This discussion revolves around the legacy of Acorn Computers, the BBC Micro, and the development of the ARM processor. Key themes include the historical parallels between Acorn/BBC Micro and IBM/x86, the significant contributions of individuals, the technical achievements of the ARM architecture, and the lasting impact of Acorn's talent.
Historical Parallels and Differences with IBM/x86
Several users draw parallels between the partnership of Acorn Computers and the BBC in creating the BBC Micro, and the relationship between IBM and Intel for the IBM PC. However, significant differences in the nature of these partnerships are also highlighted.
The initial analogy is presented by cperciva:
"In many ways, the tuple (BBC Micro, Acorn Computers, arm) is analogous to (IBM PC, Intel, x86)."
zabzonk points out a practical difference in this analogy:
"Except the BBC micro didn't use an ARM processor - it used a 6502. Whereas the IBM PC did use the Intel processor."
cperciva offers a counterpoint, focusing on the evolution of architectures:
"Sure, but modern x86 has very little in common with the 8088."
The nature of the business relationships is further elaborated by skissane:
"There was a radical difference in the relationship between the two corporations in each tuple. In the BBC-Acorn relationship, Acorn designed and manufactured the computer; BBC just offered their brand, did marketing, and supplied some high-level requirements. In the IBM-Intel relationship, IBM designed and manufactured the computer, and Intel was the CPU vendor, with many other customers. The 6502s used in the pre-ARM BBC systems were from MOS Technology–or one of their licensees, such as GTE/CMD–so those companies were really the Intel equivalent here"
The Pivotal Role of Sophie Wilson
A significant point of discussion is the underrepresentation of Sophie Wilson's critical contributions to the ARM architecture, both in general discourse and in media portrayals.
jnaina explicitly notes this omission:
"Notably, no mention of Sophie Wilson, who played a pivotal role in designing the original ARM ISA.
Remarkably, the movie Micro Men also overlooked much of Sophie Wilson’s role, despite her work on ARM becoming one of the most significant technological advances in computing history, accept for a token cameo role as the pub landlady."
quantummagic raises a concern about historical accuracy regarding Wilson's transition:
"At the time of the original ARM ISA, Sophie Wilson was pre-transition and still a man named Roger Wilson. Not trying to be harsh, but it's really not exactly historically accurate to portray a woman being involved in the process at that time."
Acorn's Incubator Role and Enduring Talent
The discussion highlights Acorn Computers' broader impact beyond the BBC Micro and ARM, acting as a fertile ground for technological innovation and talent that dispersed to found other successful companies.
mark_undoio emphasizes this aspect:
"Acorn was doing stuff in Cambridge UK until more recently than I'd realised - it effectively incubated a load of talent that went on to find other companies. Famously ARM span out of it but many others also went on to do cool things - my current company was founded by Acorn people."
Technical Achievements of the Acorn/ARM Development
Users share personal anecdotes and technical details that underscore the groundbreaking nature of Acorn's work on the ARM processor.
A personal recollection of the BBC Micro's development process is shared by linker3000:
"One day this big grey prototyping keyboard case turned up. There was a microcassette unit fitted for loading and saving programs, and the whole thing was connected to a colour TV via an umbilical cord that looked like a vacuum cleaner hose. ... It was a fun piece of kit that stayed with us for a couple of months. In hindsight, I realised that the unit was a pre-production BBC Micro and we'd been part of a pre-launch test programme thanks to that same physics teacher."
The surprise and incredulity surrounding the early ARM design are recounted by klelatti:
"I can remember attending a meeting of the Cambridge University Computer Society (in 1985?) when a presenter from Acorn (Steve Furber?) talked about the new CPU they had developed.
I think the right adjective for the reaction of those present was 'incredulous'. A small team with no previous experience had created a powerful 32-bit design from scratch when 8-bit architectures were still commonly used.
Had anyone told us that 40 years later we'd all be carrying around the 'descendants' of that first Acorn RISC Machine in our pockets then we'd have been utterly astonished."
The remarkable success of the first silicon is noted by crinkly:
"Notably it was the first CPU they designed and the first silicon worked out of the box."
An amusing anecdote about the low-power nature of the early ARM chip is shared by mikehall314:
"On the one occasion I met Steve Furber, he told me about how when they connected up the very first chip, he was surprised that the it started running before he had even connected the power.
Turns out the design was such a low power design that just the voltage from the data lines was enough to run the chip."
Nostalgia and Modern Relevance of Acorn Computing
The discussion also touches upon fond memories of using Acorn computers and their lasting impact on users' lives and careers.
digitaltinfoil expresses a specific game memory:
"I still think about how great Castle Quest for the BBC was. That game was killer"
taylorius shares personal experiences with Acorn's later machines:
"I always loved Acorn computers. My schoolfriend and I released a commercial game on the Archimedes, and in 1994 I wrote a 3D demo suite for Acorn's new RiscPC machine (powered by ARM, of course). The good old days of hacking around!"
For those interested in experiencing the BBC Micro, mmwelt provides a resource:
"There's a good BBC emulator in your browser here, for those who want to play: https://bbc.xania.org/"
Finally, the pervasive reach of ARM in modern devices is acknowledged, underscoring the long-term significance of Acorn's foundational work.
johnklos questions the scope of ARM's mobile device penetration:
"The article says, 'ARM-based chips are found in nearly 60 percent of the world’s mobile devices'.
Does this 60% number include laptops? If not, I'd wager that number is greater than 95%."