Prime Solver

[Ahoyhoy]

When my school was equipped with Acorn RISC computers we used a program
called Prime Solver. It was simulation / problem solving program which set
various scenarios and there were a number of tools to use that replicated
physical processes such as helium balloons , pulley systems, mirrors,
lasers, conveyor belts, etc.

Sadly, now we are using computers running Windows, I have never found
anything quite as good as Prime Solver for this platform. Does anyone know
if the program was ever produced for a Windows environment? Failing that,
does anyone have any recommendations for a similar program.

Thank you.

Ahoyhoy

(I hope this request does not generate a flood of replies pointing out the
folly of abandoning RISC computers, the decision to change was out of my
control. I actually think that Acorn computers did far more than any other
company to establish ICT in education with the BBC Microcomputers and the
RISC machines which followed.)

[druck]

Post by Ahoyhoy
When my school was equipped with Acorn RISC computers we used a program
called Prime Solver. It was simulation / problem solving program which set
various scenarios and there were a number of tools to use that replicated
physical processes such as helium balloons , pulley systems, mirrors,
lasers, conveyor belts, etc.
Sadly, now we are using computers running Windows, I have never found
anything quite as good as Prime Solver for this platform. Does anyone know
if the program was ever produced for a Windows environment? Failing that,
does anyone have any recommendations for a similar program.

Well why not run exactly the same RISC OS program on a PC via the use of
an emulator.

http://www.virtualacorn.co.uk/

Post by Ahoyhoy
(I hope this request does not generate a flood of replies pointing out the
folly of abandoning RISC computers, the decision to change was out of my
control. I actually think that Acorn computers did far more than any other
company to establish ICT in education with the BBC Microcomputers and the
RISC machines which followed.)

Cheers

---druck

[Simon Smith]

Post by Ahoyhoy
When my school was equipped with Acorn RISC computers we used a program
called Prime Solver.

<snip>

Post by Ahoyhoy
Sadly, now we are using computers running Windows, I have never found
anything quite as good as Prime Solver for this platform. Does anyone know
if the program was ever produced for a Windows environment? Failing that,
does anyone have any recommendations for a similar program.

<snip>

At the time Prime Solver was written, Incredible Machine was the nearest
Windows equivalent, so looking for that would be your best starting point.
I infer you've already got past that stage. Prime Solver was a Minerva
product, and there was only ever the Acorn version. Its physics was more
accurate than that of The Incredible Machine, which was more 'gamey' in
style, while Prime Solver was more focused on 'education'.

[John Cartmell]

Post by Simon Smith

Post by Ahoyhoy
When my school was equipped with Acorn RISC computers we used a
program called Prime Solver.

<snip>

Post by Ahoyhoy
Sadly, now we are using computers running Windows, I have never found
anything quite as good as Prime Solver for this platform. Does anyone
know if the program was ever produced for a Windows environment?
Failing that, does anyone have any recommendations for a similar
program.

<snip>
At the time Prime Solver was written, Incredible Machine was the nearest
Windows equivalent, so looking for that would be your best starting
point. I infer you've already got past that stage. Prime Solver was a
Minerva product, and there was only ever the Acorn version.

are you sure? I remember discussing this with the Minerva rep at the
Mancjhester Acorn Show in Piccadilly and his saying that the upgrade/next
version would be PC only. I've never seen the PC version though.

Post by Simon Smith
Its physics was more accurate than that of The Incredible Machine, which
was more 'gamey' in style, while Prime Solver was more focused on
'education'.

Prime Solver certainly seems to work 'to the pixel' and kids really enjoy
setting puzzles for one another.

[Michael Gilbert]

[snip]

Post by John Cartmell

Post by Simon Smith
At the time Prime Solver was written, Incredible Machine was the nearest
Windows equivalent, so looking for that would be your best starting
point. I infer you've already got past that stage. Prime Solver was a
Minerva product, and there was only ever the Acorn version.

are you sure? I remember discussing this with the Minerva rep at the
Mancjhester Acorn Show in Piccadilly and his saying that the upgrade/next
version would be PC only. I've never seen the PC version though.

Minerva pulled out of software altogether, apart from retaining all
their IP and back catalogue in a cupboard, about ten years ago. They
had set up Zynet before then as a standard ISP, and flogged it to
Eurobell, and now are a web authoring/hosting company. With links to
Xara.

Check http://www.minerva.co.uk/ and http://www.zynet.net/ for more
stuff.

Cheers

Mike

[John Cartmell]

Post by Ahoyhoy
When my school was equipped with Acorn RISC computers we used a program
called Prime Solver. It was simulation / problem solving program which
set various scenarios and there were a number of tools to use that
replicated physical processes such as helium balloons , pulley systems,
mirrors, lasers, conveyor belts, etc.
Sadly, now we are using computers running Windows, I have never found
anything quite as good as Prime Solver for this platform. Does anyone
know if the program was ever produced for a Windows environment?
Failing that, does anyone have any recommendations for a similar
program.

I believe Prime Solver was also produced for PCs by its publisher (Minerva)
and there was another very similar program for PCs only. As such programs
generally went out of fashion along with educating kids to actually
understand computers you might have problems finding them - or getting them
to run on current versions of Windows.
It won't help to say that it runs well in my StrongARM RiscPC but that does
suggest that it would also run on Virtual Acorn which is available for
Windows machines.
I'd get a couple of old Acorn machines in the classroom and run it on
those.