Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
As part of the BBC's Computers Don't Bite campaign, The Learning Zone follows two families - the Lyons family and the Plummer family - on their quest to buy their first family computer.
The Plummers have decided to buy their computer direct from the manufacturers via mail order, they have carried out research by reading computer magazines. The Lyons have chosen to buy their computer at a specialist electronics shop, where they can get advice from a salesperson.
Presenters Sue Davis and Dave Green have advice for anybody buying their first computer, with helpful explanations of unfamiliar terms like "RAM", "ROM", "Hard drive" and "clock speed," and instructions about how to set the machine up once you've bought it.
Clip taken from The Learning Zone: Computers Don't Bite: Getting Started at Home, originally broadcast on BBC Two, 18 May, 1998.
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As part of the BBC's Computers Don't Bite campaign, The Learning Zone follows two families - the Lyons family and the Plummer family - on their quest to buy their first family computer.
The Plummers have decided to buy their computer direct from the manufacturers via mail order, they have carried out research by reading computer magazines. The Lyons have chosen to buy their computer at a specialist electronics shop, where they can get advice from a salesperson.
Presenters Sue Davis and Dave Green have advice for anybody buying their first computer, with helpful explanations of unfamiliar terms like "RAM", "ROM", "Hard drive" and "clock speed," and instructions about how to set the machine up once you've bought it.
Clip taken from The Learning Zone: Computers Don't Bite: Getting Started at Home, originally broadcast on BBC Two, 18 May, 1998.
You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults.
Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss a single stop on our amazing journey through the BBC Archive - youtube.com/c/BBCArchive?sub_confirmation=1
You can also dive into plenty more BBC Archive on our website - bbc.co.uk/archive
