View source for Phoebe (computer)

{{Short description|Proposed computer by Acorn, cancelled 1998}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Primary sources|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox computer
| Name = Phoebe 2100
| logo = [[File:Acorn Phoebe RISC PC 2 logo.png]]
| image = [[File:Acorn-Phoebe-Case.jpg|150px]]
| caption = The case of the Acorn Phoebe 2100
| Type = [[32-bit]] [[microcomputer]]
| Developer = [[Acorn Computers]]
| Released = Cancelled before launch in late 1998
| Processor = 233&nbsp;MHz [[Intel]] [[StrongARM]] SA110
| Memory = up to 512&nbsp;MiB of [[synchronous dynamic random-access memory|SDRAM]]
| Media = [[floppy disk]], [[hard disk]], [[CD-ROM]]
| Graphics = [[VIDC20]] R
| Display = [[VGA]]
| Input = Keyboard, Mouse, Joystick
| Connectivity = 2 x [[RS-232]] [[serial port|serial]], printer [[parallel port|parallel]]
| OS = [[RISC OS]] 4
| Baseprice = £1499 (exc [[VAT]]) in 1998<ref name="pcw clark 1998">{{cite news | url=http://www.computeractive.co.uk/pcw/news/1924591/acorn-takes-risc-mellow-yellow-pc | title=Acorn takes a RISC on new mellow yellow PC | work=[[Personal Computer World]] | date=4 September 1998 | accessdate=10 April 2012 | author=Clark, Etelka | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130419232402/http://www.computeractive.co.uk/pcw/news/1924591/acorn-takes-risc-mellow-yellow-pc | archivedate=19 April 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
| sound = [[VIDC20]] R
}}

The '''Phoebe 2100''' (or '''{{nowrap|RiscPC 2}}''') was to be [[Acorn Computers]]' successor to the [[RiscPC]],<ref name="pcw clark 1998" /> slated for release in late 1998. However, in September 1998, Acorn cancelled the project as part of a restructuring of the company.

==Specification==

[[File:Acorn-phoebe-2100-ics-over.png|thumb|Phoebe mainboard overview]]

* 233 [[Megahertz|MHz]] [[Intel]] [[StrongARM]] SA110 Revision S [[Central processing unit|CPU]].
** Support for multiple CPUs on daughter cards is possible; however, multiple CPU support was not available in [[RISC OS]].
* 64&nbsp;MHz [[front-side bus]]
* Up to 512&nbsp;[[MiB]] of [[synchronous dynamic random-access memory|SDRAM]]
* IOMD2 [[I/O]] Controller
** [[PLX Technology]] [[PCI bridge]] PCI9080
*** Four PCI slots (33 MHz)
** PC Style Joystick/Game Port
** Three Acorn Podule expansion sockets
** SMC37672 [[SuperIO]] chip supporting:
*** PS/2 Keyboard and Mouse
*** Two [[Advanced Technology Attachment|EIDE]] channels supporting up to four devices (6.4 [[Gigabyte|GB]] unit supplied)
*** Two [[serial port]]s
*** Parallel port
*** Single Floppy drive
* [[VIDC20]] Revision R [[video controller]] supporting
* 4&nbsp;[[Megabyte|MiB]] of EDO [[Video RAM|VRAM]] running at 200&nbsp;MHz
* [[NLX (motherboard form factor)|NLX form factor]] Tower case with a custom yellow front panel (by the designers of [[Iomega]]'s [[zip drive]])<ref name="pcw clark 1998" />
* [[Slot-loading]] [[CD-ROM]] drive
* 5.25" [[drive bay]]s
* 230 W [[Power supply|PSU]] unit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20Docs/HARDWARE/PHOEBE/FUNCSPEC.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - Phoebe (RISC PC II) Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>

Processors running at 300&nbsp;MHz were being sampled by Acorn in September 1998, with 360&nbsp;MHz versions also expected.<ref name="pcw clark 1998" />

==Development==
In November 1996, the design of what was to become Phoebe 2100 was started. The design took into account a number of perceived weaknesses of the [[RiscPC]] design, a slow memory architecture, limited I/O capability, limited expansion, and not adhering to industry standards.<ref name="clan-aug-1998"/> To overcome these weakness a number of design objectives were created: harness the full potential of the [[StrongARM]] CPU, support multiple processors, add support for [[Conventional PCI|PCI]] expansion, offer the best possible graphics, run existing RISC OS applications, and provide enhanced RISC OS functionality. An additional design objective of reusing the same case as the [[RiscPC]] was dropped due to power supply requirements and electrical interference problems.<ref name="clan-aug-1998"/>

To provide for these new capabilities Acorn had to design two new support chips for the system:

* '''VIDC20R''', a new revision of the VIDC20 video chip used in the [[RiscPC]]. Using a shrink of the process to [[600 nanometer|0.6 μm]], a 100% performance increase was gained. Due to this being logically the same chip as the previous generation there would be no issues with software compatibility.<ref name="clan-aug-1998"/><ref name="dev-19971112"/>
* '''IOMD2''', the new IO chip had to support multiple processors, included message passing and multiple bus mastering, and was manufactured using a [[350 nanometer|0.35 μm process]]. Throughout development and prototyping the IOMD2 were developed on a large [[field-programmable gate array|FPGA]].<ref name="clan-aug-1998"/>

During 1997 and 1998, Acorn regularly took prototype and mock-up hardware to various Acorn computer shows, including Acorn World October 1997,<ref name="dev-19971112">[http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20Docs/DSNEWS/ART/1997/1997_11.12 Dave Walker - Acorn Developer News 12/11/97] Acorn World Aftermath, Clan Beta CDs, Phoebe, Tons of Other Stuff</ref> Wakefield Acorn Spring Show May 1998<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Acorn/PR/Pheobe_2100.pdf|title=chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk|website=chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.co.uk}}</ref> and the Acorn Southeast Show June 1998.<ref name="clan-aug-1998">{{cite web|url=http://www.iconbar.com/forums/viewthread.php?newsid=1082#cn5|title=The Icon Bar: Clan Newsletters|website=www.iconbar.com}}</ref>

By May 1998, Acorn started to offer their 'Registered Developer' scheme members the chance to pre-order a pre-launch prototype for testing and development, these were offered at a £950 (excl. [[value-added tax|VAT]])<ref>[http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20Docs/DSNEWS/ART/1998_05.13 Dave Walker - Acorn Developer News 13/05/98] Phoebe availability, Java 1.2 JDK, etc etc</ref> a significant discount on the public price of £1500 (ex VAT) revealed in June.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk/docs/Acorn/Clan/Acorn_Clan_Phoebe2100NewAcornWorkstation.pdf|title=chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk|website=chrisacorns.computinghistory.org.uk}}</ref>

On 15 September 1998, the first Phoebe 2100 motherboards with silicon (rather than FPGA) based IOMD2 chips were powered up. They successfully ran at the full [[front-side bus]] speed of 64&nbsp;MHz, and the improved performance of the video chip was also seen; however, various bugs in the sound DMA were reported and general system instability was noted. As such, no shippable prototypes were yet available to send to the 'Registered Developers'.<ref>[http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20Docs/DSNEWS/ART/1998_09.15 Dave Walker - Acorn Developer News 15/09/98] Stop Press: "She's Alive!", Server availability problems, Softloadable Ursula Bugs, Use on A7000+, MIDI Manager specs, etc etc</ref>

Two days later, on 17 September 1998, the development of Phoebe 2100 was cancelled.

Development was expected to cost £2.1 million.<ref name="clan-aug-1998"/>

==Operating system==
[[File:Acorn Phoebe.jpg|thumb|Phoebe running]]

During the years following the release of the [[RiscPC]], Acorn had discussed using an alternative to [[RISC OS]] as their next operating system, using [[Tao Group (software)|TAOS]]<ref name="acornuser199509_taos">{{ cite news | url=https://archive.org/details/AcornUser159-Sep95/page/n39/mode/2up | title=A thousand and one tools | work=Acorn User | date=September 1995 | access-date=7 November 2021 | last1=Turnbull | first1=Steve | pages=40–42 }}</ref> or writing their own [[microkernel]]-based operating system [[Galileo (operating system)|Galileo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iconbar.com/forums/viewthread.php?newsid=1082#cn2|title=The Icon Bar: Clan Newsletters|website=www.iconbar.com}}</ref> However, for the launch of Phoebe 2100 an enhanced version of [[RISC OS]] would be developed, called RISC OS 4 (codenamed 'Ursula'<ref name='ROOL Acorn project codenames'>{{cite web | url = http://www.riscosopen.org/wiki/documentation/pages/Acorn%20Project%20Codenames | title = Acorn Project Codenames | accessdate = 2011-02-03 | quote = Ursula, RISC OS 4.00 (crippled developer release retroversioned as 3.8, see branch Ursula_RiscPC), 1997-8}}</ref>). RISC OS wouldn't support the multiple processor daughter cards that had been included in the Phoebe 2100 hardware specification.<ref name="dev-19971112"/>

RISC OS 4 had to support the new hardware of Phoebe 2100 which wasn't present in Acorn's earlier machines:

* PCI expansion slots<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/HTML/PCI.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - Ursula PCI Manager - Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>
* Support for multiple serial ports<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/HTML/SERIAL.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - Serial Interface Specification|publisher=}}</ref>
* The PC style [[game port]], supporting joystick<ref>[http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERN/RO4/API/JOYSTICK.TXT Acorn Computers - Joystick Module for Ursula]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and MIDI<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/MIDIMGR.TXT|title=Acorn Computers - MIDI Manager module 0.00 Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>

In addition several new features were to be added to the core of RISC OS:

* A better file system, increasing the number of items in directory from 77 to approx 88,000 and increasing the max length of a filename from 10 characters to 255<ref name="clan-aug-1998"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/HTML/FILECORE.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - FileCore - Phase 1 Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>
* A plugin-based system configuration utility<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/HTML/CONFIGUR.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - Ursula !Configure Changes Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>
* A new screensaver API<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/HTML/SCREENSA.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - Ursula Screensaver Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>
* An enhanced window manager<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/HTML/WIMP.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - Ursula Window Manager Changes Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>
* An updated interactive help application<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20REFERNC/RO4/API/HTML/HELP.HTM|title=Acorn Computers - Ursula Interactive Help Functional Specification|publisher=}}</ref>
* A redesigned set of icons

To prepare developers for the changes to the OS, Acorn released to its 'Registered Developer' program RISC OS 3.80, designed to load on Acorn's previous generation [[RiscPC]] and [[Acorn A7000|A7000]] computers. This would enable developers to test that their software would be compatible with Phoebe 2100, provided it didn't require any of the new hardware features. RISC OS 3.80 was limited; it only ran on ARM6 and ARM7 RiscPCs and not [[StrongARM]] ([[ARM architecture#Cores|ARMv4]]) based ones.<ref>[http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20Docs/DSNEWS/ART/1998_09.04 Dave Walker - Acorn Developer News 04/09/1998] Softloadable Ursula Image, UrsulaBugs Alias, Updated Tools, etc</ref> Testing of hardware compatibility would have to wait until an initial run of 100 or so pre-production machines was made available to Registered Developers.<ref>[http://www.marutan.net/wikiref/Acorn%20Registered%20Developer%20Docs/DSNEWS/ART/1998_04.17 Dave Walker - Acorn Developer News 17/04/98] Spec Review Aftermath, Developer Conference, UrsMod Tool, Prototype Phoebes, etc</ref>

==Code names==
The Phoebe 2100 project used a series of names inspired by characters from the TV series ''[[Friends]]'' as [[Code name#Project code name|code names]] for the components.<ref>[http://www.houseofmabel.com/puters/Phoebe/index.html House of Mable - Computers: Phoebe]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://iconbar.com/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=407|title=The Icon Bar: Working name for the Risc PC|website=iconbar.com}}</ref>

* [[Phoebe Buffay|Phoebe]] – the machine itself, name carried over to launch title '''Phoebe 2100'''
* [[Characters of Friends#Introduced in season 1|Ursula]] – the operating system, RISC OS 4, that it was to run
* [[Chandler Bing|Chandler]] – the IOMD2 chip
* [[Rachel Green|Rachel]] – processor card
* [[Monica Geller|Monica]] – PCI bridge

==Cancellation==
On 17 September 1998, Acorn finished a review of its business and decided to close the 'Workstation Division', the department developing Phoebe 2100, and all work stopped.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atterer.org/sites/atterer/files/2010-04/acorn-arm/acorn-black-thursday.txt|title=Stuart Halliday - Acorn Cybervillage Announcement - Workstation Division to close, Risc PC 2 work stopped, Acorn World Show postponed|publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/1998/09/17/acorn_scrubs_risc_pc/|title=Acorn scrubs Risc PC 2|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="eetimes cancels 1998">{{cite news | url=http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4036313/Acorn-cancels-RISC-computer-project | title=Acorn cancels RISC computer project | work=[[EETimes]] | date=23 September 1998 | accessdate=16 March 2012 | author=Clarke, Peter}}</ref>

Acorn Computers' CEO [[Stan Boland]] said, "There is not a big enough market for the PC (Risc PC 2), which is largely for home use and games. It's an enthusiast's product. We are going to resize the rest of the company and concentrate on becoming a digital TV and thin client company".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.acorn-gaming.org.uk/index.php3?p=News/Sep98|title=Acorn Gaming: September 1998 News|first=Gareth Moore|last=(gareth@acorn-gaming.org.uk)|website=www.acorn-gaming.org.uk}}</ref> Computerworld Online News reported an Acorn spokesman saying "The problem was that it would have had a retail cost about twice as high as for a comparable PC".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/analysis/1839304/press-watch-what-papers|title=Press watch: What other papers said this week - Computing|publisher=}}</ref>

After cancellation it came to light that as few as 150 to 300 pre-orders had been placed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.acorn.misc/msg/b9a80dc6f547290a?hl=en|title=Google Groups|website=groups.google.com}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
In the aftermath of the cancellation of Phoebe 2100 and Acorn Computers' change in direction from general computing to set-top box development and DSP silicon design<ref name="e14-q&a">[https://web.archive.org/web/19990506183321/http://www.acorn.co.uk/acorn/news/press/e14qa.html Element 14 - Acorn and Element 14 - Questions and Answers.]</ref> there were several attempts to resurrect some or all of the Phoebe 2100 hardware or RISC OS 4 development.

Of these, the only successful group was the Steering Group who, after initially being interested in releasing the Phoebe 2100, realised it would be financially prohibitive and set about creating a new company '''[[RISCOS Ltd]]'''. In March 1999, RISCOS Ltd negotiated a licence with Element 14, the recently renamed Acorn Computers,<ref>[http://www.riscos.com/news/news_items/PR050399.htm RISCOS Ltd - PRESS RELEASE 5 March 1999] RISCOS Ltd acquires licence to develop and release RISC OS 4</ref> and set about finishing the development of RISC OS 4. In July 1999 RISCOS Ltd launched RISC OS 4 to the public. It supported Acorn's [[RiscPC]] and [[Acorn A7000|A7000/+]] machines.<ref>[http://www.riscos.com/news/news_items/PR070799.htm RISCOS Ltd - PRESS RELEASE 7 July 1999] RISC OS 4 Launched</ref>

In addition, after the cancellation, excess stock of the Phoebe 2100 yellow NLX case was sold by CTA Direct,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iconbar.com/articles/Phoebe_cases_on_sale/index37.html|title=The Icon Bar: Phoebe cases on sale|website=www.iconbar.com}}</ref> sometimes including an NLX-compatible PC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.acorn.announce/msg/2fc61db1ec6a11ce?hl=en|title=Google Groups|website=groups.google.com}}</ref>

The only known working Phoebe 2100 is held in the collection of [[The Centre for Computing History]] in Cambridge, England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/16644/Acorn-Phoebe/|title=Acorn Phoebe|website=computinghistory.org.uk}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{Acorn computers}}

[[Category:Acorn Computers]]<!-- may need focusing -->
[[Category:RISC OS]]
[[Category:ARM-based home computers]]
[[Category:32-bit computers]]