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Micronet 800
1980s online magazine on Prestel
1980s online magazine on Prestel
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Micronet 800 |
| title | Micronet 800 |
| logo | Micronet800-logo.svg |
| logo_size | 250px |
| logo_alt | Logo of Micronet 800 |
| logo caption | Micronet 800 logo |
| developer | |
| key_people | |
| type | Information and services provider on Prestel videotex service |
| launched | |
| discontinued | |
| pricing | Subscription (quarterly) and usage (time spent on system, some telesoftware, some messaging service actions) |
| status | Discontinued |
| members | 25,000 at peak |
| availability | Closed user group |
Micronet 800 was a provider of information and communication services hosted on Prestel, a British videotex service, from 1983 to 1991. It targeted the UK home computer market and operated as an online, subscription-based magazine and database. Subscribers also received Log On, a print quarterly. cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422002356/http://www.viewdata.org.uk/index.php?cat=15_Prestel&page=40_Ephemera |archive-date=22 April 2012 |access-date=27 February 2025
Micronet 800 offered computer-related news, reviews of hardware, software, and video games, access to turn-based and real-time multiplayer games (MUDs), downloadable telesoftware, chatrooms and bulletin boards, business and personal finance advice, and email, telex, and other forms of messaging. cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512084738/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/index.php?cat=15_Prestel&page=12_Micronet-nbsp~800 |archive-date=12 May 2023 |access-date=5 March 2025
A subscriber connected to Micronet 800 via the Prestel network using an ordinary telephone line (typically at local call rates){{refn|group=lower-alpha|62% of phone subscribers could access Prestel at local call rates when Micronet 800 launched in March 1983. cite journal |access-date=15 March 2025 cite document cite document
History
Origin
Micronet 800 stemmed from the development by Bob Denton, in 1980 and 1981, of Electronic Insight, a features and price-comparison site on Prestel listing computers, calculators and other electronic and IT products. Its entry-point was page 800. cite magazine |access-date=2 March 2025
In 1982, Electronic Insight was acquired by Telemap, the videotex arm of EMAP (East Midland Allied Press), on the recommendation of Richard Hease, the owner of ECC Publications: EMAP had just bought several computer magazines from him. |access-date=3 March 2025
Telemap, formed in 1981, was at that time an information provider on Prestel. cite magazine |access-date=10 March 2025 cite newspaper The Times |url-access=subscription cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115001920/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=MicronetSpectrumLetterc1983.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2018 |quote-page=1 |access-date=11 March 2025 cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204203338/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=MicronetJackSocketc1983.pdf |archive-date=4 February 2022 |quote-page=2 |access-date=11 March 2025
Development
Telemap was responsible for Micronet 800 and the editorial development of the site.
Prism Microproducts developed the modems needed to make Micronet 800 pages accessible by a variety of home computers. These included the Apple II, ZX81, BBC Micro, Dragon 32/64, IBM PC, PET, ZX Spectrum, Sinclair QL, Lynx, VIC-20, and Commodore 64. cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311093231/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=vatu-v6i1-p8.pdf |archive-date=11 March 2022 |access-date=3 March 2025
From 1985, prospective Micronet subscribers were sent a list of other modem suppliers. cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013104759/http://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=Cover%20letter%20and%20modem%20suppliers.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2022 |access-date=5 March 2025 cite newspaper
Growth
In March 1983, at the launch of the service, the first subscriber was Jeremy Dredge, an estate agent. There were over 2000 subscriptions during the first two months of Micronet 800, cite magazine |quote-page=187 |access-date=13 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=13 March 2025
Just over a year later, in November 1984, the figure had grown to more than 9000, with subscribers to Micronet accounting for nearly 60% of Prestel's residential users. cite magazine |access-date=13 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=24 March 2025
By January 1986, there were 18,000 subscribers, cite magazine |access-date=13 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=14 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=23 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=23 March 2025
Looking back some decades later, David Babsky, Micronet 800's founding editor, observed that:
Incorporation in ''Prestel Microcomputing''
In May 1984, as one of several specialised services launched on Prestel at the time, British Telecom set up Prestel Microcomputing. cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422001653/http://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=PrestelMicrocomputingLaunchLetterMay1984.pdf |archive-date=22 April 2012 |access-date=10 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=10 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=10 March 2025
Acquisition by British Telecom
In 1985, Bell Canada bought a 20% share in Telemap, and British Telecom acquired a 25% stake. cite news |access-date=24 February 2025
Closure
British Telecom closed Micronet 800 on 31 October 1991. cite magazine |access-date=10 March 2025 cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120506132636/http://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=micronetrip.pdf |archive-date=6 May 2012
Membership had decreased from a peak of around 25,000. The Guardian attributed the decline to the introduction in mid-1988 of an off-peak Prestel time-charge discouraging the use of the "Chatlines" service. cite news cite newspaper The Times
Services provided
Directories and guides
Micronet 800 had an AZ online index, published a directory in its Log On print magazine, For example, see: cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002855/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon07.pdf#page=20 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=16 March 2025 cite web |access-date=18 March 2025
Chatlines
A form of chat room, Chatlines began in late 1984 as a single online chat service where users could post messages that other users could read and respond to. It was described in the vocabulary of the time as a "Citizens' Band (CB) emulator". cite magazine |access-date=18 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=18 March 2025
By 1986, eight Chatlines were available: two so-called "Daisychats", each composed of a continuous loop of linked videotex frames where, once full, the newest posting overwrote the oldest; and six online forums, where postings were archived. The forums, known as "lines", included ones for politics and religion (the latter was monitored), "Gay Chatline", and a weekly "Celebrity Chatline" (launched in 1985), cite magazine |access-date=19 March 2025 which operated like a phone-inusers posted questions to a celebrity, who would answer them during an interview by a Micronet editor.
In June 1990, British Telecom suspended Chatlines. cite magazine |access-date=22 March 2025 cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002842/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon12.pdf#page=4 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=22 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=22 March 2025
Teleconferencing
DialTalk (briefly "TeleTalk"), a teleconferencing service, opened in 1988. A user could hold live conferences or discussions with up to sixty-three other users in one of 30 "rooms", and convene breakaway or private meetings in other vacant rooms.
Downloadable software
In return for a fee or royalties, Micronet 800 encouraged individuals, amateur computer groups and software companies to supply programs that could be stored on Micronet's 800 telesoftware database and downloaded by subscribers. cite magazine |access-date=12 March 2025
Originally, about half of the programs were free, with the rest available at discounts of around 15% or more. cite magazine |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002855/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon07.pdf#page=19 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=21 March 2025
When Micronet 800 launched in 1983, providers of programs on Prestel were using a protocol drawn up by the UK's Council for Educational Technology (CET) cite web |access-date=11 March 2025 cite document cite web |access-date=11 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=11 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=11 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=14 March 2025
Micro Arts, creators of computer art in text and graphic form, cite web |access-date=17 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=17 March 2025
Games
The longest-running online game on Micronet 800 was Starnet, a turn-based game, with players sending in moves that would be executed once a day. cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002855/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon07.pdf#page=8 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=16 March 2025 cite magazine cite magazine Other multiplayer games offered included The Round Britain Yacht Race, cite magazine |access-date=23 March 2025 Janda, David (June 1990). "A pile of trash" and "Dynamic flutter". Acorn User. No. 95. p. 17. Retrieved 23 March 2025via Internet Archive.
Each Prestel user had a unique Mailbox numberusually derived from the last nine digits of their phone numberthat was used to address and send messages to others on Prestel. Reportedly, Micronet 800 subscribers were particularly enthusiastic about the medium, sending twice as many Mailbox messages as regular Prestel users. cite magazine
In 1984, Mailbox was connected to the telex system via Prestel's Telex Link: telexes could be sent and received like standard messages. cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/prestel-customer-handbook-1987/page/n5/mode/1up |access-date=20 March 2025 |author-link=BT Group cite magazine |access-date=24 March 2025 cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002846/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=LogonIss2.pdf#page=7 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=20 March 2025
Magazines
Micronet created separate online magazines"micromags" for owners of a range of popular home computers,{{refn|group=lower-alpha|In Spring 1989, Micronet listed these as Spectrum (with a new edition issued each Monday), PC & Compatibles (Tuesday), Commodore 64/128 (Wednesday), Atari ST (Thursday), Commodore Amiga (Thursday), Amstrad CPC (Friday), and BBC Micro (Friday). cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002855/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon07.pdf#page=20 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002847/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon10.pdf#page=14 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=21 March 2025
Bizznet, the first non-microcomputer section in Micronet's database, launched in 1986 with guidance for small businesses on accounting, law, tax, insurance, and finance. cite magazine |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227144353/http://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=LogOn9Autumn1989.pdf#page=5 |archive-date=27 February 2012 |access-date=21 March 2025
Xtra!, described as a leisure magazine, also began in 1986, and contained music reviews, analysis of current affairs, restaurant and bar reviews, and letters from users. cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002916/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon202.pdf#page=6 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002842/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon12.pdf#page=9 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=21 March 2025
Computers, music, and MIDI-music were the subject of MidiSpot, cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002920/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon11.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=21 March 2025 cite magazine |access-date=21 March 2025 |quote-page=14
Gallery
This was an area of the database where, for a fee, users could rent pages and publish anything they wished, subject to monitoring by Micronet for instances of libel or obscenity. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002855/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=logon07.pdf#page=13 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=24 February 2025
Personnel
; Management : Richard Hease (co-founder 19821983)Bob Denton (co-founder 19821983)Tim Schoonmaker (managing director 19831986)Tom Baird (managing director 1987)John Tomany (managing director 19881990)Michael Weatherseed (general manager 19901991).
; Editors : David Babsky (founding editor)Simon D'Arcy (later, publisher) cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013104808/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=PrestelOfflineMicronet800April1986.pdf#page=3 |archive-date=13 October 2022 |access-date=5 March 2025
; Other editorial staff : Ken Young (journalist)Adam Denning (technical editor)David Rosenbaum (news and music editor)Chris Bourne (Sunday Xtra editor)Paul Vigay (Acorn editor)Chris Lewis (Sinclair editor)Rupert Goodwins (editorial assistant)Afshin Rattansi (music and arts journalist)David Farmbrough (music journalist).
; Production : Robin Wilkinson (software manager)Val Burgess (telesoftware database manager)Mike Brown (technical manager)Richard Tyner (software sales and acquisition)John Mason (software testing and pricing)John Prout (technical helpdesk)Denise Shemuel (editorial database manager)Colin MorganRoger CracknellGary SmithRobert O'DonnellPatrick ReillyDaemonn BrodyDenise Slater (graphics designer, telesoftware pages)Anna Smith (editorial graphics designer)Sharon Giles.
; Marketing : Ian Rock (marketing manager)Peter Probert (public relations manager) Phil Godsell (product manager)Lynne Thomas (promotions manager) cite magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115002846/https://www.viewdata.org.uk/download.php?cat=15_Prestel&file=LogonIss2.pdf#page=6 |archive-date=15 November 2018 |access-date=23 March 2025
; Other contributors : Steve GoldRobert SchifreenDavid JandaRichard Poynder, Bizznet editor.
In the run-up to Micronet 800's launch in March 1983, staff worked out of EMAP's offices in Hatton Garden in London. cite magazine |quote-page=17 cite magazine |quote-page=57 cite magazine
Quotes
"The thing that inspired me most was looking at the Gutenberg Bible, the first book to be printed using moveable type. Micronet is to communication in the 80s what that Bible was to the Middle Ages."David Babsky (1984), Micronet 800 founding editor. cite magazine
"Long term, I see being able to program your computer with various names of journalists you particularly like, various sports that you have a habit of looking at, and being able to program your computer at 4 o'clock or 5 o'clock in the morning to log on to Prestel Micronet and then download very rapidly information which will then be printed out. So instead of sitting on the train in the morning with your Times, Guardian, Telegraph, or whatever, you will have a printout with all your favourite journalists, your sports pages, cartoons ... you can make up your own newspaper."Simon D'Arcy (1986), Micronet 800 publisher. cite episode |time-caption=Quote starts at |access-date=4 March 2025
Notes
References
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