Acorn Electron

The Acorn Electron was the BBC Micro for the rest of us: a cost-reduced version launched in 1983 to take on the Spectrum and the C64 in ordinary homes. Acorn cleverly squeezed much of the Beeb's design into a single custom chip, keeping costs down while holding on to the excellent BBC BASIC that made the original so well loved.

The idea was sound, but the timing was cruel. Demand at launch outstripped what Acorn could actually build, and the resulting shortages cost it dearly during the all-important Christmas market, just when buyers were ready to part with their money.

Even so, the Electron earned a loyal following. It gave home users a real taste of the machine that ruled Britain's classrooms, complete with a respectable run of games and a reputation for quality. It never troubled the Spectrum's dominance, but for plenty of people it was a first computer remembered with real affection.