Oric-1

The Oric-1 was a plucky British challenger to the all-conquering Sinclair Spectrum. Launched in 1983, it offered a real, if small, keyboard and proper sound, pitching itself as a slightly more grown-up alternative to Sinclair's rubber-keyed machine without asking for much more money.

It sold respectably, and across the Channel in France it did better still, becoming something of a genuine hit. In Britain, though, it was always destined to be an also-ran, fighting for attention in the enormous shadow the Spectrum cast over the entire market.

For all that, the Oric is fondly remembered, and it has a dedicated following to this day. It earns its place in the story of Britain's crowded early-80s computer boom as one of the gutsiest of the many contenders who took on Sinclair and Commodore, and very nearly carved out a corner of their own.