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List of British computers facts for kids

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Babbage Difference Engine
The difference engine built by London's Science Museum from Charles Babbage's design

Computers designed or built in Britain have a long and interesting history. From giant machines that helped win wars to small computers you might have used at home, Britain has played a big part in the world of computing. Let's explore some of these amazing inventions!

Pioneering British Computers

Britain has been at the forefront of computer development since the very beginning. Many early and important computers were designed and built here.

Mechanical Marvels

Before electronic computers, there were mechanical ones. These machines used gears and levers to do calculations.

The difference engine and Analytical Engine were designed by Charles Babbage in the 1800s. They were incredible machines that could perform complex calculations. The Bombe was a machine used during World War II to help decode secret messages. It was a very important invention that helped the Allies win the war.

Early Electronic Machines

After mechanical computers, electronic computers started to appear. These were often very large and filled entire rooms!

The Colossus computer was another secret machine used during World War II. It was one of the world's first electronic digital computers and helped decode German messages. The EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator) was built at the University of Cambridge in 1949. It was one of the first computers that could store programs, which was a huge step forward!

The Ferranti Mark 1 was one of the world's first commercial computers, meaning it was sold to businesses. It was based on the Manchester Mark 1 computer.

The LEO (computer) (Lyons Electronic Office) was one of the first computers used for business purposes. It was developed by a British catering company!

The Manchester Baby was the first computer in the world to run a program stored in its memory. This happened in 1948 at the University of Manchester. It was a groundbreaking moment in computer history.

Computers for Everyone

As technology improved, computers became smaller and more affordable. This led to the rise of personal computers and home computers that many families could own.

Acorn Computers

Acorn Computers was a very important British company. They made many popular computers, especially for schools.

The BBC Micro was a hugely successful computer in the UK, especially in schools during the 1980s. It helped a whole generation learn about computing and programming.

  • Acorn Electron
  • BBC Master
  • Acorn Archimedes
  • RiscPC
  • Acorn Network Computer

Amstrad

Amstrad was another British company that made affordable home computers.

  • Amstrad CPC
  • Amstrad PCW
  • Amstrad NC100
  • PC1512
  • PPC 512 and 640
  • Amstrad PC2286
  • Amstrad Mega PC

Apricot Computers

Apricot Computers made business-focused personal computers.

  • Apricot PC
  • Apricot Portable
  • Apricot Picobook Pro

Other Notable Home and Personal Computers

Many other companies contributed to the British computer scene.

Raspberry Pi: A Modern Success

The Raspberry Pi is a very popular modern British computer. It's a small, affordable computer often used for learning programming, robotics, and building cool projects. It's used by millions of people worldwide!

Research Machines

Research Machines focused on computers for education.

  • Research Machines 380Z
  • LINK 480Z
  • RM Nimbus

SAM Coupé

  • SAM Coupé

Sinclair Research: The ZX Series

Sinclair Research was founded by Clive Sinclair and made some of the most iconic home computers in Britain.

  • MK14 (trading as Science of Cambridge)
  • ZX80

The ZX80 was one of the first truly affordable home computers, making computing accessible to many families.

The ZX Spectrum was a massive success in the 1980s. It was known for its colorful graphics and huge library of games, helping to kickstart the British video game industry.

  • Sinclair QL

Other Companies and Their Computers

  • Systime Computers Ltd
    • Systime 1000, 3000, 5000, 8750, 8780
    • Systime Series 2, Series 3
  • Tangerine Computer Systems
    • Tangerine Microtan 65
    • Oric-1
    • Oric Atmos
  • Tatung Einstein
  • Torch Computers
    • Triple X workstation
  • Transam
    • Triton
    • Tuscan

ICL Mainframe Computers

ICL was a major British computer company, especially known for its large mainframe computers used by businesses and governments.

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List of British computers Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.