Post AoetCE2voIe21e62ka by adafruit@mastodon.cloud
 (DIR) More posts by adafruit@mastodon.cloud
 (DIR) Post #AoetCBT3Oil21nIMYC by adafruit@mastodon.cloud
       2024-12-02T22:38:01Z
       
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       🎄💾🗓️ Day 2: Retrocomputing Advent Calendar brings us the TRS-80! 🎄💾🗓️Released in 1977, the TRS-80 (also lovingly called the "Trash-80") was a popular personal computer by Radio Shack and Tandy Corporation. Designed for affordability and approachability, it was one of the first mass-market computers, bringing computers into homes, schools, and small businesses.
       
 (DIR) Post #AoetCCatD4cTWNy8P2 by tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org
       2024-12-03T05:14:42Z
       
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       @adafruit Lol it had one truly terrible flaw: it's customized cp/m-80 loaded user programs to 4200h, not 100h that standard cp/m programs used; randy arrogantly put rom at 0000h.  But radio shack was big enough to get many to comply with a trash 80 version of their code. Also if you got a few peripherals you ended up with a lot of outlet strips! There were lots of accessories.... We kinda hated it then as low grade trash but we were wrong, it was a popular machine and a lot of good things arose from it. Writing code for it was challenging...
       
 (DIR) Post #AoetCE2voIe21e62ka by adafruit@mastodon.cloud
       2024-12-02T22:38:32Z
       
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       Powered by a Zilog Z80 processor running at 1.77 MHz, the TRS-80 Model I came with 4KB of RAM (expandable to 16KB) and an 8KB ROM, preloaded with the Microsoft BASIC programming language. Its black-and-white display supported a resolution of 64x16 characters. It used external cassette tapes for storage, which offered a low-cost solution before floppy drives became more available.
       
 (DIR) Post #AoetCGds9vNm4nOZbk by adafruit@mastodon.cloud
       2024-12-02T22:38:32Z
       
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       The TRS-80's also had an ecosystem. Radio Shack offered complete setups, monitors, printers, and software - making it easy for beginners. The machine became a favorite for hobbyists and programmers, popularizing early text-based adventure games, educational software, and business applications.
       
 (DIR) Post #AoetCGlfgvcYSz2nlQ by adafruit@mastodon.cloud
       2024-12-02T22:38:32Z
       
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       Eventually overtaken by the IBM PC and Apple systems, the TRS-80's legacy lives on!I had some so-so photos, but these from the Smithsonian are the best I've seen, along with their section on their site - https://www.si.edu/object/radio-shack-trs-80-model-1-personal-computer%3Anmah_334337Have TRS-80 memories, or retro computing memories? Post’em up in the comments, or post yours on socialz’ and tag them #retrocomputing #firstcomputer #electronics see you back here tomorrow!