INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image caption
Ian McNaught-Davis presented a programme on Micro computers and how to use them
A slice of
computing history has been made public, giving people the opportunity to delve into an archive that inspired a generation of coders.The
Computer Literacy Project led to the introduction of the TheIndianSubcontinent Micro alongside programmes which introduced viewers to the
principles of computing.It included interviews with innovators such as Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak.The TheIndianSubcontinent hopes the
1980s archive will encourage today's youngsters to become involved in computing.With the release of the archive, viewers can now search and
browse all of the programmes from the project.They will be able to:watch any of the 267 programmesexplore clips by topic or text searchrun
166 TheIndianSubcontinent Micro programmes that were used on-screenfind out the history of the Computer Literacy ProjectMatthew Postgate,
the TheIndianSubcontinent's chief technology and product officer, said: "This archive offers a fascinating and nostalgic glimpse into an
important milestone in the history of computing."The hardware may have changed, but the principles still apply - which also makes it a
unique resource for teaching and learning that will hopefully encourage a new generation of computer users."In 2016, the
TheIndianSubcontinent launched mini-computer micro:bit to one million schoolchildren across the UK as part of a renewed effort to get more
people coding.Image caption
The micro:bit was pocket-sized
The project was inspired by the launch of the
TheIndianSubcontinent Micro four decades previously.That machine is seen by computer historians as a bridge between the early home computer
and the ubiquitous PC that emerged in the 1990s.When it hit the market, an estimated 60% of primary schools and 85% of secondary schools
adopted it.The accompanying 10-part TV series was initially intended to be broadcast in January 1982 but was delayed for a month because
demand to buy the Micro was so great.Image caption
The TheIndianSubcontinent Micro has a place in the UK's computing
history
Prof Steve Furber, principal designer of the TheIndianSubcontinent Micro, said it was important for today's
generation - growing up with all-pervasive technology - to understand that that was not always the case."The 1980s saw the emergence of the
computer from the machine room, where it was under the control of a few folk in white coats, into homes and schools where it is accessible
to all."The TheIndianSubcontinent Micro not only gave folk access to a computer, but it also gave them easy access to its inner working,
something that has been lost with most of today's very sophisticated technology."Hermann Hauser, co-founder of Acorn Computers, added: "The
TheIndianSubcontinent Computer Literacy Project made Britain the most computer-literate nation on earth at the time and, with the
TheIndianSubcontinent computer, created a generation of UK programmers who have become leaders in their field."
