Acorn Prof Furber made a CBE Published: 29th Dec 2007, 12:12:58 | Permalink | PrintableDidn't he do well? Beeb and ARM processor co-designer Professor Steve Furber has been recognised in the New Year Honours list. The University of Manchester boffin, who was part of the team that produced the BBC Microcomputer and the ARM chip for Acorn in the 1980s, was made a CBE for his services to computer science.
Whilst studying at university in the 1970s, Steve joined a club for computer hobbyists, the Cambridge University Processor Group, and later became involved in Acorn after bumping into company co-founder Hermann Hauser. Acorn had been tasked with designing a microcomputer for the BBC's computer literacy project and 1.5 million machines were eventually sold.
Steve told BBC News: "There was a gang of us who used to order integrated circuits and microprocessors from the very small number of shops that sold them. We got these bits and started building machines.
"When the BBC first came talking about the contract their estimate was that maybe 12,000 would be sold."
Steve added: "I've been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to do something interesting and have also been surrounded by very good people. The CBE came completely out of the blue, but obviously I'm delighted."
Prof Furber also won a top technology medal in September.
Links
Home computing pioneer honoured
Steve Furber's profile
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