Micro Men (BBC4)

[Jamash]

For Escapists in the UK, and anyone else who can watch programmes on the BBC iPlayer, I'd just like to recommend a brilliant program/film called Micro Men [http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00n5b92/Micro_Men/].

It's a comic dramatisation of the story behind the British home computer boom of the 1980's, and the battle between Sinclair and Acorn computers.

Affectionately comic drama about the British home computer boom of the early 1980s.

Legendary inventor Clive Sinclair battles it out with ex-employee Chris Curry, founder of Acorn Computers, for dominance in the fledgling market.

The rivalry comes to a head when the BBC announce their Computer Literacy Project, with the stated aim of putting a micro in every school in Britain. When Acorn wins the contract, Sinclair is furious, and determines to outsell the BBC Micro with his ZX Spectrum computer.

Home computing arrives in Britain in a big way, but is the country big enough for both men?

I saw this when it was first broadcast and I can't recommend it enough. Not only is informative and educational, it's funny and well produced, starring good actors like Alexander Armstrong and Martin "The Hobbit" Freeman.

So, if you've got an interest in the early days of home computing in the UK, and would like to see an earlier and dare I say nerdier version of the Mac vs. PC battle, then you could do a lot worse than take 2 hours out of your schedule to watch Micro Men on the BBC iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00n5b92/Micro_Men/

However, it's only available until this Thursday, the 3rd of March, so try and catch it soon if it at all interests you.

 

[Nickolai77]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

 

[Blaster395]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

Hey, what about the BBC Micro? That thing gave us the FIRST EVER 3D HOME GAME, the pile of awesome known as Elite.
Elite is the only truly amazing game ever to be produced in the UK, and possibly the most amazing and innovative game in the world.

 

[Jamash]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

I know what you mean, I'd love for a revival of the British home computer scene, although I am very nostalgic about the subject.

I grew up playing Sinclair Spectrums and a lot of the game were innovative gems, made by talented nerds in their bedsits.

Still, it's nice to know that most of those programmers went on to make bigger & better things, and have had a real influence in the games industry.

You're right though, it is pretty entertaining:


"Games, games, everywhere I go games. This is what my lifetime of achievement has been reduced to. Clive Sinclair: the man who brought you Jet Set Fucking Willy!"

 

[Blaster395]

If we want to get back into technology, then we got to find something nobody else is doing, which is difficult because the US is doing all the practical stuff and Japan is doing all the impractical and strange stuff.

 

[Jazoni89]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

It goes a little something like this.

England invents something brand new and innovative.

America sees it, and they see dollar signs in their eyes.

America capitalises on the idea saying they invented it themselves.

Cue ignorant people like you who think England is void of any modern ideas.

 

[Blaster395]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

It goes a little something like this.

England invents something brand new and innovative.

America sees it, and they see dollar signs in their eyes.

America capitalises on the idea saying they invented it themselves.

Cue ignorant people like you who think England is void of any modern ideas.

Not to mention we sort of invented the US as well...

 

[Nickolai77]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

It goes a little something like this.

England invents something brand new and innovative.

America sees it, and they see dollar signs in their eyes.

America capitalises on the idea saying they invented it themselves.

Cue ignorant people like you who think England is void of any modern ideas.

Now where did i ever say or imply that England was void of ideas? I said that the UK does not have a recent good track record when it comes to making or marketing products- that's different than coming with ideas for products.

In all seriousness, (i'll admit i was being a bit flippant before) the UK has an almost reasonable industrial base for a major European economy, but it's nothing to boast about and could be better. Really we need to be more like Germany.

 

[Blaster395]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

It goes a little something like this.

England invents something brand new and innovative.

America sees it, and they see dollar signs in their eyes.

America capitalises on the idea saying they invented it themselves.

Cue ignorant people like you who think England is void of any modern ideas.

Now where did i ever say or imply that England was void of ideas? I said that the UK does not have a recent good track record when it comes to making or marketing products- that's different than coming with ideas for products.

In all seriousness, (i'll admit i was being a bit flippant before) the UK has an almost reasonable industrial base for a major European economy, but it's nothing to boast about and could be better. Really we need to be more like Germany.

We have gone beyond an Agricultural and Industrial economy and reached a Commercial Service economy.
It probably doesn't help that 52% of our economy is in public sector.

Attempting to return to industrial would be very very difficult.

 

[Jazoni89]

Looks pretty entertaining, although it will probably end up depressing me as it's just another example of how Britain fails when it comes to making anything in the modern era.

It goes a little something like this.

England invents something brand new and innovative.

America sees it, and they see dollar signs in their eyes.

America capitalises on the idea saying they invented it themselves.

Cue ignorant people like you who think England is void of any modern ideas.

Now where did i ever say or imply that England was void of ideas? I said that the UK does not have a recent good track record when it comes to making or marketing products- that's different than coming with ideas for products.

In all seriousness, (i'll admit i was being a bit flippant before) the UK has an almost reasonable industrial base for a major European economy, but it's nothing to boast about and could be better. Really we need to be more like Germany.

To me it kind of seemed that way, but to put it that bluntly i guess your right.

I blame the government, because they are not really supporting companies to fuel creativity in their sectors, especially in the UK gaming industry which hasn't seen a tax break in years.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I was expecting a sitcom about tiny men.

Now my interest is zero...