A 14 inch portable tv with full internet accsess, the system could be bought as a standalone set top box.

The Rear has Aerial and scart sockets it even has a printer port so you can even print of your web pages.

Its a great link beetwen computers and smartphones.

Bush Internet was a joint venture between Alba (80%) and Virgin (20%); created specifically to sell simple "one button connect", low cost, mass market Internet devices aimed at the average person in the street. The various devices they jointly launched included, Internet enabled TV and external set top boxes which enable a colour TV to become Internet connected. Pace designed the Internet Surf Set for Bush. It is OS is based on NCOS from the Acorn Network Computers. It has an IR Keyboard, remote control and a built-in 33.6k modem. In simple terms you plug it in (modem, TV, power) switch on and select connect to the Internet and off you go surfing!

Unfortunately the Internet Surf Set was a commercial failure. The target of 500,000 sales in the first 12 months of operation was over optimistic, with a total of only 186,000 sold to retailers and only 115,000 actually in consumers' homes. It originally sold for £149 with Alba providing a £45 subsidy. The retail sales at the subsidised price of £149 were still very dissapointing. The price was reduced to £99 in June 2001. And finaly in December 2001 they threw in the towel having lost around £17,900,000. But Internet Surf Sets ended up selling for £20 in Toys‹RUs and finally then being given away by Time as a freebie if you bought something else!

If you want an Internet Surf Set, there are usually several up for auction on ebay. Try searching for "internet surf set" in the "computing" category.

Because it is, basically, a RISC OS computer, various people have discovered how to do interesting things with it in particular to convert it into a RISC OS desktop computer. How to do this is summarised belowSome options are:

Manufacturer:
Date: 1995 to 2001

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH73660. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.