Power Penguin versus BBC Micro

I have just built a x-86 Gentoo Linux server, I found most satisfying learning exercise, I am using the newly built system to continue to my goal of learning to code in python, to re-kindle my development skills from when I was a 6th former many years ago......things have moved on from when i coded my A-Level Project in BBC basic using Acorn's BBC Micro, the modest specification of the PC i just built dwarfs the spec of the BBC Micro

• The BBC Micro had a 2Mhz CPU and 32k of RAM and a floppy disk drive
• The current Gentoo machine, is modest for a modern PC, AMD Duron @1.3Ghz CPU, 1 Gig of RAM and a 30 Gig + a 200 Gig hard drive(s)

This made me think of the GREAT software that BBC had available at the time, just in terms of games the REVS and ELITE titles provided great entertainment.

Were the coders back then more efficient then their modern counterparts as they were FORCED to be given the hardware available? Interesting question....are modern coders perhaps spoilt given the specs of modern systems....send me your thoughts if you have an interest.

By the way if you are a BBC Micro or ZX spectrum fan of Elite -- try the modern version for Windows/Mac/Linux here with oolite.