Acorn Computers · Gen
Hardware
Entry-level launch model of Acorn's first 32-bit ARM-based Archimedes range. It shipped with 512 KB RAM and was BBC-branded, reflecting Acorn's relationship with the BBC Micro line. Some units were later upgraded by dealers to match A310 specifications.
Mainstream launch model in the first Archimedes family, fitted with 1 MB RAM. Like the other early machines, it used the ARM2 CPU and Arthur operating system at launch. A BBC-branded version was sold alongside the Acorn-branded line.
Announced as part of the original 400 series but widely described as not having been produced commercially. It would have been the hard-disk-capable 1 MB member of the launch family, but surviving references treat it as a planned or cancelled model rather than a normal retail release.
Top-end launch model of the original Archimedes 400 series. It came with 4 MB RAM and an integrated ST-506 hard disk controller, making it the most expandable and expensive of the first Archimedes machines.
Compact all-in-one Archimedes-family machine introduced in 1989. It was BBC-branded, used the ARM2 platform, and became the best-selling member of the range in UK schools. The A3000 is generally treated as the low-cost successor to the original desktop Archimedes models.
Refreshed 400-series model using the improved MEMC1A memory controller and RISC OS-era software support. It retained the 1 MB memory class while modernizing the original A400 line. Contemporary references describe it as a revised replacement for the earlier 400-series design.
Mid-range refreshed Archimedes model introduced alongside the 400/1 series. It paired the MEMC1A controller with 2 MB RAM and optional hard disk support, sitting between the 410/1 and 440/1 in Acorn's lineup.
Updated high-end 400-series machine launched in 1989. It kept the 4 MB class but added the MEMC1A controller and revised storage configuration, serving as the direct refresh of the original A440.
High-end workstation-oriented Archimedes model and the first standard Archimedes to ship with the ARM3 processor. It expanded the line toward Unix workstations, with up to 16 MB RAM and SCSI storage support. The A540 is generally regarded as a major performance step beyond the 400-series machines.
New pizza-box style Archimedes-family desktop introduced to replace the older A440/1. It commonly shipped with an ARM3 processor, 2 or 4 MB RAM, and hard disk options, and was among the first Acorn systems to run RISC OS 3 from new. It is often treated as the last major desktop member of the Archimedes line.
Portable Archimedes-family laptop introduced in 1992. It brought the Acorn RISC architecture to a notebook form factor and is usually counted as part of the broader Archimedes lineage rather than the earlier desktop-only series.
Low-cost compact model introduced in 1992 as part of Acorn's final A-series desktop wave. It targeted home users and schools with a cut-down Archimedes-compatible design. The A3010 used the same family architecture but in a smaller, cost-reduced case.
School-oriented low-cost model in the A-series, launched in 1992. It was broadly similar to the A3010 but aimed at education buyers with different memory and storage configurations. It formed part of Acorn's effort to keep ARM-based systems affordable in the UK market.
Budget desktop successor in the A-series, introduced in 1992. It kept Archimedes compatibility while using a simplified, lower-cost design than the earlier 400/1 and A5000 machines. The A4000 was one of the final desktop computers derived from the original Archimedes architecture.