\
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**(11)** HDD and FDD controller chips
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_mainboard_s1.jpg
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- title: ACORN MANUALS
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/acorn_archi440_manuals_s1.jpg
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adverts:
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- title: FIRST AD (SEPT. 87)
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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It is unlikely that this hideous advert helped early sales of the Archimedes.\
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It said:
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Acorn are proud to announce the fastest micros in the world \* The Archimedes high performance Computer Systems \* Using a 32 bit RISC chip, Archimedes represents a breakthrough in microprocessing technology allowing a new order of magnitude in power...
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image: /media/museum/pubs/acorn_archimedes_pub_1.jpg
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hardware:
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- title: 486 CARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: Allowed Archimedes series computers to run 32-bit PC-DOS software. It was delivered with a manual, a driver disk and PC-DOS 6.3
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image: /media/museum/hardware/acorn_a39000_486card_1.jpg
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- title: GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Graphics accelerator card (called "ColourCard") for A3000, Archimedes and A5000.\
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Company : Computer Concepts\
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Enhanced potential for Archimedes series including 15-bit desktop modes (i.e. 800\*600 @ 256 colours).
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Thanks to **Chris Syntichakis**
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image: /media/museum/hardware/acorn_a5000_colorcard_1.jpg
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- title: CUMANA SCSI CARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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16-bit SCSI-1 card\
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Company: Cumana.\
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There are an external port for scanners/CD-ROM etc. and 2 internal ports for SCSI and Floptical drives.
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Thanks to **Chris Syntichakis**
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image: /media/museum/hardware/acorn_a5000_scsicard_1.jpg
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- title: SERIAL CARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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From Atomwide's site:\
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High speed serial card featuring three ports, each in the shape of a standard 9-pin ‘D’ plug. Each port on the card is capable of running at up to 460,800 bits per second, and employs a 16-byte FIFO buffer to reduce loading on the host computer’s processor, so improving communications reliability. All serial cards are standard single-width podules, and are fully compatible with Atomwide 6 and 8-slot RiscPC backplanes.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/acorn_a5000_serialcard_1.jpg
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- title: MIDI CARD
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subtitle: ''
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text: Allowed Archimedes systems to interact with any midi sound device.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/acorn_a4000_midicard_s1.jpg
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emulators:
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- title: Archie
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url: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Campus/5427/
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platform: MS DOS
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text: Archie is an emulation of the Acorn Archimedes hardware (A3xx/A4xx/A3xxx) for Dos/Windows
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- title: Arculator
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url: http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/arculator/
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platform: Windows
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text: An excellent Windows-based Archimedes emulator, plays many games and has simple usage.
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- title: Red Squirrel
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url: http://www.red-squirrel.org/
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platform: Windows
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text: A popular Archimedes emulator
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- title: Red Squirrel
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url: http://www.red-squirrel.org/
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platform: Windows
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text: An Emulator of Arm based Acorn machines for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
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- title: Virtual Acorn
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url: http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/
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platform: Windows
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text: Excellent but commercial software - £30
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- title: ARCHIE
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url: http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus/5427/
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platform: Multiplatform
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text: Archie is an emulation of the Acorn Archimedes hardware (A3xx/A4xx/A3xxx) for DOS/Windows
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links:
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- title: Wocki's Acorn-Site
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url: http://acorn.revivalteam.de/
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text: Downloads for use with emulators and home of ArcDisc
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docs:
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- title: TOM'S ARCHIMEDES DOCS (INTERNAL HARDWARE)
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url: http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/arculator/index.html
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif
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text: |-
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[**TOM'S ARCHIMEDES DOCS (INTERNAL HARDWARE)**](http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/arculator/index.html)written by Tom Mowalker
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compiled/archived by Tom Mowalker\
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type of document : HTML\
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source : [Arculator](http://b-em.bbcmicro.com/arculator/index.html)
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related:
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- /museum/acorn-computer-a4
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- /museum/acorn-computer-archimedes-a3000
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- /museum/acorn-computer-archimedes-a3010
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- /museum/acorn-computer-archimedes-a3020
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- /museum/acorn-computer-archimedes-a4000
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- /museum/acorn-computer-archimedes-a5000
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- /museum/acorn-computer-archimedes-a7000
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oc_id: 75
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609041933/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=75
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date: '2023-06-09'
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---
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The Archimedes was the first **RISC** home computer. There were three series, the **300**, **400** and **500** which shared the same hardware basis: the ARM-2 processor (ARM-3 for the A500) and three custom chips dedicated to memory (MEMC), video (VIDC) and I/O (IOC) controls.
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The ARM 2 RISC (8Mhz) had about 4 Mips, this means seven times faster than a Amiga 500 (68000 CPU)!
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The 300 series had 512 KB to 1 MB of memory and two expansion slots (64 pin). The 400 series had 1 to 4 MB of memory and four slots (three 64 pin and one 96 pin). The 500 series had 16 MB of RAM.
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The operating system, first named **Arthur** then subsequently **RiscOS**, was in ROM along with the WIMP graphic interface (Windows Menu Icon Pointer), the fast BBC BASIC V interpreter and various utility programs, among them a Paint package, a music editor and an [Acorn BBC model 2](/museum/acorn-computer-bbc-model-a-b-b/) emulator.
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The built-in 800 KB 3.5" floppy drive was compatible with the old 640 KB format. A lot of expansion cards were developed for the Archimedes : MIDI, SCSI, Oscilloscope, IEEE 488, speech recognition, scanner, floating point co-processor.
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Many programming languages were released as well : BASIC (which could be loaded from disk and ran faster than the ROM BASIC), C, Fortran 77, Pascal, Prolog and Lisp.
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Although it was at least two times faster than the Atari ST and Amiga models, the Archimedes had no real success because of its high price, except in its country of origin (Great Britain) where it was very well-known and commonly used (especially in schools).
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These computers were followed by a great family of computers called **RISC PC** which are still in production.
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Here are the different Archimedes A300 - A400 - A500 versions :
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**A305** - 512 KB RAM\
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**A310** - 1 MB RAM\
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**A410** - 1 MB RAM\
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**A420** - 2 MB RAM, 20 MB Hard disk\
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**A440** - 4 MB RAM, 40 MB Hard disk\
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**A540** - 16 MB RAM, 120 MB Hard Disk
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<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>
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