As part of the BBC's Computers Don't Bite campaign, The Learning Zone follows two families - the Lyons family and the Plummer family - on their quest to buy their first family computer. The Plummers have decided to buy their computer direct from the manufacturers via mail order, they have carried out research by reading computer magazines. The Lyons have chosen to buy their computer at a specialist electronics shop, where they can get advice from a salesperson. Presenters Sue Davis and Dave Green have advice for anybody buying their first computer, with helpful explanations of unfamiliar terms like "RAM", "ROM", "Hard drive" and "clock speed," and instructions about how to set the machine up once you've bought it. Clip taken from The Learning Zone: Computers Don't Bite: Getting Started at Home, originally broadcast on BBC Two, 18 May, 1998. You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults. Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss a single stop on our amazing journey through the BBC Archive - https://www.youtube.com/c/BBCArchive?sub_confirmation=1 You can also dive into plenty more BBC Archive on our website - https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive
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'any modern hard drive will have more than you'll possibly need'... how delightedly innocent
When buying a computer was a huge family event. 🤗
It was a different world in 1998. I remember.
This is the most late 90s thing I've seen in ages. Those effects! Also, was that cat called "smut"?
I remember going to buy ours as a family - the sales assistant asking my mum and dad the main reasons for use then turning to me and saying “I suppose you’ll be wanting to use it for school work and then college work later on.” I turned round and said “no I just want to playing Championship Manager on it!” Happy times! 😂
Salespersons actually being able to answer questions, I miss that more than I realized.
Don't forget the extendable coffee cup holder.
we need a follow up program - interviews with the same families and the actual experience they had.
This is near THIRTY years ago.
The family coming to a consensus on having a Microsoft Works shortcut on the desktop is adorable.
spend a grand on a pc, then just leave it hanging out of the back of your car with a bungie holding it in place. Damn the 90s were great.
if anybody likes this, there are still episodes of 'The computer chronicles' on youtube which are great.
7:05 oddly spooky her numberplate ends with LLM
My Dad bought a custom computer from my uncle in 1998. Claimed it was for 'word processing'. He subsequently ended up playing Descent 2 and chatting on ICQ and when I wanted to use it, he told me it wasn't to be used for games! 🤣
It would be great if the BBC would get in touch with these families and interview them of their life with computers
Both families were rich. She was driving a Jag.
It is like they are buying a private jet
I kept thinking in about 10 years after this those computers were probably in a skip and long since become part of a tumble dryer.
I'm old enough to remember all this tech, which was so advanced, desirable and very expensive at the time but just funny and nostalgic now.
This was the perfect opportunity to say "Computers don't BYTE"