The Weekly Round-Up: 12.09.08

No one does nostalgia like they did in the good old days, conventional wisdom says. But the Round-Up is here to prove that wrong.

For the last week or so silicon.com has been busy publishing the results of its rummage through the National Museum of Computing, out at the home of computing itself, Bletchley Park. That's home of the almighty Colossus, of course.

And no, that's not one of the Gladiators, before you whippersnappers out there ask.

Amstrads, Acorns, ZX81s – we've got the lot and it seems that many readers have been overwhelmed to see the computers they first learned to programme on once again. It's the same nostalgic flush inspired by seeing a girl you used to go out with at school again years later (although these beauties haven't married the school bully, had five snotty kids and work in the supermarket).

The other treasures on display include the BBC Microcomputer, and if that sleek little number doesn't bring back fond memories, there's the Commodore PET to remind you of the good old days.

And one reader put it: "Back then if you wanted a word processor, you wrote it yourself - although you obviously had to take time out every half hour or so to shovel coal into the back. Good days, good days..."

But that's not all. Going back further there's also the first ever business PC, none other than the Elliott 803.

The Elliott 803 was developed in the early 1960s and until 1965 it was the most popular British computer for big businesses and universities.

The console on display at Bletchley has no screen or keyboard and programming the machine was done initially through the front panel.

OK, so it's no iPhone but readers loved it anyway. One nostalgic reader wrote in to say: "Our main system then was the Elliot/NCR 4130 with 64K memory which filled a cab 6ft by 6ft by 3ft. We used to keep our fish and chip dinners warm in the similar sized cab housing PSU transformers while we changed mag tapes of loaded card decks."

Fish and chips? Shovelling coal into the back? No wonder the British computer industry struggled when techies treated their beloved kit so badly...

Still got a yearning for nostalgia? Luckily for you then silicon.com delivers. Go on, don't be shy, indulge yourself… Wanna know how computers kept track of torpedoes? The answer is one click away.

Fancy seeing your all-time faves on the big screen? Look no further…

"Segways or Strangeways!"

In terms of battle-cries it's certainly got originality on its side, if nothing else. But which stern-faced warrior made this mighty vow?

Step forward one Lembit Opik, MP for Montgomeryshire, who has sworn to make the UK (or at least its cycle paths) safe for Segway owners.

Opik raced past the Houses of Parliament earlier this week at a whacking 12mph on his two-wheeled transporter.

So much for the 'Segway'. But what about the 'Strangeways' bit?

The MP for Montgomeryshire said he was willing to be arrested by police in his protest against the ban on the two-wheeled vehicles on UK roads, which is why he uttered the immortal rallying cry mentioned above.

Strangeways here we come, as The Smiths said. Although they probably didn't have the cheeky Opik or his two-wheeled steed in mind.

Opik, who can regularly be seen weaving along the country lanes on his Segway around his home in Newtown, Wales (really) believes the machines will be legal on UK roads by Christmas.

The MP also reckons Segways are a sensible, green way for Police to guard the City's streets. Maybe the Flying Squad ought to be renamed the Rolling Squad for good measure.

Opik's two-wheeled adventures offer a neat segue (sorry, couldn't resist) into another big political story, as the government's infamous ID cards crept back into the limelight this week.

But not due to some slip of the tongue, or leaked document, oh no dear readers, but by a change of tack by our leaders who have enlisted the help of advertising bigwigs to spread the word.

Good news travels fast as they say and bad news travels faster.

The first wave of ID cards is due to be rolled out in November to foreign nationals living in the UK, and it seems the British public is still rather nonplussed as to the benefits of this £5.6bn scheme.

And so the Home Office has enlisted the help of advertising agency M&C Saatchi to promote the national ID card scheme. After all, you can see the reasoning - when the chips are down throw more money at it.

So how do you sell a "product" that, going by many reader comments on silicon.com, the public doesn't appear to want? That's a toughie for even the most talented of advertising gurus.

Concerned at the plight of all these bright young admen who will have to dress up this gigantic white elephant, the Round-Up has helpfully come up with a few ideas for slogans…

How about:

"An ID card's not just for Christmas, it's for the rest of your existence…"

Of course, silicon.com readers have already had a crack at this themselves, with the Round-Up's personal favourite being: "ID card... your flexible fiend!"

And – finally a chance to race through the rest of the big stories of the week.

If all the living in the past stuff isn't your bag, check out the latest innovation from Apple's newest product announcements. There's iPods, Touches and lots more Apple-flavoured goodness just one little click away!

Keeping with the transport theme of this week's Round-Up, it's the bus that drives itself.

Hmmm… this Applely goodness and futuristic stuff normally hits the spot for the Round-Up. But for some reason it just. Can't. Fight. The urge. For more old stuff… Ahhh… that's better.

Eager for one more click? Try your hand at the caption competition.