Castle Technology
{{Short description|Computer company based in Cambridge, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Castle Technology Limited
| logo = Castle Technology logo.png
| logo_size = 120px
| type = Private
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1993|06|04}}, in Colchester, England
| founder = {{nowrap|John Ballance}}
{{nowrap|Jack Lillingston}}
{{nowrap|Peter Wild}}
| location_city = Cambridge
| location_country = England
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = {{ubl|Jack Lillingston (CEO)|Peter Wild (COO)|John Ballance (CTO)}}
| industry = Computer hardware
Computer software
| products = {{nowrap|Iyonix PC}}
{{nowrap|RISC OS}}
{{nowrap|RISC PC}}
| divisions = Tematic
| homepage = {{URL|castle-technology.co.uk|Castle-Technology.co.uk}}
| successor = RISC OS Developments Ltd.
| defunct = {{end date|2018}}
}}
Castle Technology Limited, named after Framlingham Castle,{{cite web
| url = http://www.apdl.org.uk/riscworld/volumes/volume1/issue2/castle/index.htm
| title = Interview: Castle Technology
| date = May 2000
| last = Bailey
| first = Alasdair
| work = Foundation RISCWorld
| publisher = Archimedes Public Domain Library
| accessdate = 30 August 2019}} was a British computer company based in Cambridge, England. It began as a producer of ARM computers and manufactured the Acorn-branded range of desktop computers that run RISC OS.{{cite web
| url = http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=314684
| title = Apple's bigger bite
| last = Cole
| first = George
| date = 12 February 1999
| publisher = TES
| accessdate = 30 June 2011
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121005093915/http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=314684
| archive-date = 5 October 2012
| url-status = dead
}}
Following the break-up of Acorn in 1998, Castle Technology bought the rights to continue production of the RISC PC and A7000+ computers under the Acorn brand.{{cite press release
| publisher = Acorn Computers
| date = 12 October 1998
| title = Acorn announces distribution deal with Castle Technology for RISC based products
| accessdate = 6 January 2011 |url=http://www.acorn.co.uk/acorn/news/press/castle.html|url-status=dead
| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/19990506180305/http://www.acorn.co.uk/acorn/news/press/castle.html
| archivedate = 6 May 1999
}} Castle Technology later released the Iyonix PC in November 2002,{{Cite web |url=http://www.drobe.co.uk/extra/PR04_5.txt |title=Archived copy |access-date=29 January 2013 |archive-date=5 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105155650/http://www.drobe.co.uk/extra/PR04_5.txt |url-status=dead }} the first desktop computer to use the Intel XScale microarchitecture and then bought the rights to the RISC OS Technology from Pace in July 2003.{{cite web
| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/features/article.php?id=736
| title = Castle buys RISC OS from Pace
| last = Williams
| first = Chris
| date = 4 July 2003
| publisher = Drobe
| accessdate = 30 August 2019
}}
History
{{see also|Acorn Computers}}
After Acorn withdrew from the desktop computer industry in 1998, Castle Technology acquired the rights to produce the A7000, A7000+ and RISC PC using the Acorn brand.{{cite web
|url=http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/AfterAcorn/Castle.html
|title=Castle Technology
|publisher=Chris's Acorns
|accessdate=5 May 2012
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211085214/http://acorn.chriswhy.co.uk/AfterAcorn/Castle.html
|archivedate=11 February 2012
}}
In 2001, development started on the Iyonix PC (codenamed Tungsten) as a set-top unit (STU) in secret by engineers at Pace's Shipley campus along with a 32-bit version of RISC OS 4 (known as RISC OS 5). When management discovered the project the campus was closed.{{cite web
| url = http://www.apdl.org.uk/riscworld/volumes/volume9/issue3/iyorip/index.htm
| title = Iyonix R.I.P.
| date = October 2008
| work = Foundation RISCWorld
| publisher = Archimedes Public Domain Library
| accessdate = 30 August 2019}}
Castle Technology acquired the proposed designs and the original engineers from Pace to further develop the Tungsten into a desktop computer. Robert Sprowson, the original hardware designer, declined to join Castle Technology and so Peter Wild was recruited. The Iyonix PC was released six months later. Although it was well received, it was not designed for long-term production and therefore used some components that were near obsolete when it was released.
A problem for the Iyonix PC was that it used leaded components which were outlawed with the adoption of Directive 2002–95/EC in February 2003 by the European Union. However, by this time Castle Technology was financially troubled and could not afford to re-engineer the Iyonix PC without the leaded components. The remaining Iyonix stock were passed to Iyonix Limited which stopped distribution on 30 September 2008.{{cite press release
| publisher = Iyonix
| date = 25 September 2008
| title = Iyonix Press Release |url=https://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.acorn.announce/browse_thread/thread/81c090cf7044c893 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124234126/http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.acorn.announce/browse_thread/thread/81c090cf7044c893 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |url-status=dead
| accessdate = 5 May 2012
}}
In 2004, Castle Technology acquired Tematic to further development of RISC OS in embedded systems.{{cite web
| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=934
| title = Castle merges with Tematic
| last = Williams
| first = Chris
| date = 10 January 2004
| publisher = Drobe
| accessdate = 11 May 2012
}} In December 2005, Castle Technology moved its main office to the former premises of its software development division,{{cite web
| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=1506
| title = Castle confirms move to Tematic office
| last = Williams
| first = Chris
| date = 5 December 2005
| publisher = Drobe
| accessdate = 11 May 2012
}} following the migration of Tematic to a neighbouring premises in Signet Court, Cambridge.{{cite web
| url = http://www.drobe.co.uk/features/article.php?id=1314
| title = Coy Castle expands development team
| last = Williams
| first = Chris
| date = 7 April 2005
| publisher = Drobe
| accessdate = 30 August 2019
}}
In 2018 RISC OS Developments acquired Castle Technology Ltd including the Intellectual Property.{{cite web |url=https://www.riscosdev.com/ |title=Home |website=riscosdev.com}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{Acorn computers, clones and compatibles}}
{{RISC OS}}