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Retro computing (also bus related!). - solsburian - 29 Jan 2022
Hi all,
I am very much a geek and I'm into retro computing. I have a collection Acorn machines (can anyone remember those at School?) as well as more modern hardware like a Iyonix and Raspberry Pi that run Acorn's RISC OS.
Anyway, it looks like Durham County Council were (and perhaps still are) Acorn/RISC OS users, as they used (and possibly still do) the platform to produce the timetables for their bus stops: https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23134
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - MurdnunoC - 29 Jan 2022
(29 Jan 2022, 8:06 pm)solsburian wrote Hi all,
I am very much a geek and I'm into retro computing. I have a collection Acorn machines (can anyone remember those at School?) as well as more modern hardware like a Iyonix and Raspberry Pi that run Acorn's RISC OS.
Anyway, it looks like Durham County Council were (and perhaps still are) Acorn/RISC OS users, as they used (and possibly still do) the platform to produce the timetables for their bus stops: https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23134
Can't remember whether it was a BBC Micro or an Acorn, but I remember playing a text-based Wizard of Oz game at school. Would have been around 1986/87-ish.
t was possibly my first ever experience with using a computer.
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - solsburian - 29 Jan 2022
(29 Jan 2022, 8:13 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Can't remember whether it was a BBC Micro or an Acorn, but I remember playing a text-based Wizard of Oz game at school. Would have been around 1986/87-ish.
t was possibly my first ever experience with using a computer.
That would have definitely been a BBC Micro (also made by Acorn). I used those a lot in First school and one was still in use when I was in Middle school around 1999.
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - Andreos1 - 29 Jan 2022
(29 Jan 2022, 8:13 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Can't remember whether it was a BBC Micro or an Acorn, but I remember playing a text-based Wizard of Oz game at school. Would have been around 1986/87-ish.Geordie Racer was my favourite.
t was possibly my first ever experience with using a computer.
One computer shared between the entire school and we all had to take turns.
Don't think we ever completed it.
https://youtu.be/3Ks4J3e5TaA
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - solsburian - 29 Jan 2022
(29 Jan 2022, 8:23 pm)Andreos1 wrote Geordie Racer was my favourite.
One computer shared between the entire school and we all had to take turns.
Don't think we ever completed it.
https://youtu.be/3Ks4J3e5TaA
Sadly I never got to play games like that School.
At one of the Wakefield RISC OS shows, I did have a go of a BBC Domesday Project machine (a BBC Micro, laserdisc player and some other hardware). That was pretty cool.
Also, on a almost retro front, the Ticketer ticket machines Arriva use (I'm not sure about other operators) using Windows CE/Embedded Compact, which is end of life next year. It might also explain why they seem slow and clunky for the drivers to use
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - Andreos1 - 29 Jan 2022
(29 Jan 2022, 10:09 pm)solsburian wrote Sadly I never got to play games like that School.Reminds me of this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24091393
At one of the Wakefield RISC OS shows, I did have a go of a BBC Domesday Project machine (a BBC Micro, laserdisc player and some other hardware). That was pretty cool.
Also, on a almost retro front, the Ticketer ticket machines Arriva use (I'm not sure about other operators) using Windows CE/Embedded Compact, which is end of life next year. It might also explain why they seem slow and clunky for the drivers to use
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - MurdnunoC - 29 Jan 2022
(29 Jan 2022, 10:09 pm)solsburian wrote Sadly I never got to play games like that School.
At one of the Wakefield RISC OS shows, I did have a go of a BBC Domesday Project machine (a BBC Micro, laserdisc player and some other hardware). That was pretty cool.
Also, on a almost retro front, the Ticketer ticket machines Arriva use (I'm not sure about other operators) using Windows CE/Embedded Compact, which is end of life next year. It might also explain why they seem slow and clunky for the drivers to use
Domesday Project (and later Portcullis) were the probably the building blocks of the internet as you were able to chat with pupils from other schools via the use of a modem.
The Domesday Project might still be available at Newcastle Discovery Museum. I would say it was until recently - then I realised it was probably 20 years ago.
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - cainebj - 01 Feb 2022
Definitely no longer used at DCC, though it looks an interesting piece of kit. Timetables nowadays are generated on a much more modern, cloud based software package.
The Ticketer machines is an interesting one though. Generation 1 Ticketer machines used by many North East independent operators do indeed use Windows CE, often in the menus when you press on a button, or click the date/time on the bottom corner to load the pop up clock, it quickly flashes up the traditional Windows cursor. Newer generation machines, like those used by Arriva and Go North East, run an Android OS but still the same Ticketer software/app. The Android OS versions are much quicker at loading up and are less temperamental.
Some Ticketer machines also have the phase-out of 3G connectivity to deal with, reported in RouteOne:
https://www.route-one.net/features/prepare-now-for-3g-sunset-period-ticketer-advises/
RE: Retro computing (also bus related!). - solsburian - 02 Feb 2022
(01 Feb 2022, 7:15 am)cainebj wrote Definitely no longer used at DCC, though it looks an interesting piece of kit. Timetables nowadays are generated on a much more modern, cloud based software package.
The Ticketer machines is an interesting one though. Generation 1 Ticketer machines used by many North East independent operators do indeed use Windows CE, often in the menus when you press on a button, or click the date/time on the bottom corner to load the pop up clock, it quickly flashes up the traditional Windows cursor. Newer generation machines, like those used by Arriva and Go North East, run an Android OS but still the same Ticketer software/app. The Android OS versions are much quicker at loading up and are less temperamental.
Some Ticketer machines also have the phase-out of 3G connectivity to deal with, reported in RouteOne:
https://www.route-one.net/features/prepare-now-for-3g-sunset-period-ticketer-advises/
I always assumed that the ones Arriva currently use are Windows CE/Embedded compact machine, based on this and last year when a Driver kindly showed me his display when for some reason my new annual ticket hadn't been "pushed" to by Corporate Connect Card. A bit of a give away that it was possibly Windows CE was the Tahoma font used for the UI. Windows CE was always a temperamental beast, I had a few handled PCs with various versions installed, it was always sluggish regardless of the CPU and RAM.
Speaking of Android, which uses the Linux kernel, I remember the scrolling screens fitted to the caches that were used on the Middlesbrough-Darlington X66 sometimes displaying the fact they (or the control software) ran a IIRC Linux 2.6 kernel.