Acorn Computers Died but its ARM RISC Processor Lived On

Acorn Computers was a British computer company that was founded in 1978 in Cambridge, England. The company became one of the leading computer manufacturers in the United Kingdom.

Changing Control

The original owners were Chris Curry and Hermann Hauser.

1983: Acorn was floated on the Unlisted Securities Market as Acorn Computer Group plc, with Acorn Computers Ltd. as the microcomputer division.

1985: Acorn Computers Ltd. was acquired by Olivetti for £120 million.

1990: Acorn Computers Ltd. was split into two companies: Acorn RISC Machines (ARM) and Acorn Computers (AC).

1995: ARM was sold to Apple Computers.

1998: AC was sold to Praxis Computers.

Products

Acorn’s first computer, the Atom, was released in 1979. The Atom was a simple 8-bit computer that was designed for hobbyists and enthusiasts. However, it was not a commercial success.

Acorn’s second computer, the BBC Micro, was released in 1981. The BBC Micro was a more powerful computer that was designed to be used in schools. The BBC Micro was a huge success, and it helped to make Acorn one of the leading computer manufacturers in the United Kingdom.

The ARM Processor

In the early 1980s, Acorn began to develop a new type of computer processor called the ARM (Advanced RISC Machine). It was a 32-bit RISC processor that was designed to be more efficient and powerful than the 8-bit processors that were common at the time.

The processor was a success, and it became the most popular processor in the world. Acorn used the ARM in its own computers, and it also licensed the ARM to other computer manufacturers.

The ARM processor is a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) architecture that was developed by Acorn Computers in the early 1980s. ARM processors are designed to be small, efficient, and low-power, making them ideal for use in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

ARM processors are based on a RISC architecture, which means that they use a small number of simple instructions that can be executed quickly. This makes ARM processors more efficient than other types of processors, such as CISC processors, which use more complex instructions.

They are also designed to be low-power. This is important for mobile devices, which need to conserve battery life. ARM processors can achieve this by using a number of techniques, such as:

Stopping the processor when it is not in use
Running the processor at a lower clock speed when it is not needed
**Using a power-saving mode when the processor is idle.

Products Using the ARM Processor

ARM processors are used in a wide variety of devices, including:

Smartphones
Tablets
Wearable devices
Set-top boxes
Routers
Modems
Storage devices
Industrial control systems
Automotive systems

Competitive Advantages

Acorn Computers had a number of product characteristics that distinguished it from the competition, including:

Innovation: Acorn developed the ARM processor and the RISC architecture.
Affordability: Acorn computers were typically more affordable than their competitors, which made them more accessible to a wider range of users.
Ease of use: Acorn computers were designed to be easy to use, even for people who were new to computers.
Community: Acorn had a strong community of users and developers, who were always willing to help each other out.

Company Weaknesses

However, Acorn also faced a number of challenges that contributed to its loss of market share, including:

Competition: Acorn faced increasing competition from other computer manufacturers, such as IBM, Compaq, and Apple.
Financial difficulties: The company was never a profitable company, and it was eventually forced to sell off its assets.
Management problems: Acorn was plagued by management problems, which led to a number of poor decisions that ultimately contributed to its downfall.
Despite these challenges, Acorn Computers made a significant contribution to the development of the personal computer industry.

In the late 1980s, Acorn began to lose market share to other computer manufacturers, such as IBM and Apple. The company also faced financial difficulties, and it was eventually forced to sell off its assets.

Acorn Computers ceased to exist in 1998. However, the ARM processor is still used in billions of devices around the world.