RiscPC

RiscPC

Acorn RiscPC 600 with 2 case slices, 3.5" disk drive and DVD-ROM drive.
Developer	Acorn Computers
Manufacturer	Acorn Computers, Castle Technology
Release date	April 15, 1994 (1994-04-15)
Discontinued	November 11, 2003 (2003-11-11)
Operating system	RISC OS
CPU	ARMv3/ARMv4
Dimensions	117 mm (4.6 in) (h) 355 mm (14.0 in) (w) 384 mm (15.1 in) (d)
Predecessor	Archimedes series
Successor	Phoebe, Iyonix PC, A9home
Related articles	A7000

The RiscPC (stylised with a half-space as Risc PC, also referred to as Risc PC and codenamed Medusa) was Acorn Computers's next generation RISC OS/Acorn RISC Machine computer, launched on 15 April 1994, which superseded the Acorn Archimedes. The Acorn PC card and software allows PC compatible software to be run.

Like the Archimedes, the RiscPC continued the practice of having the RISC OS operating system in a ROM module. RiscPC augmented the ROM-based core OS with a disk-based directory structure containing configuration information, and some applications which had previously been kept in ROM. At the 1996 BETT Educational Computing & Technology Awards, the machine was awarded Gold in the hardware category.

The RiscPC was used in schools, studios of music composers and scorewriters (using Sibelius) and television playout environments (using OmniBus).

Acorn set about designing the RiscPC 2, later renamed to Phoebe 2100 – a design with a 64 MHz front side bus, PCI slots, and a yellow-coloured NLX form-factor case. Slated for release in late 1998, the project was abandoned just before completion, when Acorn's Workstation Division was closed. Only two prototypes were ever built, and one was publicly displayed for historical interest at the RISC OS 2001 show in Berkshire, England; the remaining cases were bought by CTA Direct who sold them off to the public.

In 2003 it was confirmed that no more RiscPCs would be produced. However RISC OS computers based on other ARM processors machines have been manufactured by companies since this date.