--- title: Tandy Radio Shack MC 10 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1983' cpus: - Motorola 6803 params: name: MC 10 image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_1.jpg company: /companies/tandy-radio-shack company_name: Tandy Radio Shack specs: - label: NAME value: MC 10 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Tandy Radio Shack - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1983' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1984' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Microcolor Basic 1.0 (Microsoft) - label: KEYBOARD value: |- QWERTY / AZERTY, Calculator style keyboard, 48 keys, Basic statements written above keys\ SHIFT, CONTROL, ENTER, BREAK - label: CPU value: Motorola 6803 (6800 compatible) - label: SPEED value: 0.89 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: MC-6847 Video Generator - label: RAM value: 4 kb (up to 20 kb), 3142 bytes left for user - label: ROM value: 8 kb (Microcolor Basic) - label: TEXT MODES value: 32 x 16 - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: |- With Basic : 64 x 32, 8 colors\ With machine-code : up to 128 x 192, 2 colors\ With machine-code and 16k expansion RAM : 256 x 192, 2 colors - label: COLORS value: '9' - label: SOUND value: Beeper with variable pitch and duration - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 216 mm x 180 mm x 50mm / 836gr - label: I/O PORTS value: RGB DIN8 or RF jack (USA) video out, Expansion port, Tape (DIN6), Serial (DIN5), power IN - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 8.0v AC 1.5A (MATRA Alice PSU can be used) - label: PERIPHERALS value: 16k RAM expansion, Printer - label: PRICE value: £99.95 (UK, 1983), $119.95 (USA), 16K RAM upgrade $49.95 tabs: - photos - hardware - connectors - software - emulators - links - docs forum_thread: 174 photos: - title: THE MC-10 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_2.jpg - title: TOP VIEW subtitle: '' text: |- I have a little game for you : Search for the "V" key... Yes, this must be a fabrication default... image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_above_1.jpg - title: UNDER... subtitle: '' text: 4 small feet... image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_under_1.jpg - title: LEFT SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_l-side_1.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: Spot the ON/OFF switch ! image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_r-side_1.jpg - title: FRONT VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_front_1.jpg - title: REAR VIEW subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right : \- power IN\ \- RGB video out (DIN8)\ \- Expansion slot (cached)\ \- Reset button (soft reset)\ \- Serial socket (DIN5)\ \- Tape-recorder (DIN6) image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_rear_1.jpg - title: MC-10 MOTHERBOARD subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_mobo.jpg - title: BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_box.jpg - title: EUROPEAN BOX (?) subtitle: '' text: Maybe this box was blue (instead of red for the US version) in order to differenciate the MC-10 from the Alice which all visual communication was based on the red color... image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_box_2.jpg - title: DOCUMENTATION subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_mc10_doc_1.jpg hardware: - title: TP10 PRINTER subtitle: '' text: |- Could print graphics and alphanumerics, 32 characters per line at 30 characters per second on 4''1/8 wide thermal paper. Measures 3 x 8 x 5''. The TP-10 was also compatible with "Coco" computers. image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_mc10_tp10-printer_1.jpg - title: DISK-DRIVE AND JOYSTICK INTERFACE subtitle: Vaporware !!! text: |- This is the only known picture of the vaporware 3.5'' disk-drive and joystick interface for the Alice. They were presented at the Micro-Expo exhibition in Paris in february 1985, along with a modem (not pictured here). Only the disk-drive and modem are vaporware. The joystick interface was indeed released. image: /media/museum/hardware/matra_alice32_disk_1.jpg - title: JOYSTICK EXPANSION subtitle: '' text: |- With this add-on, you can use a joystick with the Alice. But you can't use a memory expansion at the same time :-( Thanks to [www.mapetitecollection.com](http://www.mapetitecollection.com/) for the picture image: /media/museum/hardware/matra-hachette_alice_extension-joystick_1.jpg - title: 16 KB RAM MODULE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_mc10_16k_2.jpg - title: 16 KB RAM subtitle: back text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_mc10_16k_3.jpg - title: 16 KB RAM subtitle: box text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_mc10_16k_box.jpg connectors: - title: SERIAL INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - CD (Carrier Detection)\ 2 - RD (Receive Data)\ 3 - GND (Ground)\ 4 - TD (Transmit Data) image: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_serial-port_d.jpg - title: TAPE INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - Audio DATA out\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Audio DATA in\ 4 - Not used\ 5 - Not used 4 & 5 were planned to be used for Remote control of the tape-recorder, but this function was not implemented into the MC-10 / Alice. image: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_tape_d.jpg - title: RGB VIDEO / AUDIO OUTPUT subtitle: '' text: |- 1 - Commutation\ 2 - Ground\ 3 - Red\ 4 - Video\ 5 - Green\ 6 - Audio\ 7 - Blue image: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_rgb-video_d.jpg - title: EXPANSION PORT subtitle: '' text: |- The sketch represents the connector when you look at the back of the MC-10 / Alice (see Reset button on right). 1 - 2 = GND (Ground)\ 3 - 10 = D0..D7 (Data Buses)\ 11 = R/W (Read/Write signal)\ 12 - 27 = A0..A15 (Address buses)\ 28 = E (CPU clock, 1Mhz)\ 29 = SEL (peripherals invalidation entry)\ 30 = RESET (hard reset)\ 31 = NMI (non-maskable CPU interrupts)\ 32 = +5v (power in, 5v 300mA)\ 33 - 34 = GND (ground) image: /media/museum/connectors/tandy_mc10_expansion-port_d.jpg screenshots: - title: BOOT SCREEN subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/tandy_mc10_boot_ss.gif emulators: - title: DCAlice url: http://alice32.free.fr/index.html platform: Windows text: Excellent working Alice emulator - title: Emucompboy's MC-10 Emulator url: http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/ platform: Windows text: Nice Windows emulator - title: The MC-10 Emulation project url: http://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~camennie/mc10/ platform: Unix / Linux text: Still active ? - title: The MESS project url: http://www.mess.org/ platform: Multiplatform text: This multi-platform emulator can emulate the MC-10 links: - title: Alice FAQ url: http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice_faq.txt text: Useful source of information about the Alice systems - title: Alice page url: http://membres.lycos.fr/romualdl/alice/alice.html text: Excellent dedicated pages full of info by Romuald Line, includes a FAQ - title: Inside the Radio Shack MC-10 url: http://www.slowcomputing.org/ssouth/mc10/ text: Simon South's excellent and useful page. Lot of hardware info. - title: My MC10 Home Page url: http://mymc10.tripod.com/ text: Lot of stuff here, especially software. Cool. - title: The MC-10 archive url: http://mc10archive.com text: Small dedicated site with extended Basic available + utilities, games and documents to download ! - title: TRS-80 MC10 Club (Yahoo club) url: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/trs80mc10club text: The heart of the MC-10 community. Quite active. docs: - title: DECOUVREZ LE BASIC url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_decouvrez-le-basic.jpg text: |- [**DECOUVREZ LE BASIC**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: RÉSUMÉ DES COMMANDES ET FONCTIONS BASIC url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_resume-commandes-basic.jpg text: |- [**RÉSUMÉ DES COMMANDES ET FONCTIONS BASIC**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: GUIDE D'INSTRUCTIONS DE L'ÉDITEUR ASSEMBLEUR url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_assembleur.jpg text: |- [**GUIDE D'INSTRUCTIONS DE L'ÉDITEUR ASSEMBLEUR**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: ALLER PLUS LOIN AVEC ALICE url: http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/alice_aller-plus-loin.jpg text: |- [**ALLER PLUS LOIN AVEC ALICE**](http://alice32.free.fr/doc/index.html)written by Ediciel / Matra & Hachette  compiled/archived by Daniel Coulom\  type of document : DJV\  source : [DCAlice website](http://alice32.free.fr/) - title: MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL url: /media/museum/docs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.zip cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.jpg text: |- [**MC-10 SERVICE MANUAL**](/media/museum/docs/tandy_mc10_service-manual.zip)written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by Jim Marek\  type of document : PDF - title: TP-10 OPERATION MANUAL url: http://themc10archive.com/node/44 cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_mc10_tp10-manual.gif text: |- [**TP-10 OPERATION MANUAL**](http://themc10archive.com/node/44)written by Tandy  compiled/archived by Gary (JaGF)\  type of document : PDF\  source : [The MC10 archive](http://themc10archive.com) related: - /museum/matra-hachette-alice - /museum/matra-hachette-alice-90 - /museum/sysdata-eletronica-microcolor oc_id: 163 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230608154729/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=163 date: '2023-06-08' --- The Tandy MC 10 (MC means Micro Color) was designed as an "initiation" computer to compete with the [Timex Sinclair 1000](/museum/timex-sinclair-1000/), the american version of the [Sinclair ZX-81](/museum/sinclair-zx-81/). It was more expensive than the Sinclair machine, but outpassed it in every category. It had sound, color, more memory and even a better keyboard. In fact, the MC-10 is basically a cut down version of the [Tandy "Coco" computers](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer/), but didn't have as much success as its big brothers. It is fully compatible with the first version of the [Matra Alice](/museum/matra-hachette-alice/) (a French computer). Actually both are the same computer (except for the case color, the Alice is red and the Tandy is white). --- **Richard Vermeulen** adds:\ The Tandy MC-10 micro color computer was not a commercial success. Tandy did not support this machine. In Basic you could only use 8 color and a graphic resolution of 64x32 dots. However, the MC-10 had much more capabilities: 2 color 256x192 graphics, 4 color 128x192 graphics and the sound-chip had synthesizer posibilities. If all these extra functions were mentioned in the manual, I bet that these machine would have sold much more.