I have fond memories of this series. It has to be taken in context of the time - Home computers were appearing in most families homes for the very first time. Unlike modern PCs, they often used your TV to display the picture from the computer and typically came with a 300 page manual. Even worse was that every manufacturer had their own different version of BASIC and their own way of programming their computer. Even different models could be remarkably different from each other.
Most people bought one and then bought some games, which had to be loaded onto it from an audio cassette. The BBC hit the nail firmly on the head with several series on TV and Radio 4 along the lines of "how to really USE your computer, not just play games". Full of good information for the beginner, their weak point was that you needed to be dedicated to keep up with the programme, as it tried to cover the most popular computers. That meant that only a part of that week's programme would be relevant to your computer and if you owned one of the less-well selling models, you were pretty much left out in the cold.
The early programmes proved so popular, that the BBC actually had a computer designed for them. Sadly for me, once it went on sale, the programmes seemed to feature them quite heavily, leaving me and my Spectrum feeling a little neglected after that, compared to how we had been.
They would sometimes contain details of the very expensive models that we generally would only get to use at work and if we were lucky! They were also great innovators, trying experiments like the last few seconds of the programme would actually have an "audio soundtrack" of a computer programme. In theory, you could record the sound onto a cassette and if you were lucky, you could actually load it onto your computer afterwards! Sadly it rarely worked as the audio rarely seemed to be able to record at a sufficiently high enough level, without distorting and corrupting the data.
Other experiments were tried, like a flashing black and white square in one corner of the screen. You could buy a little rubber sucker that would stick onto the screen and change the flashing of the square into a digital signal that the computer would recognise as a program.
While hardly a comprehensive training course, it did inspire you to try something more with your micro than just playing a game on it. I wish some episodes would be shown again, just for the nostalgia! Perhaps even a new series made for PCs would work as well now? Fred and Ian really carried the programme - Ian was always the serious "professor" type, while Fred was the enthusiastic "amature" who brought the humour to it.
Fred Harris was ubiquitous in the 1980s as a presenter of home micro computer programmes. While perhaps best remembered for this series on the BBC, he also presented "Micro File" (also BBC, but two years earlier) and "Me & My Micro" for Yorkshire Television two years later.
"Micro File" was the forerunner for "Micro Live" and while quite adventurous in it's own way, it was nothing like as well-formed or professional as "Micro Live" was in my opinion. I almost had the feeling that it was to prove to be a dry run for "Micro Live".
Full credit to all the programmes though for trying to help people get to grips with their home micro computer now they had bought it! The BBC also did programmes on Radio 4 about computers, which I think Fred was a presenter on as well?
Clearly the two years between this programme and "Micro Live" made a big difference, as it became clear that home computers were not just the "must have" toy for Christmas 1981, but something that was no fad and was going from strength to strength. People now forget that Britain was at the very forefront of home computers, leaving America way behind at the time in micros (see "Micro Men" for a pretty good dramatisation of the UK squandering it's lead - How many now remember Inmos' Transputer - The UKs' very own cutting-edge microprocessor for example?).
The BBC Micro itself seemed to grow out of the popularity of this series of programmes. I suspect few remember just how much hard work the BBC has and still is putting into computer technology for people in the UK. The BBC actually was an ISP for a while (www.beeb.net) and has since lead again in getting TV programmes onto the internet for people to watch and listen to the radio shows. Full credit to the BBC for all they have done to help with computers and related technologies in Britain!
Most people bought one and then bought some games, which had to be loaded onto it from an audio cassette. The BBC hit the nail firmly on the head with several series on TV and Radio 4 along the lines of "how to really USE your computer, not just play games". Full of good information for the beginner, their weak point was that you needed to be dedicated to keep up with the programme, as it tried to cover the most popular computers. That meant that only a part of that week's programme would be relevant to your computer and if you owned one of the less-well selling models, you were pretty much left out in the cold.
The early programmes proved so popular, that the BBC actually had a computer designed for them. Sadly for me, once it went on sale, the programmes seemed to feature them quite heavily, leaving me and my Spectrum feeling a little neglected after that, compared to how we had been.
They would sometimes contain details of the very expensive models that we generally would only get to use at work and if we were lucky! They were also great innovators, trying experiments like the last few seconds of the programme would actually have an "audio soundtrack" of a computer programme. In theory, you could record the sound onto a cassette and if you were lucky, you could actually load it onto your computer afterwards! Sadly it rarely worked as the audio rarely seemed to be able to record at a sufficiently high enough level, without distorting and corrupting the data.
Other experiments were tried, like a flashing black and white square in one corner of the screen. You could buy a little rubber sucker that would stick onto the screen and change the flashing of the square into a digital signal that the computer would recognise as a program.
While hardly a comprehensive training course, it did inspire you to try something more with your micro than just playing a game on it. I wish some episodes would be shown again, just for the nostalgia! Perhaps even a new series made for PCs would work as well now? Fred and Ian really carried the programme - Ian was always the serious "professor" type, while Fred was the enthusiastic "amature" who brought the humour to it.
Fred Harris was ubiquitous in the 1980s as a presenter of home micro computer programmes. While perhaps best remembered for this series on the BBC, he also presented "Micro File" (also BBC, but two years earlier) and "Me & My Micro" for Yorkshire Television two years later.
"Micro File" was the forerunner for "Micro Live" and while quite adventurous in it's own way, it was nothing like as well-formed or professional as "Micro Live" was in my opinion. I almost had the feeling that it was to prove to be a dry run for "Micro Live".
Full credit to all the programmes though for trying to help people get to grips with their home micro computer now they had bought it! The BBC also did programmes on Radio 4 about computers, which I think Fred was a presenter on as well?
Clearly the two years between this programme and "Micro Live" made a big difference, as it became clear that home computers were not just the "must have" toy for Christmas 1981, but something that was no fad and was going from strength to strength. People now forget that Britain was at the very forefront of home computers, leaving America way behind at the time in micros (see "Micro Men" for a pretty good dramatisation of the UK squandering it's lead - How many now remember Inmos' Transputer - The UKs' very own cutting-edge microprocessor for example?).
The BBC Micro itself seemed to grow out of the popularity of this series of programmes. I suspect few remember just how much hard work the BBC has and still is putting into computer technology for people in the UK. The BBC actually was an ISP for a while (www.beeb.net) and has since lead again in getting TV programmes onto the internet for people to watch and listen to the radio shows. Full credit to the BBC for all they have done to help with computers and related technologies in Britain!
