3 ms·

That was a 6809 machine that was similar to the later TRS-80 Color Computer from 1980. The TRS-80 Model 1 was a Z80 based machine released in 1977.

gadders 7y ago
I didn't even know there were two versions of the TRS 80 (they weren't very common in the UK). Thanks for educating me.
- tssva 7y ago
  There were around 6 different incompatible lines of computers sold under the TRS-80 brand. Within each line there were multiple models with varying degrees of compatibility with each other.
  - ineedasername 7y ago
    Yes, I found that out the hard way when I got a Tandy on clearance with a few Basic books, and would type out example programs for an hour or so only to have some of them not work due to some incompatibility. It was probably still a good learning experience though.
    - cr0sh 7y ago
      My first "real computer" (not counting the "computer" in the Milton Bradley Big Trak - though it was a form of Logo programming, I suppose) was a TRS-80 Color Computer 2 - in 1984. My parents got it for me after I showed an interest in the Apple IIe computer that was wheeled around my elementary school at the time (yes - one computer for the whole school, each teach got it "checked out" once a month - it ended up being so popular, that the teachers later gave up their break room for the kids to have a "computer room" to learn in, completely outfitted by Apple and donations). Anyhow - I had a TV for a monitor, cassette tape for storage, and a few cartridges (Canyon Climber and Reactoid were my favorite - though later in my teenage years I would discover Dungeons of Daggorath). I typed in tons of BASIC programs from magazines and books, and yes - finding things incompatible was both frustrating, but informative. I took to learning how to convert between BASICs - GWBasic, PCjr BASIC, and AppleSoft Basic were all fairly easy - for the most part - to convert from so as to run on the Color Computer. Forget anything for the C=64 or Vic-20, as most of them used tons of POKEs and the special sprite hardware to get anything done, and were (for a kid) impossible to understand what was going on or being done. I also learned how to convert some code from Fortran to BASIC - I had found a book of graphics code in Fortran, and wanted to run the programs myself...so I learned. Later, I found a book that detailed how to convert BASIC programs from one system to another; that also assisted me. But ultimately, it was a case of trial and error, tons of reading about the different systems graphics modes, etc. I still own all of my old computers; I'll keep 'em until I die, I suppose.
      - ineedasername 7y ago
        I wonder if there's a modern equivalent to this discovery process? I mean that low level systems that require diy and exploration are more thin on the ground. Even a $35 raspberry pi has layers of abstraction many layers higher, and the fact that tablets and phones are much more frequently the first personal computer a kid may own means they don't even need to be exposed to diy systems like the pi, whereas a few decades ago there was no choice. Don't get me wrong, access to tech is much better, and that's great. I just think it's a different experience than in the past. Not necessarily bad, just... Different
- jacquesm 7y ago
  The 'color computer' was not sold as a business machine as much as the rest of the TRS80 line was. It also had 64K of RAM out of the box but you had to pull some tricks to release the upper 32K (copy the ROM to the upper part of the RAM). I owned a Dragon and worked for 'Tandy', the name Radio Shack used in Europe. Good times!

gadders 7y ago

I didn't even know there were two versions of the TRS 80 (they weren't very common in the UK). Thanks for educating me.

tssva 7y ago
There were around 6 different incompatible lines of computers sold under the TRS-80 brand. Within each line there were multiple models with varying degrees of compatibility with each other.
- ineedasername 7y ago
  Yes, I found that out the hard way when I got a Tandy on clearance with a few Basic books, and would type out example programs for an hour or so only to have some of them not work due to some incompatibility. It was probably still a good learning experience though.
  - cr0sh 7y ago
    My first "real computer" (not counting the "computer" in the Milton Bradley Big Trak - though it was a form of Logo programming, I suppose) was a TRS-80 Color Computer 2 - in 1984. My parents got it for me after I showed an interest in the Apple IIe computer that was wheeled around my elementary school at the time (yes - one computer for the whole school, each teach got it "checked out" once a month - it ended up being so popular, that the teachers later gave up their break room for the kids to have a "computer room" to learn in, completely outfitted by Apple and donations). Anyhow - I had a TV for a monitor, cassette tape for storage, and a few cartridges (Canyon Climber and Reactoid were my favorite - though later in my teenage years I would discover Dungeons of Daggorath). I typed in tons of BASIC programs from magazines and books, and yes - finding things incompatible was both frustrating, but informative. I took to learning how to convert between BASICs - GWBasic, PCjr BASIC, and AppleSoft Basic were all fairly easy - for the most part - to convert from so as to run on the Color Computer. Forget anything for the C=64 or Vic-20, as most of them used tons of POKEs and the special sprite hardware to get anything done, and were (for a kid) impossible to understand what was going on or being done. I also learned how to convert some code from Fortran to BASIC - I had found a book of graphics code in Fortran, and wanted to run the programs myself...so I learned. Later, I found a book that detailed how to convert BASIC programs from one system to another; that also assisted me. But ultimately, it was a case of trial and error, tons of reading about the different systems graphics modes, etc. I still own all of my old computers; I'll keep 'em until I die, I suppose.
    - ineedasername 7y ago
      I wonder if there's a modern equivalent to this discovery process? I mean that low level systems that require diy and exploration are more thin on the ground. Even a $35 raspberry pi has layers of abstraction many layers higher, and the fact that tablets and phones are much more frequently the first personal computer a kid may own means they don't even need to be exposed to diy systems like the pi, whereas a few decades ago there was no choice. Don't get me wrong, access to tech is much better, and that's great. I just think it's a different experience than in the past. Not necessarily bad, just... Different
jacquesm 7y ago
The 'color computer' was not sold as a business machine as much as the rest of the TRS80 line was. It also had 64K of RAM out of the box but you had to pull some tricks to release the upper 32K (copy the ROM to the upper part of the RAM). I owned a Dragon and worked for 'Tandy', the name Radio Shack used in Europe. Good times!