4 ms·

The RM Nimbus was 186-based (https://www.thenimbus.co.uk/range-of-nimbus-computers/PC-186 https://www.thenimbus.co.uk/range-of-nimbus-computers/PC-186) -- UK pe

by pm215 9y ago

The RM Nimbus was 186-based (https://www.thenimbus.co.uk/range-of-nimbus-computers/PC-186 https://www.thenimbus.co.uk/range-of-nimbus-computers/PC-186) -- UK people might remember it as it was pretty popular in schools in the late 80s/early 90s. It wasn't fully PC compatible though.

bencollier49 9y ago
Bloody horrible computers, those.
- TickleSteve 9y ago
  Absolutely... the slight incompatibilities meant they had to have RM specific versions of software IIRC.
- amelius 9y ago
  They didn't have issues with Meltdown or Spectre though.
petercooper 9y ago
Prior to their purchase, I recall my dad spending some time trying to persuade my headmistress that the RM Nimbus was a bad choice and we should have "real PCs" in school instead. Unfortunately it turned out the powers that be had a contract with RM and the choice of machine was basically forced upon schools. With that said, beyond the odd software incompatibilities, I found it an interesting system. Its BASIC was pretty good and it had a music chip integrated at a time when almost no machines had sound cards. Anyone else remember "TRAINS"? :-D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwoPUqDCa4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwoPUqDCa4
- exikyut 9y ago
  Wow, that's a really cool game. A very imaginative use of limited video bandwidth. Very interesting BIOSes, too.
gaius 9y ago
UK people might remember it as it was pretty popular in schools in the late 80s/early 90s The Nimbus was an absolute horrific trainwreck of a machine - RM were only able to supplant the far superior Acorn in schools due to backdoor shenanigans. Imagine the world now if kids who had grown up on Archimedes went into companies and started using that tech there, we would be 15-20 years ahead of where we are now technologically. Instead the geniuses at the department of education collectively shot us all in the face.
rrdharan 9y ago
Fascinating - I grew up in Ontario in the 80s where we had the ICONs at school which were also, I just learned, 80186-based: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisys_ICON https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisys_ICON

by pm215 9y ago

bencollier49 9y ago

Bloody horrible computers, those.

TickleSteve 9y ago
Absolutely... the slight incompatibilities meant they had to have RM specific versions of software IIRC.
amelius 9y ago
They didn't have issues with Meltdown or Spectre though.

petercooper 9y ago

Prior to their purchase, I recall my dad spending some time trying to persuade my headmistress that the RM Nimbus was a bad choice and we should have "real PCs" in school instead. Unfortunately it turned out the powers that be had a contract with RM and the choice of machine was basically forced upon schools. With that said, beyond the odd software incompatibilities, I found it an interesting system. Its BASIC was pretty good and it had a music chip integrated at a time when almost no machines had sound cards. Anyone else remember "TRAINS"? :-D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwoPUqDCa4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvwoPUqDCa4

exikyut 9y ago
Wow, that's a really cool game. A very imaginative use of limited video bandwidth. Very interesting BIOSes, too.

gaius 9y ago

UK people might remember it as it was pretty popular in schools in the late 80s/early 90s The Nimbus was an absolute horrific trainwreck of a machine - RM were only able to supplant the far superior Acorn in schools due to backdoor shenanigans. Imagine the world now if kids who had grown up on Archimedes went into companies and started using that tech there, we would be 15-20 years ahead of where we are now technologically. Instead the geniuses at the department of education collectively shot us all in the face.

rrdharan 9y ago

Fascinating - I grew up in Ontario in the 80s where we had the ICONs at school which were also, I just learned, 80186-based: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisys_ICON https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisys_ICON