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User:Trevj/Acorn Computers

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Corporate affairs

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The company's hardware and software development was wholly[citation needed] undertaken in-house, while third party software was written by its Registered Developers. It did not license its hardware designs, although such a business model was called for by some[according to whom?]. Acorn occasionally rebadged others' peripherals, such as printers and monitors.

It communicated with its Registered Developers in person through centralised meetings and in writing via developers' newsletters.

Offices

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The company's established headquarters in Cambridge, England were retained, with various offices in the city being used as the company evolved. Overseas operations were also established in mainland Europe, the United States and New Zealand. These operations were subsequently closed in order to reduce costs.

In 1983 Acorn Computers Corporation was established in Woburn, Massachusetts. It worked with (N. R.?) Kleinfield (Computers?) to "start an aggressive marketing campaign touting its computer as the one that American school systems ought to buy."[1][2][3][4] By October 1983, the US operation reported that American schools had placed orders with it totalling $21 million.[5]

Logos

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Advertising

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TV Commercials

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Printed media

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Trade fairs

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Name Date Venue Notable features
BETT '95 Acorn theme "The Whole School"[6]

Show organisation

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Acorn shows

Name Date Venue Notable features
Acorn World 1995 October 27-29[7] Wembley Exhibition Centre

Slogans

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An early slogan was "The choice of experience".[citation needed]

Markets

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Niche markets included education, desktop publishing and video editing.[8]

Education

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The company had a strong basis in the education market, which it retained until the closure in 1999 of Xemplar, its joint venture with Apple.

Home enthusiasts

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A significant proportion of the company's home users was so enthusiastic that the company established an official user group to cater for them, called Clan Acorn. Such users were advocates of the company's technology, and the company recognised them as a useful resource.[citation needed]

Manufacturing

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Manufacturing of some of the company's products was subcontracted to third parties in order to meet demand.

Management

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Executive officers

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(Attribution required to User:Flibble, per User:Flibble/Acorn Stuff#People.)

Post Postholder Period in post
Managing Director (joint?) Hermann Hauser[9] 1984
Managing Director (joint?) Christopher Curry[10][11] 1982-1985
Managing Director Brian Long[12] 1985-1987
Managing Director Harvey Coleman[13][14] 1988-1990
Managing Director Sam Wauchope[15][16][17][18] 1990-1995
Managing Director David Lee[19][20][21][22] 1995-1998
CEO Alexander Reid (architect)[23][24]The Glasgow Herald, Feb 21, 1985, "Olivetti to rescue Acorn with heavy rights issue"[25][26][27][28][29][30]Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page). 1985
CEO Stan Boland[31] 1998-1999
Chairman Hermann Hauser[32] 1983
Chairman Bruno Soggiu[33] 1985-1988
Chairman Elserino Piol[34] 1988
Chairman Ettore Morezzi 1991-1992
Chairman Ernesto Musumeci 1992
Chairman Gordon Owen[35][36] 1997-1999
President of the Americas Harvey Lawner[37][38] 1983-
Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).
Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).

Means of communication with developers

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Finance

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Investments

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Joint ventures

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References

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  1. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/30/business/advertisingn-r-kleinfield-computers-take-aim-at-schools.html
  2. ^ http://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue43/167_1_On_The_Road_With_Fred_Dlgnazio.php
  3. ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sy4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=%22Acorn+Computers+Corporation%22&source=bl&ots=0CCAb-E-LZ&sig=tjrELe2iEzLEBbcW1EdYsDuZ4iE&hl=en&ei=cyfmTrX7DoOcsAb_rfGuDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22Acorn%20Computers%20Corporation%22&f=false
  4. ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2C8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=%22Acorn+Computers+Corporation%22&source=bl&ots=aRXSPEzn_t&sig=SfiyrxZjCMpmumJ-6mH9NC1a1iw&hl=en&ei=cyfmTrX7DoOcsAb_rfGuDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22Acorn%20Computers%20Corporation%22&f=false
  5. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/07/business/acorn-computer-makes-us-debut.html
  6. ^ http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=92179
  7. ^ http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=94704
  8. ^ Acorn seeks slice of the action, Independent, Nigel Wilmott, 15 April 1994
  9. ^ http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/themicrouser/news/01-11.htm
  10. ^ http://yourcomputeronline.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/march-1982-news/
  11. ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pKU5MXqo4UYC&pg=PA267&lpg=PA267&dq=%22hermann+hauser%22+acorn+chairman&source=bl&ots=yPK7r9mVvp&sig=RBLMVbPPo7J2PWwr-ib_tmnFSK0&hl=en&ei=ldsmTsDcCo33sgbI5eXPCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22hermann%20hauser%22%20acorn%20chairman&f=false
  12. ^ http://www.stairwaytohell.com/articles/AU-AcornHistory.html
  13. ^ http://www.stairwaytohell.com/articles/AU-AcornHistory.html
  14. ^ http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/DN/Acorn_DevNL18.pdf
  15. ^ http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200812161349412246K
  16. ^ http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/acorn/doc/risc-pc
  17. ^ "PLANT HEALTH CARE PLC (PHC)". 4-traders.com. April 13, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  18. ^ http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/PR/New_MD_at_Acorn.txt
  19. ^ http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/PR/New_MD_at_Acorn.txt
  20. ^ http://www.poppyfields.net/acorn/news/acopress/apple.shtml
  21. ^ http://www.poppyfields.net/acorn/news/971016.shtml
  22. ^ http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/PR/Management_changes_at_Acorn.txt
  23. ^ http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist//ITN/1985/02/20/129626/
  24. ^ http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//ITVClips/1985/10/31/951614/
  25. ^ http://www.cnplus.co.uk/news/11nov93-uk-reid-takes-riba-hot-seat-from-lord-rodgers-in-march/1040284.article
  26. ^ http://www.personalcomputernews.co.uk/pcnb/html/103/personal_computer_news_103_monitor_13.html
  27. ^ http://www.computerwoche.de/a/olivetti-kauft-sich-bei-acorn-ein,1168128
  28. ^ http://www.construction-index.com/about-extonet.asp
  29. ^ http://www.lordsreform.org/contact.asp
  30. ^ http://www.shape-east.org.uk/about-trustees.html
  31. ^ http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/PR/Management_changes_at_Acorn.txt
  32. ^ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=pKU5MXqo4UYC&pg=PA267&lpg=PA267&dq=%22hermann+hauser%22+acorn+chairman&source=bl&ots=yPK7r9mVvp&sig=RBLMVbPPo7J2PWwr-ib_tmnFSK0&hl=en&ei=ldsmTsDcCo33sgbI5eXPCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22hermann%20hauser%22%20acorn%20chairman&f=false
  33. ^ http://www.stairwaytohell.com/articles/AU-AcornHistory.html
  34. ^ http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/docs/Acorn/NL/Acorn_NewsIss4.pdf
  35. ^ http://www.electronicsweekly.com/Articles/1997/03/12/3133/Acorn-reduces-loss-in-transitional-year.htm
  36. ^ http://marutan.net/wikiref/msdw/19990504%20-%20MSDW%20Recommended%20offer%20for%20Acorn.pdf
  37. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/17/business/business-people-acorn-picks-a-manager-for-the-us.html
  38. ^ http://www.thelawnergroup.com/staff.html