11 Facts About TRS-80

TRS-80 Micro Computer System is a desktop microcomputer launched in 1977 and sold by Tandy Corporation through their Radio Shack stores.

TRS-80 has a full-stroke QWERTY keyboard, the Zilog Z80 processor, 4 KB dynamic random-access memory standard memory, small size and desk area, floating-point Level I BASIC language interpreter in read-only memory, 64-character per line video monitor, and a starting price of US$600 .

Until 1982, the TRS-80 was the best-selling PC line, outselling the Apple II series by a factor of five according to one analysis.

TRS-80 envisioned a kit, but Leininger persuaded the others that because "too many people can't solder", a preassembled computer would be better.

TRS-80 hoped that the new computer would help Radio Shack sell higher-priced products, and improve its "schlocky" image among customers.

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TRS-80 advertised "The $599 personal computer" as "the most important, useful, exciting, electronic product of our time".

InfoWorld compared the cable spaghetti connecting the TRS-80 Model I's various components to the snakes in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Radio Shack offered an extensive line of printers for the TRS-80 family, ranging from basic 9-pin dot matrix units to large wide-carriage line printers for professional use, daisy-wheel printers, ink jet printers, laser printers and color plotters.

Adventure International's text adventures began on the TRS-80, as did Sea Dragon by Westmoreland and Gilman, later ported to the other home micros.

Many games are unique to the TRS-80, including Duel-N-Droids, by Christopherson, an early first-person shooter 13 Ghosts by Software Affair and shooters like Cosmic Fighter and Defence Command, and strange experimental programs such as Christopherson's Dancing Demon, in which the player composes a song for a devil and choreographs his dance steps to the music.

TRS-80 criticized the quality of Tandy's application and system software, and high cost of peripherals.