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Radio Shack's First PC: 45 Years of TRS-80:
45 years ago, Radio Shack released the TRS-80 Micro Computer System, a 1977 personal computer that launched an era of low-cost PCs along with computers from Apple and Commodore. Here's what was special about it.
On August 3, 1977, Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80 Micro Computer System for $599.95—about $2,904 today adjusted for inflation. This complete system included a main unit with a built-in keyboard, a cassette recorder, and a monochrome monitor. After the introduction of the Model II later, this first model became known as the TRS-80 Model I. In 1977, the TRS-80's $599.95 price was a big deal. To compare, the Apple II sold for $1298 with 4K of RAM (that's a whopping $6284 today), and it didn't include a monitor or a storage device.
But you always get what you pay for: The original TRS-80 was a fairly primitive machine. Under the hood, the TRS-80 utilized its Z-80 CPU at 1.77 MHz and included a mere 4 kilobytes (KB) of RAM. Its video could only display 64 columns and 16 rows of monochrome text (all uppercase) with no support for true bitmapped graphics (although by using a block-shaped text character, you could create a 128×48 pixel display). It also did not include any sound hardware, but many programs used a trick to output simple sounds through the cassette port.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Saturday August 06 2022, @06:07AM (4 children)
The TRS80 was my third computers. My first was a ZX80, my second was a beat-up second-hand (but still horrendously expensive) Apple ][. My parents really made a sacrifice to bought me those computers, because they felt it would lead to something in my life. It did. Still, they didn't have to do that. Thanks mom and dad!
But the point here is: do you fucking have to remind me that I'm closer to the grave than to the cradle? Fuck you SN.
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 06 2022, @06:26AM
SoylentNews and Mortuary Services, at your service. The site was originally concieved as a magnet for the soon to be expired Boomers. So just view the lovely screen of flowers and wind, with no aristarchus at all, as we assist your transition into the next dimension. Or, oblivion.
(Score: 5, Funny) by maxwell demon on Saturday August 06 2022, @07:17AM (1 child)
There's an easy fix to that: Buy a cradle, and put it close to you. Unless you happen to live on a graveyard, this ensures that you are closer to the cradle than to the grave.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 3, Funny) by khallow on Saturday August 06 2022, @11:23AM
(Score: 3, Interesting) by mcgrew on Saturday August 06 2022, @03:29PM
My second was a TRS-80 MC10, in 1983, first was a TS-1000 in 1982. Third was a used IBM-XT in 1990.
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