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TRS-80
1977 microcomputer by Tandy Corporation / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The TRS-80 Micro Computer System (TRS-80, later renamed the Model I to distinguish it from successors) is a desktop microcomputer launched in 1977 and sold by Tandy Corporation through their Radio Shack stores. The name is an abbreviation of Tandy Radio Shack, Z80 [microprocessor].[4] It is one of the earliest mass-produced and mass-marketed retail home computers.[5]
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![]() TRS-80 Model I with Expansion Interface and display | |
Manufacturer | Tandy Corporation |
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Type | Home computer |
Release date | August 3, 1977; 47 years ago (1977-08-03)[1] |
Lifespan | 1977–1981, 4 years |
Introductory price | US$599.95 (equivalent to $3,020 in 2023) |
Discontinued | January 1981; 43 years ago (1981-01) |
Units sold | |
Operating system | TRSDOS, LDOS, NewDos/80, Level I BASIC |
CPU | Zilog Z80 @ 1.774 MHz |
Memory | 4–48 KB |
Display | Monochrome 12" CRT, 64 × 16 character semigraphics |
Sound | Square wave tones |
The TRS-80 has a full-stroke QWERTY keyboard, the Zilog Z80 processor, 4 KB dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) standard memory, small size and desk area, floating-point Level I BASIC language interpreter in read-only memory (ROM), 64-character-per-line video monitor, and a starting price of US$600[1] (equivalent to US$3,000 in 2023). A cassette tape drive for program storage was included in the original package.
While the software environment was stable, the cassette load/save process combined with keyboard bounce issues and a troublesome Expansion Interface contributed to the Model I's reputation as not well-suited for serious use. Initially (until 1981), it lacked support for lowercase characters which may have hampered business adoption.
An extensive line of upgrades and add-on hardware peripherals for the TRS-80 was developed and marketed by Tandy/Radio Shack. The basic system can be expanded with up to 48 KB of RAM (in 16 KB increments), and up to four floppy disk drives and/or hard disk drives. Tandy/Radio Shack provided full-service support including upgrade, repair, and training services in their thousands of stores worldwide.
By 1979, the TRS-80 had the largest selection of software in the microcomputer market.[6] Until 1982, the TRS-80 was the bestselling PC line, outselling the Apple II by a factor of five according to one analysis.[4]
The broadly compatible TRS-80 Model III was released in the middle of 1980. The Model I was discontinued shortly thereafter, primarily due to stricter Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations on radio-frequency interference to nearby electronic devices.[7][8] In April 1983, the Model III was succeeded by the compatible TRS-80 Model 4.
Following the original Model I and its compatible descendants, the TRS-80 name became a generic brand used on other unrelated computer lines sold by Tandy, including the TRS-80 Model II, TRS-80 Model 2000, TRS-80 Model 100, TRS-80 Color Computer, and TRS-80 Pocket Computer.