Released in 1983, the Acorn Electron is a cost-reduced version of the BBC Micro.
Article Contents
System Overview
With the BBC Micro being focussed primarily towards schools, Acorn decided an affordable system could be successful with home users.
Very much in competition with Sinclair and the ZX Spectrum, Acorn aggressively competed with the ZX Spectrum.
Acorns Electron utilises a MOS 6502A CPU and has 32kb RAM as standard. One attractive feature is the inclusion of composite and RGB outputs, meaning crisp visuals could be achieved on dedicated monitors.
Ultimately, the Electron was not as well supported in terms of software as the C64 and ZX Spectrum. Many BBC Micro developers also crossed over providing software support.
Sales were healthy enough to give it life up until the early 1990s. It is often overlooked, but really should be considered as the runner-up behind the C64, ZX Spectrum & Amstrad CPC.
WHERE TO BUY THE Acorn Electron
ACORN ELECTRON CLASSIC MICRO COMPUTER VINTAGE
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Acorn electron computer plus user guide and 5 cassette tapes
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Vintage 1980s Acorn Electron Keyboard Console System Unit
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Vintage Acorn electron computer package
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Acorn Electron Computer, With Charger, Introduction Cassette And Books
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How to Emulate this system?
Due to the Acorn Electron being more niche than many popular systems, emulators are a little harder to come by. This is especially the case when looking at all in one solutions such as RetroArch. There are however options available to allow you to emulate the Acorn Electron and relive those memories. Take a look at the options below:
| Emulator | Description | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Elkulator | Elkulator is an Acorn Electron emulator for Windows & Linux. | Windows / Linux |
Acorn Electron emulation using a Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi is a compact single board computer which has become very popular for emulating retro computers and consoles. You can buy the Pi very cheaply and has a whole community supporting and building accessories and applications that are compatible with.
Significantly, for Retro Gaming enthusiasts, the Raspberry Pi offers fantastic all round emulation of many systems. It offers the ability to play Acorn Electron games on HDTVs via HDMI or older CRT TVs via composite outputs. Combining the Raspberry Pi with Retropie, you have a device capable of emulating anything from the Atari 2600 to the Sony PlayStation.
Check out the different Raspberry Pi packages you can pick up on Amazon using the button below.