Acorn Electron
Photo 1: Bilby, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Acorn Electron 4x3.jpg) Photo 2: Bilby, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Acorn Electron and Plus 1.jpg)
Home computer, 1983, Acorn Computers. The Electron is the cut-down, low-cost version of the BBC Micro that Acorn launched to compete with the ZX Spectrum. It keeps the 6502 processor and BBC BASIC, so most BBC software runs on it, but a single custom ULA replaces many chips and the memory is slower, and it lacks the Mode 7 teletext display and the sound chip of the bigger machine. It was released for Christmas 1983 but production problems meant that most units arrived after the boom had passed, leaving Acorn with unsold stock.
| Years | 1983 to 1985 |
|---|---|
| Processor | 6502A at 2 MHz (1 MHz when accessing RAM) |
| RAM | 32 KB |
| ROM | 32 KB with Acorn MOS and BBC BASIC II |
| Graphics | Ferranti ULA, up to 640 x 256 in 2 colours, 160 x 256 in 16 |
| Sound | 1 channel |
| Storage | cassette; floppy drives through the Plus 3 expansion |
| Ports | expansion edge connector, cassette, RGB, composite and RF video |
| Price (1983) | £199 |
Documentation
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