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Acorn RiscPC 600

1994–1995 · desktop

Specifications

Cpu: ARM610, 30 MHz
Ram: max: 16 MB on the two on-board SIMM slots at launch; later third-party SIMMs and the VRAM riser pushed practical ceilings higher, well short of the 256 MB architectural limit quoted for later RiscPC models · base: 2 MB or 4 MB depending on configuration
Ports: RGB monitor (analogue) · Stereo audio out · Centronics printer port · RS-423 serial · Analogue joystick port · PS/2-style keyboard and mouse connectors · Two internal podule expansion slots
Display: VIDC20 video controller with a separate CPU card design; resolutions up to 1600x1200 depending on monitor and colour depth, up to 32,000 colours; RGB monitor output
Storage: base: No internal hard disc on entry configurations; a floppy-only base unit was sold alongside models with a factory-fitted IDE hard disc · options: 210 MB to 1 GB IDE hard discs factory-fitted or added after the fact · 3.5" floppy disc drive standard on all configurations
Os Support: latest: RISC OS 3.6, via ROM upgrade · shipped: RISC OS 3.5
Release Price: £1,499 (entry configuration)

Variants

Models

RiscPC 600 (2 MB / no hard disc)Entry configuration aimed at schools and budget buyers, floppy only.

Storage

RiscPC 600 (4 MB / 210 MB or 420 MB HD)Common home/office configuration with a factory IDE hard disc.

Upgrade paths

CPU

ARM610 CPU card swapped for a later ARM710 or StrongARM SA-110 card, as fitted to subsequent RiscPC 700 and Kinetic models · The whole point of the RiscPC case: the processor lives on a small daughtercard, not soldered to the motherboard, so a straight card swap gives a multi-fold speed jump without touching the rest of the machine. This is the upgrade path the design was built around.

~£150-£300 secondhand for a StrongARM upgrade card

MODERATE

RAM

Two on-board SIMM sockets accepted industry-standard SIMMs up to 16 MB per socket at the time · Sockets sit under the case lid with no disassembly needed beyond lifting the top slice off.

~£40-£80 for a pair of SIMMs on the period secondhand market

EASY

storage

Internal IDE hard disc replaced or added, later up to several GB as IDE drive capacities grew · The base unit has a bay and IDE header for a hard disc even on floppy-only configurations, so retrofitting one is straightforward.

varies, secondhand IDE drives commonly under £50 today

MODERATE

other

Additional podule expansion cards (network, extra video, SCSI, etc.) via the two internal slots, or a second case slice stacked on top for more · The stackable slice design, unique among home computers of the era, let owners physically add a second case section with more podule slots rather than being limited to what fit in one box.

varies by podule

MODERATE