Re: Bush Internet Box

[Robert Chasmer <robert.chasmer@xxxxxxx>]

nickt@xxxxxxx [mailto:nickt@xxxxxxx]
wrote:
> As you guys probably know, the Makro product is model no IBX250, with
> 2 Scarts and a bigger keyboard, the ToysRUs is IBX100, single Scart
&
> dinky fold up keyboard. What would a second Scart be used for on this
> sort of device? Anyone know?

Can someone confirm the price of the IBX250 from Makros.  Also has
anyone managed to find a website which describes exactly what the
differences are?  I quite fancy getting one for my Mum for Xmas.

As far as I know these set top boxes are based on the Acorn A7000
series of machines which make use of '56MHz 32bit 7500FE ARM'
Processor.  http://www.castle.org.uk/castle/a7kspec.htm

As people have said they are running a very cut down version of
Risc Os.  In the days when Oracle's Mr Elison was touting NC as the
next big thing, Acorn were asked to build prototype NC's.
This was all fairly easy for Acorn as they already had an OS they
worked from ROM, and simply need to customise the user interface.
Then Acorn NC was known as the Oracle reference system.  Various
companies built boxes based on this hardware.

Acorn were due to bring out a new desktop machine called Phoebe
http://www.houseofmabel.com/puters/phoebe.html
but just before the main production run started Acorn cancelled the
project.  They then transferred all their share holders shares to
ARM (was Acorn Risc Machine), and sold Risc Os to PACE.  The old
desktop machines and their designs were sold to a long time Acorn
dealer Castle.

The Bush machines, from what I know, we developed by Pace using
the knowledge and some Staff they bought from Acorn when it closed.
The web-browser that is in the Bush machines sounds like a version
of the popular web-browser 'Fresco' that is still available for
Acorn desktop machines (including clones).  It was packaged with an
Internet package (FTP, Mail etc) called Ant Suite.

I still have my Acorn Strong Arm 200Mhz Risc PC, with a version
of the same browser.  The problem with some dialup scripts for
some ISP does sound familiar with the Ant Suite.  I doubt that
the some dialler code is used in these boxes, so the problems
are probably just a coincidence.

There is a still a lot of knowledge in the Acorn world, with
various user groups with the same friendly type of folk that
you find here.  I still go to some of the Acorn shows, normally
once a year.  See http://www.iconbar.com for more info.


Rob (Long time Acorn user)

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