Date   : Mon, 02 Jan 2006 23:19:39 GMT
From   : Pete Turnbull <pete@...>
Subject: Re: Happy New Year for 2006

On Jan 2 2006, 22:16, Andrew Benham wrote:

> Several stories about cheques being cashed immediately the order was
> received, and having to wait 6 or 7 months for delivery.
> Also seems that orders for model B machines took a month longer to be
> delivered than those for model A machines.
> Production rates were 800 model A and 1000 model B machines a week,
> production being unequally split between ICL and Cleartone.

ICL made machines with Issue 2 boards.  I think Cleartone made Issue 1
but they might have made Issue 2 as well.

> I suspect any machine supplied in 1981 probably predated normal
> production (in engineering terms a 'B model', which is not the same
> thing as a BBC Model B !).

The one the school got certainly needed a few modifications early in
its life.  All the early ones I saw, including my own 672 (? I think
that was the number) had wire-wrap wire on the underside when
delivered.  As far as I know, only a few hundred Issue 1 machines were
made.

> And, after all this wait, you got a machine with OS 0.1 !

Yup, I had at least two like that, and still have images of the four
EPROMs.

-- 
Pete                                           Peter Turnbull
                                               Network Manager
                                               University of York