Date   : Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:52:53 -0000
From   : profpep@... (Mike Pepper)
Subject: FS: Master 512 - New and Unused,

> Item 1: A brand new and unused Master 512, complete in it's box. Discs
still
> in sealed bag, mouse, manuals, prompt cards etc all there. Some parcel
tape
> marks on the outer box. All I've done with it is to remove the battery
pack
> when I got it. I know it's history, and why it got stored unused.

I never understood those who would buy things such as a complete M512
just to... keep it. I mean, what's the point if it doesn't provide you
with service?

The answer lies in the history as always. A large national company, back in
the day, sponsored purchases of BBC micros for certain strata of employee as
well as using them in parts of the business. They had their own internal
software library, and support scheme. All in all very progressive and
forward looking. With the PC revolution looming, and a change to PC's
(Zenith's I beleive), on the Horizon, managers who had been using their
BBC's and Masters a lot were given a Master 512, (or had a subsidy to buy
one), to facilitate data conversion and get them into the PC way of things,
before somebody came up with PC based transfer software. The speed of change
was such that my friend got a PC and went straight into it before the Master
512 arrived. It was put in his loft, as something he was going to get around
to trying, and remained in storage across a couple of house moves. I was
given it a few years ago in return for some work I did for him. I'd bought
another one which I did run up, (which came with the Digital research proper
handbooks and sofware too), so I kept it as a spare. The Master 512 is not
more than a curiosity for me now, and I have one for my collection, so I
thought I'd let this one go to help fund Christmas.

||\/||ike