Usborne Publishing releases free archives of 1980s computer coding guides

Usborne Publishing has made a selection of its award-winning computer books from the 1980s available for free download in PDF format. The titles, which originally featured program listings for iconic home computers such as the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, and Commodore 64, are now accessible for personal or educational use.

The publisher notes that the original code contained within these texts is obsolete and will not run on modern computing hardware. However, Usborne permits users to adapt the programs into contemporary programming languages and share these modified versions online. These adaptations must not be used for commercial purposes, and users are required to credit the original Usborne book and provide a link to the source webpage.

While the original PDF files are free to download, users are not permitted to host or distribute the files themselves. Instead, individuals may provide direct links to the PDFs from their own websites. The publisher clarified that the links had been temporarily unavailable in the past but were resolved as of 25 November 2021, with all books now expected to be accessible.

Usborne stated that many current technology professionals were inspired by these books during their childhood, and they remain in use within some computer clubs today. The publisher continues to release modern coding guides using languages such as Scratch and Python for contemporary audiences, while preserving the legacy of its earlier publications.

Enquiries regarding the downloads or copyright terms can be directed to the publisher via email. The move to digitise and freely distribute these historical texts underscores Usborne’s long-standing commitment to computing education, spanning from the early days of home computing to modern digital literacy.