Father Christmas, the BBC Micro and the typewriter
My first ever computer was the Sinclair ZX80 ("Powerful enough to run a Nuclear Power Station" - with 1KB of RAM). But my second computer and the one that got me totally hooked was the BBC Micro. I haven't thought about my BBC Micro for many years - until I spotted this from my colleague Mike in the last MSDN Flash.
"My short, supply-teacher-style stint as editor for the MSDN Flash is coming to a close. The next issue of the Flash will be produced by my colleague Mr Eric Nelson who's just servicing his electric typewriter as I write and fitting a new ribbon :-)"
The reference to a typewriter made me think of that BBC Micro.
Many, many (many!) years ago I wrote a letter to Father Christmas which contained just one item - "A BBC Micro". Christmas day finally came and sure enough, there was a huge BBC Micro sized box under the tree. Yippeeeeeeeeee..... but on the box was a letter from Father Christmas. How odd. It read (roughly):
- "Sorry - there is a delay in getting you a BBC Micro as so many good boys and girls have asked for it. You should get yours in February but in the meantime, this should be a great replacement"
Wow - two computers!!! Alas..... no. Inside was a brand new portable ... typewriter. My mum (who I since learned was somehow funding Father Christmas) anxiously watched me over the following few days to see how I got on with the typewriter. In return I smiled a lot and laboriously typed BASIC programs on my typewriter. It was a very, very long 2 months until that BBC Micro Model A finally arrived!
