Date   : Mon, 05 May 1997 12:09:41 BST
From   : David Alan Gilbert <gilbertd@...>
Subject: Re: Info about BBC micro

Hi Ivo,
  It does sound like a master - but if you can describe the shape
a bit it would help.

If its a one box job, then its probably a master or a beeb.
If its a two box job (keyboard in one, disc drivew in the other) its
a master compact.

A master looks like a wedge with a numeric keypad to the right; Model B's
don't have the keypad.  Just above the keypad you should see two cartridge
slots.

The one thing I can't remember is what a B+ would say at switch on.
(They look physically identical to B's).

Lets presume you have a Master.  If you hold down the * key on the numeric
keypad while switching on it should land you at a * prompt. At that
prompt you should be able to do *help to get the OS dversion
and other ROMS in place, *BASIC to get to BASIC or *status
to show you the CMOS RAM settings.

*configure noboot
*configure nomount

Should give you a machine which starts up at some type of prompt.
Mind you it could start up in the terminal emulator, the editor, word processor
spreadsheet etc depending on the CMOS contents.

Dave