Is a bbc master worth getting from a coc user point of view?

[zhulien]

Hi

When I was in high school they had a computer room full of bbc model b computers all networked.

I also used to go to the computer shop regularly and play with the bbc, cpc and c64 there and sometimes amiga 1000... this was back in 1987. 

I have some good memories of the bbc, but every time I look at YouTube videos of the bbc, I cannot convince myself I will like it.

Is it worth while for a cpc fan boy to buy a bbc master? 

Note: number on left 1 is best, 1000 is worst

I have,

1.CPCs and am a dedicated fan boy

7.Sega SC3000s some sentiment value here

4.C64s fun computer but not good for non-game stuff

5.MSXs not yet a fanboy, but they are OK

8.Spectrum +3 its ok, better than c64 for non-games

1000.Atari 8bit, no love for this one, ermmm 

3.NES compatible msdos-alike (8bit ver) computers,  these are actually fantastic, wish I had one as a kid

6.Mega65, fantastic hardware unrealized to date

Spectrum Next... one day it will arrive

2.Amiga 500s, I love these but don't use them so often

Where does a BBC master fit in?  The audio sounds bad to me and the gfx for most part also.

[robcfg]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

There are fantastic games for the BBC and the Electron being made right now. Take Electrobots as an example.

I'm curious about a BBC too, having an Electron myself, but you need to be curious about it, otherwise it doesn't make much sense.

Why no love for the Ataris? They are indeed great machines once you learn what you can do with them.

Here's one of my favourite demos for your viewing pleasure:

[Bryce]

The BBC computers were a dream when it comes to hardware expansion. The only thing you need to watch out for (especially with the master) is that it has quite a lot of custom chips so only buy a working one!

Bryce.

[zhulien]

Mainly because to date I have not figured out how to get a directory of what's on the sdcard... I have an XEGS I bought as a curiosity but not much luck yet getting it to do much more than okay cart games.  It has keyboard, sdcard adapter etc... id rather do more than play games.

[zhulien]

Wow that atari demo is really good!  Speech and music together, batman demo buildings and more. And decent music.

[zhulien]

This is something I wouldn't have though possible on an 8bit atari... pokey usually sounds much worst than AY...

https://youtu.be/jOfD7rZ6GbI?si=ZVCzB7JTdUF3Znbn

Surely that should be possible on CPC too?

[Anthony Flack]

The Atari 8 bits are very interesting machines, I'd like to get one one day.

We had BBC Bs at my high school too... brown monochrome monitors. The BASIC is similar enough to CPC BASIC that I was able to write a simple Manic Miner clone while sitting at the back of computer class. I was asked to drop out of computer class after that, because obviously if you're too far ahead of everyone else there is no place for you.

Same CRTC as the CPC, but with way more screen modes. I guess it's a lot like the CPC would have been if they had gone with a 6502? I didn't get to use them much because I was asked to drop out of computer class after one term. 

[Prodatron]

The Atari8 are my favourite 6502 machines. They are already from 1979 but had such a great design (probably thanks to Jay Miner) that it was possible to continue them until 1991 without the need to do big modifications. That was a big difference compared to the Commodore line of 8bit computers, which were just a big chaotic mess.
Some A8 demos are just crazy and wouldn't be possible on the CPC. And I really like the A8 scene, a lot of very nice guys!

(proud owner of an Atari 800 with upgraded incognito board)

[robcfg]

The 800XL was my first computer, when I was 9.

I still have it with me and fully functional! 

[zhulien]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

There are fantastic games for the BBC and the Electron being made right now. Take Electrobots as an example.

I'm curious about a BBC too, having an Electron myself, but you need to be curious about it, otherwise it doesn't make much sense.

Why no love for the Ataris? They are indeed great machines once you learn what you can do with them.

Here's one of my favourite demos for your viewing pleasure:

I've been watching some 8bit atari demos on youtube, really really impressive, many cases as good as the best CPC demos


makes me wonder even from an audio point of view, how does an Atari manage to sound like this?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtZXZbB6iic

I'll have to setup my XEGS again to see if i can figure it out - there must be a way to get a directory right?  I spent days before trying to find out the commands with no luck before.

[robcfg]

What do you mean by "get a directory"?

If you are using a floppy drive, I think typing "DOS" takes you to a menu where you can format or list the disk contents.

If, on the other hand you are using any modern storage device, you should take a look at the appropriate manual.

[zhulien]

What do you mean by "get a directory"?

If you are using a floppy drive, I think typing "DOS" takes you to a menu where you can format or list the disk contents.

If, on the other hand you are using any modern storage device, you should take a look at the appropriate manual.

I do have a disk drive but no PSU, so I have also an SD Card reader that is supposed to simulate a disk drive.  I didn't know that about a DOS command to bring up a menu, I was searching for directory commands.