TRS-80

What does TRS-80 mean?

The term TRS-80 refers to a series of microcomputers developed and marketed by Tandy Corporation. The name “TRS” stands for “Tandy Radio Shack,” while “80” denotes the year of its introduction, 1977. TRS-80 computers were among the first successful home computers, and they played a significant role in popularizing computing in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The TRS-80 was designed by Don French and Steve Leininger, and it was based on the Zilog Z80 microprocessor. The Z80 was a powerful 8-Bit processor that gave the TRS-80 comparable performance to minicomputers of the time. The TRS-80 also featured a built-in keyboard, a cassette tape drive, and a rudimentary Operating System called TRSDOS.

Although the TRS-80 was not the first home computer, it was one of the first to be widely successful. This was due in part to its low price, which started at $599. The TRS-80 was also easy to use, and it came with a wide range of Software, including a Word processor, a spreadsheet, and several games.

The TRS-80 was initially sold through Radio Shack stores, but it was later sold through other retailers as well. By 1981, the TRS-80 had become the best-selling home computer in the United States.

Applications

The TRS-80 was used for a variety of applications, including:

• Home computing: The TRS-80 was used for a variety of home computing tasks, such as word Processing, spreadsheets, and games.
• Education: The TRS-80 was used in schools to teach students about computers and programming.
• Business: The TRS-80 was used by small businesses for a variety of tasks, such as accounting, inventory management, and word processing.

The TRS-80 was also used by hobbyists and enthusiasts to develop new software and hardware. This led to the creation of a large ecosystem of third-party software and hardware for the TRS-80.

History

The TRS-80 was first introduced in 1977. The original TRS-80 was a Model I computer, which featured a 4 MHz Z80 processor, 4 KB of RAM, and a cassette tape drive. The Model I was followed by a Model II computer in 1979, which featured a faster 6 MHz Z80 processor, 16 KB of RAM, and a built-in floppy disk drive.

In 1980, Tandy Corporation introduced the TRS-80 Color Computer, which was a more affordable and user-friendly version of the Model I and Model II. The Color Computer featured a built-in color display, and it was bundled with a number of educational and entertainment software programs.

The TRS-80 Color Computer was a huge success, and it quickly became one of the best-selling home computers of all time. Tandy Corporation continued to produce new models of the TRS-80 Color Computer throughout the 1980s.

The TRS-80 was discontinued in 1991. However, there is still a large community of TRS-80 enthusiasts who continue to use and develop software and hardware for these computers.