CC> Vintage Computer Festival Exhibition Write-ups

From: Lawrence Walker <lwalker_at_mail.interlog.com>
Date: Tue Oct 7 14:14:03 1997

>
> Have you ever heard of the Icon computer?
> It seems that back in the late '70s the poobahs at the Department of
> Education for Ontario (Canada) were upset because incompatable computers
> were finding their way into classrooms, and the programs for these C-64s
> and Apple ][s could not be used on each other. Being bureaucrats they came
> up with a solution: design and build their own computer which would be
> installed in all seventy five thousand Ontario classrooms! Naturally this
> was designed by a committee, and since it was to be for educational
> purposes they consulted with one (1) teacher and no students.
> Since it was to be used by everyone from little five year olds in
> kindergarten to senior high students they made the beast in one big
> chunk,cpu, monitor and keyboard, one size fits all.
> Since neither the C-64 or Apple software would run on it they assumed that
> programmers would be happy to supply the needs of all grade levels.
> Unfortunately by the time the Icon (also widely known as theBionic Beaver)
> was introduced in 1983, with the government subsidizing two thirds of the
> cost, the school boards found that their one third would buy several C-64s
> or an Apple, and would even go a long way toward an XT or a Mac, all of
> which had far more software available.
> Some of the Icons ended up in high schools, usually as terminals on
> networks. I have been trying to get one for my collection, but so far have
> only the junction box used to hook them to the server.
>
> Cheers
> Charlie Fox
>
  Hmmm never heard of it. I'll keep my eyes open in my jaunts around
the T.O thrift shops and garage sales. How is the museum venture
going ? Strangely enough I know of none in the T.O. area. I have
heard of one in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Do you know of others ?

 ciao larry
lwalkernospam_at_interlog.com

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Received on Tue Oct 07 1997 - 14:14:03 BST