Acorn Archimedes A440

The Acorn Archimedes A440 was the high-end original Archimedes, supplied with 4MB RAM, a hard disc and four podule expansion slots. Its core 8 MHz ARM2 chipset remained shared with the A305, A310 and A410.

Large memory and internal storage made the A440 Acorn’s first serious ARM workstation, suitable for development, publishing and scientific use.

Notable Features

• Acorn ARM2 at 8 MHz provides the system’s processing architecture.
• The standard memory configuration was 4MB.
• Storage was supplied as 800KB floppy drive and approximately 40MB internal hard disc.

Historical Significance

• Large memory and internal storage made the A440 Acorn’s first serious ARM workstation, suitable for development, publishing and scientific use.
• This record separates a genuine processor, memory, enclosure or storage model from software bundles and dealer-only configurations.

Collector’s Notes

• Confirm the exact model from its front badge and rear serial label because many Acorn systems were upgraded during their working lives.
• Original monitors, three-button mice, keyboards, expansion podules, manuals and installation media add historical value.

Specifications

Technical Information
Name	Acorn Archimedes A440
Manufacturer	Acorn Computers
Launched	Monday, June 1, 1987
Discontinued	1989
Country	United Kingdom
CPU	Acorn ARM2 at 8 MHz
Units Sold
Operating System	Arthur initially; upgradeable to RISC OS
I/O	Video, audio, serial, parallel, Econet option and four internal podule slots
Keyboard	Separate 103-key keyboard and three-button mouse
Storage	800KB floppy drive and approximately 40MB internal hard disc
Sound	Eight-channel, eight-bit stereo sound
Graphics	Acorn VIDC supporting high-resolution colour and monochrome modes
Display	External RGB, monochrome or multiscan monitor
ROM	512KB Arthur ROM
RAM	4MB
CPU Speed	8 MHz