UK Micros of the 1980s Written by Historian    Article Index UK
Micros of the 1980s BBC Micro v ZX Spectrum Home computer frenzy
Something special happened in the UK at the start of the 1980s
and it  altered the  face of computing as we know it. You  may 
be  of  the opinion that all that ever happened in the past was
Apple and IBM, but not so, not in the UK at least.  Before 1980
most personal computers in use in the US were S100-based modular
machines - big, complicated and expensive.  The newer breed of
all-in-one machines such as the PET, the Tandy TRS80, and the
Apple II were just becoming available but even these  budget 
machines, which must have appeared an unbelievable bargain in
the US, seemed far to pricey for the average UK user.  To put
things in context the Apple II cost around £1200 (around
£4000/$6000 today, a PET around £600 and a Tandy TRS-80 £500
(both around £2000/$3000 today and the UK market was really
looking for something that cost at most £200/$300 and preferably
less than £100/$150