Camputers

Camputers was a short-lived British computer company based in Cambridge, England, best known for its unique and technically ambitious Lynx line of microcomputers. Founded in 1982 by John Shireff, the company launched the Camputers Lynx in 1983 as a competitor to systems like the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, and Commodore 64. The Lynx featured high-resolution monochrome graphics, a robust BASIC interpreter, and came in several RAM configurations — 48K, 96K, and eventually 128K — unusual for its time.

Despite its innovative hardware and Cambridge pedigree, the Lynx struggled to gain market traction due to high pricing, limited software support, and poor marketing. Camputers went into receivership by mid-1984, with the Lynx technology briefly acquired by Anston Technology. Although it never achieved mainstream success, the Lynx remains a cult classic among collectors, notable for its distinctive keyboard layout, expansion capabilities, and place in British computing history.