Date   : Tue, 16 May 2006 23:05:41 +0100
From   : "David Hunt" <dm.hunt@...>
Subject: Re: Spotting an upgraded model A

> I have what I *believe* to be an upgraded Model A (it has no Analogue
> port fitted, and only the Printer and Disc drive ports are present
> beneath), and it has the full two-line "British Broadcasting..." text
> on the keyboard strip, beside the owl.
> 
> I bought another Model B on sunday (1 pound, boot sale - mucky, but a
> worker), and I'm now desperately curious as to what's printed on it's
> keyboard strip, but I can't see it at the moment (it's about 90 miles
> away.)

Sounds like a modified Model A to me, someone didn't want the analogue port!

Mine is an Issue 2 and had no connectors at all on the bottom, no analogue,
RS423 or RGB, it also has cheap and nasty white DIL sockets for the ICs
present at manufacture, it says manufactured by ICL inside.

I upgraded it to full B spec. sometime in 1982. The keystrip just says "BBC
Microcomputer" with an owl. I do remember having to make lots of
modifications according to the service notes supplied by Acorn, I especially
remember soldering in a bunch of trimmers, a three handed job...

The case top of that got chucked out because my Beeb was being used in my
A-Level Chemistry project when someone spilt small beaker of some noxious
substance and it ate away at the plastic!

It now has a rough textured bottom half and a smooth top half taken from a
dead later model Beeb, but it's still going strong 25 years later...

Dave ;)