Date   : Fri, 21 Oct 2005 03:39:30 +0100
From   : Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk@...>
Subject: Re: Eurobeeb

David Hunt wrote:
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Majordomo List Manager [mailto:majordomo@...] On Behalf Of
>>Jules Richardson
>>Sent: 20 October 2005 23:57
>>To: bbc-micro@...
>>Subject: [BBC-Micro] Eurobeeb
>>
>>
>>Some Control Universal Eurobeeb bits are possibly going to be waiting
>>for me when I get back to the UK - which makes me wonder whether we ever
>>colletively uncovered any details about the system on the list?
>>
>>It *sounds* almost identical to an Acorn System 4 or 5, which is
>>puzzling because a) I'm surprised there was a market for what was pretty
>>much a clone machine and b) it seems strange that Acorn would allow
>>someone to copy one of their machines in the first place!
>>
>>Sounds like there's quite a pile of boards and backplanes anyway -
>>including 6502, 6809 and 8080 CPU cards (I don't think I'll be keeping
>>all of those, but I'll get some photos when I'm home)
>>
>>cheers
>>
>>Jules
> 
> 
>>From my patchy memory, I recall that Acorn sold their industrial Eurocard
> arm to Control Universal in 1982/3. I believe they licensed the BBC Micro as
> the next generation after System 4. 

ta muchly - very useful info!

there was certainly a relationship between Acorn and CU going back a 
long way, as CU produced a few different memory boards for the System 
machines.

> If only Acorn had "thought outside of
> the box" - I might be cursing at Hauser rather than at Gates...

Victims of their own success I think - too much time was spent resting 
on their laurels after the success of the BBC B, and whilst the Master 
was good, things were moving on in the rest of the industry and they 
just got overtaken. By the time they got the ARM-based machines on the 
market the rest of the world was too tied to other technology to 
*really* notice :(

(having said that, I'm not sure they could have cracked the US market no 
matter what they'd done)

cheers

Jules