8-bitters and multi-whatever

[Jules Richardson]

Tony Duell wrote:
>> I think Econet saw a *lot* of use tho' I've never seen a system
> 
> Econet was available on just about all the Acorn computers -- 'Systems', 
> Atom, BBC micro, Electron (? the Advanced User Guide for the Electron 
> mentions it), ACW, Archimedes. I wouldn't be suprised if it wasn't 
> available on the RiscPC too. Presumably it was used, or Acorn wouldn't 
> have persisted with it.

It was a plug-in module on the Risc PC as I recall (different in design to the 
ones used on the Master and Archimedes machines). Even the A4 laptop had 
Econet ability.

There was also the Ecolink board made by Acorn - a full-length ISA card for an 
x86 PC, containing a 6502, RAM, and the familiar 68B54 ADLC chip. I don't 
think Acorn ever sold many - Acorn and x86 PC users just tended to move in 
different circles, so there wasn't much call for a crossover.

Torch also used Econet ("TorchNet") on their systems which used the BBC micro 
system board as the I/O processor, of course. Plus I recently found out that 
SJ Research released an Econet board for the RML 380Z - something of a 
surprise given how RML used to push their own co-ax network technology.

Other than those two examples I'm not aware of it ever migrating to other 
manufacturers, though. No idea if that was just down to no need, or whether 
Acorn imposed some nasty licensing fees on people who wanted to use it (they 
certainly seemed open enough about the protocols and hardware)


>> outside of a show stand. I don't think enough Sinclairs got used in
>> schools to make the Sinclair network worthwhile.

What happened with the QL machines (and, by extension, the ICL OPD)? Did they 
also feature the same network ability? I just wonder if it was a little more 
widespread there if so, even if it wasn't popular with the Z80-based machines.

(At one point I went to a rural school where there were around 30 kids in the 
entire place. The sole computer was a 48K Spectrum - which spent most of its 
life running Manic Miner...)

cheers

Jules