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Microbee in NSW schools in the 1980s - PeterJo - 27-10-2024
The role of the Microbee in schools in NSW
In 1983 Don Howard and myself, Peter Jowitt, were teachers in Crawford Primary School in
western Sydney. We applied to be the trial school for computer use in primary schools. We were
successful. A mass of boxes arrived containing 10 Microbee computers with all the appropriate
peripherals. We had great fun putting them together. We used a spare room and every morning a
group of Year Four students would set up the room and every afternoon return the computers to the
strong room.
In 1983 programs were on cassette tapes and had to be loaded individually into each
computer. This was a long and tedious process which was complicated by many cassette players
misfunctioning. In fact the more basic the cassette player the more likely they were to successfully
load the programs. I suggested that a number of computers could be linked to one cassette player.
The experts laughed their heads off saying it was not possible. On the way home I went to Jaycar
electronics. The next day, armed with mini plugs and a length of wire, I began linking computers to
one cassette player. IT WORKED. I managed to link all ten computers to one cassette player. The
components cost ten dollars and the system became known as “The Ten Dollar Network”.
In the early days students were told in no uncertain terms, “Do not touch the screen”. So
different from today when every thing is touch screen. Students were also instructed not to leave the
screen on as the graphics burnt a “ghost picture” on the phosphorescent screen coating. The first
“screen saver” programs were essential to prevent damage to the screen. At one school I worked in
some teachers were not to vigilant and the students worked out how to open the first computer mice
and steal the ball bearings. Steel ball bearing marbles were popular for a while. I ended up with
boxes of neutered mice. My solution was easy I glued up the mice so they could not be opened.
To complement the computers we got a selection of the latest and BEST software. Most of
the software left a lot to be desired. For example there was a set of 12 cassettes each with a single
times table drill. Correct, one tape for the three times table, one tape for the four times table etc. I
suggested it would be more convenient to have one tape with all the tables on ie three times table to
twelve times table and have a start menu where the teacher or pupil could select. I was told this was
not possible. Another program, Hangman had two major faults. Success only resulted in the
program going on to the next word. Students deliberately failed because the little stick man graphic
got hung and fell into pieces. The word bank was fixed by the programmer and included words far
to difficult for the students. I suggested a program with positive reinforcement was needed and the
word bank needed changing to be appropriate for the students.
Don and I suggested we could write programs. The coordinator said we were crazy, we did
not know how to program and we would be wasting our time. To prove a point Beesware did
produce a table drill activities program with a start up menu where users selected their own level.
I studied writing programs in Basic. “Fisherman” became my first program. I turned
Hangman into a game where correct letters were rewarded with a positive graphic and if the word
was correctly worked out the final graphic was “a big catch”. I had help with a routine that was
embedded in the program. Teachers were able to alter the word bank by using a “secret” key
combination at the start of the program. Teachers made word lists appropriate for their students.
The people who said we would fail were amazed and had to eat their words.
Beesware was born. The race was on to produce programs as quickly as possible. We had a
number of philosophical points. Programs had to be ones teachers would use, programs had to
support work being done in the classroom, programs had to be easy to use. Initially many of the
programs were “drill and practice”. Computing was at an early stage and both teachers and students
had to learn to crawl before they could walk.
Writing programs for the 16K educational version was a challenge because of the limited
memory. Short cuts and creative space saving had to be invented. I was able to use students as “test
pilots”, firstly to see if the program functioned as I envisaged and secondly to see if they could
crash the program by doing things I hadn't thought of.
The popularity of Beesware programs presented another set of problems, namely copying,
packaging and posting the software. In the early days of tape loading ten minute data tapes were
more expensive, even when purchased in bulk by the hundred, than sixty minute tapes from
retailers. Special tape label blanks were difficult to obtain. After school Don and I would rush home
to fulfil the day's orders. The J and H households became hives of activity. Beesware generously
granted schools permission to make as many copies of purchased programs for their school's need
free of charge. Unfortunately a few schools did not do the honourable thing. For example one
school requested to evaluate a number of programs before they made a purchase. Beesware sent the
school over a dozen programs. A week later the programs were returned. None were deemed to be
suitable. Little did the school in question know that my nieces and nephews attended the school.
Imagine my amazement when they told me my programs were being extensively used in the school.
Most people writing software for the Microbee did not expect to make their fortunes as
computer moguls. We were excited that Australia had a quality computer. Almost all writers were
teachers and accepted the challenge of writing software written by Australians for Australian
students rather than accept programs written for overseas markets with overseas references and
curriculum content. It is a reason I think that the Microbee was embraced by Australian schools.
The Primary Microbee Users Group (PRIMUG)operating from Denistone East Primary
School, with Barry Manefield as the chairperson, was a major contributor to the popularity of the
Microbee in NSW. Every four or five weeks there were meetings with software demonstrations at
many different locations in and around Sydney. It meant that numerous weekends were taken up
showing our latest software. New Beesware programs were enthusiastically received. My program
“Engineer” won the golden Disk award. The golden disk followed after the golden cassette and was
awarded to the best program of the year. It was a magnificent award, an old 3 ½ inch disk sprayed
with gold paint and suitably engraved. LOL. “Engineer” was the “break out” program that entailed
logical thinking and planning rather than just drill and practice routines. Owen Hill attended several
meetings. On one occasion he asked if he could use Beesawre programs, especially “Engineer” to
demonstrate the Microbee in Sweden. Beesware programs were sold by an agent in Sweden but
royalties seemed to vanish in the post.
The demise of the Microbee saw the end of programs developed by Australian teachers for
Australian schools.
In NSW initially department advisers helped schools in practical ways. This was crucial
when teachers had no previous experience with computers. Later the advisers became bogged down
in developing curriculum statements and policies.
At first schools could purchase computers from any source. I was able, when Microbees
were off the department list, to have Windows based computers built by a local computer shop at
half the price of those from recognised suppliers.
The Department of Education was taken over by beaurocrats and centralised purchasing.
Eventually the choice was between Apple or Windows based hardware. Choices were further
reduced when schools were allocated a set number of computers. The computers were to be “rolled”
over every three years and returned to the department for sale on the second hand market. Before
being returned the computers had to be decommissioned, that is all data and programs removed and
hard drives cleaned. Decommissioning was very time consuming. There were many schools that
had not begun their computer journey. It is reported some schools accepted the computers and put
them in storage and three years later returned them unopened. The Department flooded the second
hand computer market and prices fell. The Department realised they were not going to get money
from second hand school computers that they had anticipated and the scheme was abandoned.
In the early 90s many schools gave away their Microbees. I still used them and collected any
unwanted Microbees. I was probably the last to have Microbees still working and being used in
schools. When I retired it was obvious there was no other teacher to keep the Microbees working. I
was moving to Western Australia. The Microbees had an ignominious end. They were
unceremoniously thrown in a large skip bin that was taken away before the end of school so that the
students could not climb in the bin to scavenge them.
With my move to Western Australia I lost all my programs and Beesware paraphernalia. The
only thing I have is my “Golden Disk”. I am trying to gather any memorabilia that I can
RE: Microbee in NSW schools in the 1980s - ChickenMan - 27-10-2024
"Don and I suggested we could write programs. The coordinator said we were crazy, we did
not know how to program and we would be wasting our time. "
Good to hear that that gave you the incentive to prove they were wrong and together produce some real true and best educational software for the Australian market. Thanks for the story of J&H Beesware and I'm glad we have been able to archive your programs for you to reminisce over but for all future generations to come.
Thanks Peter.