BBC Micros in the UK would be the in-school equivalent of this (although I don't believe they were given away), and the ZX Spectrum the home equivalent. The fa

BBC Micros in the UK would be the in-school equivalent of this (although I don't believe they were given away), and the ZX Spectrum the home equivalent. The fact that they couldn't do very much unless you learned to program them was a distinct advantage compared to the PCs that followed - which were used to teach Microsoft Office, not computing - and is why Silicon Valley is packed full of mid-30s-40s Brits.