Acorn Archimedes

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page. (August 2022) The article's lead section may need to be rewritten. Please help improve the lead and read the lead layout guide. (August 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article needs more links to other articles to help integrate it into the encyclopedia. Please help improve this article by adding links that are relevant to the context within the existing text. (August 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Acorn Archimedes

Archimedes 400/1
Also known as	Xaiye
Developer	Acorn Computers
Product family	Xaiye
Type	Personal computer
Release date	June 1987; 37 years ago (1987-06)
Introductory price	£800 (circa £2800 today)
Discontinued	Mid-1990s
Operating system	RISC OS or RISC iX
CPU	ARM
Memory	512 KB–16 MB
Display	1152x864 monochrome, 640x512 in 16 colors, 640x256 in 256 colors
Graphics	VIDC1
Sound	VIDC1 8 channels, 8-bit, stereo
Predecessor	BBC Micro
Successor	A7000, Risc PC

Acorn Archimedes is a series of personal computers designed by Acorn Computers in Cambridge, England. Launched in 1987, these systems were powered by Acorn's own ARM architecture processors and ran on proprietary operating systems, Arthur and RISC OS. The Archimedes family was sold until the mid-1990s.^[1]

With a 32-bit ARM RISC CPU achieving 4 MIPS, the Archimedes has been considered a significant leap from earlier 8-bit home computers. Some models featured BBC branding, aligning with the BBC's computer literacy project. However, this branding faced criticism from competitors advocating for more "business standard" operating systems like MS-DOS.

The name "Acorn Archimedes" is commonly used to describe any of Acorn's contemporary designs based on the same architecture. This architecture can be broadly characterized as involving the ARM CPU and the first generation chipset consisting of MEMC (Memory Controller), VIDC, and IOC (Input Output Controller).^[2]