RM Nimbus Domesday System

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The BBC Domesday Project was a partnership between Acorn Computers Ltd, Philips, Logica, and the BBC to mark the 900th anniversary of the original Domesday Book, an 11th century census of England.

The RM Nimbus PC-186 was one of only two computer systems that were able to interface to the Philips VP-415 Laserdisc player and access the content from the BBC Domesday Project which was on specially created discs that were made as part of a partnership between Acorn Computers, Philips, Logica, and the BBC to mark the 900th anniversary of the original Domesday Book.

The RM Nimbus PC-186 was a 16-bit microcomputer introduced in 1985. It is one of a small number of computers based on the Intel 80186 processor, a version of the Intel 8086 (as used by the IBM PC) originally intended as a processor for embedded systems. It ran MS-DOS 3.1 but was not IBM PC compatible. The PC-186 could run Windows versions up to and including Windows 3.0, but only in real mode, as protected mode was only available on 286 or higher processors. This version of the PC-186 had special port which allowed you to connect the computer to the Laserdisc player.

The data on the discs was compiled between 1984 and 1986, and published in 1986. It included a new 'survey' of the United Kingdom, in which people, mostly school children, wrote about geography, history or social issues in their local area or just about their daily lives. This was linked with maps, and many colour photos, statistical data, video and 'virtual walks'. Over 1 million people and 14,000 schools participated in the project. The project also incorporated professionally-prepared video footage, virtual reality tours of major landmarks and other prepared datasets such as the 1981 census.

The information recorded from the Domesday Project was stored on adapted LaserDiscs in LaserVision Read Only Memory (LV-ROM) format. The discs were adapted by Philips to store still pictures, computer graphics, text, maps, and computer date, as well as the TV pictures they were already capable of storing. The Philips LaserVision player was controlled by the Master AIV computer, which was an Acorn BBC Master fitted with a SCSI controller and the 65C102 "Turbo" co-processor. The Master also had a Videodisc Filing System (VFS) ROM to handle the blocks of text, still and moving pictures.

The BBC Domesday System is often used as an example of technical obsolesence as the LV-ROM discs were immediately superceded by the smaller and more capable CD-ROM technology. Today the remaining discs are subject to 'bit rot' or data degradation as the bonding material between the two layers of plastic breaks down, oxygen penetrates between the layers and starts to oxidise the metallic layer. This renders the discs and data unreadable.

Manufacturer: Research Machines
Date: 1984

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RM Nimbus Domesday System Manuals:

Item Manufacturer Date
Nimbus PC BBC Basic PN 16321 (New Style) RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Pascal PN 14391 (New Style Layout) RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Making The Most of Your S Series Computer (PC-386/25) PN 32271 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus BBC Basic(86) PN 16321 (Old Style) RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Pascal PN 14391 (Old Style Layout) RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Word 2 by Microsoft PN 15240 (Old Style Layout) RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Word 2 by Microsoft PN 15240 (New Style Layout) RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Dataease V 2.5 Reference Manual PN 19780 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Piconet Parallel Interface Module Hot To Use It Publication Revision 1 PN 15648 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Installation Note: RM Ethernet-MC/2 Adaptor PN 33340 RM Unknown
Rm Nimbus Publication Update - contact Manual PN 23902 RM Unknown
Rm Nimbus The Genral Utility Disk Manual PN 17185 RM Unknown
Rm Nimbus Installing a Network CD ROM Title RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Silicon Disk for 1.5 Mb Nimbus PN 16838 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus PC-186 Parallel I/O Port (With User Port) Fitting and Using PN 25640 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus M Series Release Information Note (Edition 2) PN 25894 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus PC Piconet Serial interface module: How To Use It PN 14307 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus VX-386, VX and, AX Release Information Note (Edition 4) PN 24138 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Winchester Disks: How To Use Them PN 15933 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus X Seris/2 Handbook Publication Update PN 21182 RM Unknown
Rm Nimbus CP-186: Making Windows 2.03 Setup Disks PN 23655 RM Unknown
Rm Nimbus PC-186 102-key Keyboard Support Disk Installation Note PN 24785 RM Unknown
Rm Nimbus PC-186 Fitting Internal Serial Piconet Card PN 24913 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus IBM Software Validated on the Nimbus PC-186 with IBM Emulator PN 17679 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus - IBM Mode Applications List - PN 21925 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus PC Printing Made Simple PN 23545 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus Network Managers Handbook Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Unknown
RM Nimbus RM 1404A Colour Monitor Users Guide RM Unknown
The Domesday System A Short Guide Unknown Unknown
RM Nimbus PC IBM PC Emulator - How To Use It PN 17320 RM Unknown
RM Nimbus MS-DOS 3.1 Manual PN 14387 - Hardback - (Old Style Layout) RM 1982
Rm Nimbus PC Piconet Parallel Interface Module: How To Use It Preliminary Edition PN 15283 RM 1985
RM Nimbus PC RMCAD Version 1.0 User Guide PN 15168 RM 1985
RM Nimbus Superfile by Southdata PN 14761 (Old Style Layout) RM 1985
RM Nimbus Owners Manual PNs 14353 14363 14365 14366 14367 1436814371 14379 14385 (Old Style Layout) RM 1985
RM Nimbus RM Basic Manual PN 14351 (Old Style Layout) RM 1985
RM Nimbus RM Logo PN 14394 - Old Style RM 1985
RM Nimbus RM 1439A Monitor User Manual PN 20771 RM 1985
RM Nimbus Dataease Tutorial PN 19781 RM 1985
RM Nimbus Microsoft Windows V 1.03 Manual PN 17296 RM 1985
RM Nimbus Pc Owners Handbook RM 1985
RM Nimbus Begging RM Logo - The Homerton Logo Guide RM 1985
RM Nimbus RM Logo PN 14394 RM 1985
RM Nimbus STEED by Solomon Systems PN 15166 RM 1985
Nimbus PC BBC Basic Compatibility PN 16730 RM 1986
RM Nimbus Microsoft Word 3 Users Guide RM 1986
A Self Instruction Guide for RM Nimbus KEYSTROKE ITEM 1986
A Self Instruction Guide for RM Nimbus MAILBOX ITEM 1986
RM Nimbus Microsoft Word 3 Users Guide (New Style Ring Binder) RM 1986
RM Nimbus PC Microsoft Word 3.1 Installation Guide PN 17803 RM 1987
Rm Nimbus Pc Parallel I/O Board Upgrade Kit Manual - PN 17585 RM 1987
Nimbus Network Managers Handbook PN 16395 RM 1987
Nimbus PC Network User Guide PN 16363 RM 1987
Nimbus PC Network Beginners Guide PN 17247 RM 1987
RM Nimbus Windows Version 1 by Microsoft PN 15486 RM 1987
RM Nimbus Microsoft Excel Getting Started and Quick Reference PN 23127 RM 1987
RM Nimbus PC CONTACT PN 16593 RM 1987
RM Nimbus Interactive Video for the Domesday Discs PN 16487 RM 1987
RM Nimbus Interactive Video for the Domesday Discs Installation Guide PN 16488 RM 1987
The Domesday Project Survey Guide Domesday Project 1987
The Domesday Project Teachers Guide Guide Domesday Project 1987
RM Nimbus - Viewdata Editor Whittle Systems 1987
RM Nimbus - Viewdata Display Whittle Systems 1987
RM Nimbus Windows Version 1 by Microsoft PN 15486 RM 1987
RM Nimbus PC - How To Use IBM Mode PN 20441 RM 1988
RM Nimbus Owners Handbooko Update PN 17692 RM 1988
Nimbus Network 2.2 Managers Handbook PN 20941 RM 1988
RM Nimbus X Series/2 Handbook PN 19898 RM 1988
RM Nimbus PC RM Basic PN 14351 RM 1988
Weather Satellite Ground Station RM 1988
RM Nimbus AX VX How To Use PN 20042 RM 1988
RM Nimbus Quest Manual PN 24846 RM 1988
RM Nimbus AX VX How To Use PN 23551 RM 1988
RM Nimbus Multiplan By Microsoft PN14627 (Old Style Layout) RM 1988
RM Nimbus Multiplan By Microsoft PN14627 (New Style Layout) RM 1988
RM Nimbus PC-186 Directory fo Educational Products and Suppliers RM Apr 1988
RM Nimbus MS-DOS 5.0 User Guide (Edition 2) PN 31440 RM 1989
Rm Nimbus Network 3 Beginners Guide PN 24969 RM 1989
RM Nimbus PaintSPA Manual PN 24847 RM 1989
RM Nimbus Network 3 Users Guide PN 24968 RM 1989
Rm Nimbus PC-286 PC-386 MS-DOS 4.0 Users Guide PN 23550 RM 1989
RM Nimbus Microsoft Excel Roadmap PN 23128 RM 1989
RM Nimbus PC-286 PC-386 Guide PN 22953 RM 1989
RM Nimbus PC-186 Owners Handbook PN 24810 RM 1989
RM Nimbus AX VX Printing Made Simple PN 25864 RM 1990
RM Nimbus Microsoft Word 3 Reference Guide PN 23337 RM 1990
RM Nimbus Microsoft Windows 3 Users Guide RM 1990
RM Nimbus AX VX Handbook PN 24579 RM 1990
RM Nimbus Using HiLoad PN 25767 RM 1990
RM Nimbus Microsoft Word 3 Reference Guide PN 17632 RM 1990
Rm Nimbus Standalone CD ROM Guide PN 29363 RM 1991
RM Nimbus Guide to Cabling Networks PN 29183 RM 1991
Rm Nimbus Network CD ROM Guide PN 29598 RM 1991
RM Nimbus M Series Guide PN 23950 RM 1991
RM Nimbus S Series PC-486 Technical Information Reference PN 34546 RM 1992
Rm Nimbus S Series Getting Started PN 35959 RM 1993
RM Nimbus S Series PC-486 User Reference (Ed5) PN 36601 RM 1993
RM Nimbus S Series PC-486 User Reference (Ed6) PN 40197 RM 1993

Magazines RELATED to RM Nimbus Domesday System in our Library

Item Manufacturer Date
Practical Computing - March 1985 Mar 1985
University Computing Summer 1986 Aug 1986
Practical Computing - August 1986 Aug 1986
Acorn User - January 1989 27 May 2009
Acorn User - March 1989 27 May 2009
Acorn User - November 1989 3 Jun 2009

Other Systems Related To RM Nimbus Domesday System:

Item Manufacturer Date
RM 380Z (with Colour Card) Research Machines 1978
RM 380Z (Black Case) Research Machines 1978
RM 380Z (Light Blue Case) Research Machines 1978
RM LINK 480Z Research Machines 1st January 1981
RM Link 480Z in Metal Case Research Machines 1982
RM Nimbus PC TN (Early model) Research Machines 1984
RM Nimbus PC (Later Beige Model) Research Machines 1985
RM Nimbus PC-186 Research Machines 1985
RM Nimbus PC-186 - Diskless Research Machines 1985
RM Nimbus AX/2 Research Machines 1986
RM Nimbus VX/2 Research Machines 1986
RM Nimbus NB300 Research Machines June 1991
RM Nimbus NB400 Research Machines June 1991
RM Nimbus NB300 Research Machines June 1991
RM Nimbus PC-486/66 Research Machines 1993
RM PC-5200 Accelerator Research Machines 1993

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH55875. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.

 

RM Nimbus Domesday System

  Software Archive   [19]
  Peripherals   [4]

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