--- title: Tandy Radio Shack 1000 HX categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - U.S.A. years: - '1987' cpus: - Intel 8088 params: name: 1000 HX image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_1s.jpg company: /companies/tandy-radio-shack company_name: Tandy Radio Shack specs: - label: NAME value: 1000 HX - label: MANUFACTURER value: Tandy Radio Shack - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: U.S.A. - label: YEAR value: '1987' - label: KEYBOARD value: Full stroke keyboard, 92 keys, 12 function keys - label: CPU value: Intel 8088 - label: SPEED value: 4.77 MHz / 7.16 MHz - label: RAM value: 256 KB (up to 640 KB) - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: Unknown - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: CGA/TGA, 160 x 200, 320 x 200, 640 x 200 - label: COLORS value: 16 colours - label: SOUND value: 3 voices + 1 sound channel - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: Unknown - label: I/O PORTS value: 2 x joysticks, monitor video output, composite video output, mono audio output, lightpen, parallel port, serial port (optional), external floppy drive, 3 internal expansion slots - label: BUILT IN MEDIA value: one 3.5'' floppy disk drives (720 KB) - label: OS value: MS-DOS 2.11 built-in ROM, DeskMate 2.0 and GW Microsoft Basic included with the system - label: POWER SUPPLY value: Built-in power supply - label: PRICE value: Unknown tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - emulators - links - docs photos: - title: TANDY 1000 HX subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [www.1000bit.net](http://www.1000bit.net) for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_1.jpg - title: RIGHT SIDE subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [Vintage Computer Rescue Project](http://www.vcrp.fr) for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_r-side.jpg - title: DETAIL subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right: \- Volume control knob\ \- Audio mono output\ \- 2 x joystick connectors image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_r-side_2.jpg - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- This is where expansion cards can be mounted Thanks to [Vintage Computer Rescue Project](http://www.vcrp.fr) for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_inside.jpg - title: LOGO subtitle: '' text: Thanks to [Vintage Computer Rescue Project](http://www.vcrp.fr) for this picture image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_logo.jpg - title: 'LOGO #2' subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_logo_2.jpg - title: REAR subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right: \- Printer connector\ \- External drive connector\ \- Composite video output\ \- Monitor RGB video output\ \- Three internal expansion slots image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000hx_rear.jpg adverts: - title: UK ADVERT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/pubs/tandy_1000series_pub_1.jpg hardware: - title: TANDY JOYSTICK subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_1000_joy_1.jpg - title: TANDY 300 BAUD MODEM subtitle: with box & doc text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_1000_300baudmodem.jpg emulators: - title: Tand-Em url: http://www.emu-france.com/?page=fichiers&idMachine=157 platform: MS DOS text: Only dedicated Tandy 1000/IBM PC Jr emulator (offical site seems dead) - title: DOSBox url: http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox platform: Windows text: Exellent PC emulator to play old DOS games, including Tandy 1000 ones - title: MESS url: http://www.mess.org platform: Multiplatform text: This famous emulator can emulate Tandy 1000 systems links: - title: Radio Shack systems documentation url: http://support.radioshack.com/productinfo/ProductResults.asp?Name=Tandy_Desktops&ID=001001001 text: Radio Shack still offers some old docs on their support site. Download while available!! - title: RadioShackCatalogs.com url: http://www.RadioShackCatalogs.com text: Here, you can actually/virtually flip-through the pages to view the content of every RadioShack catalog! - title: Tandy 100 Webring url: http://r.webring.com/hub?ring=tandy1000 text: dedicated webring listing Tandy 1000 websites - title: Tandy 1000 EX/HX, PCjr videogames url: http://www.brooksdeforest.com/tandy1000/ text: Games for download - title: Tandy 1000 roms url: http://retrograde.trustno1.org/tandyroms.htm text: BIOS roms to use with emulators - title: Tandy 1000-series FAQ url: http://www.oldskool.org/guides/tvdog/1kfaq.html text: Excellent FAQ. Very complete - title: Wikipedia - Tandy 1000 entry url: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_1000 text: Nice article from Wikipedia - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com text: FTP Mirror Site for Tandy 1000 programs and documentation docs: - title: INTRODUCTION TO THE TANDY 1000 - A TUTORIAL TO DESKMATE url: ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/ cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_1000_introduction.jpg text: |- [**INTRODUCTION TO THE TANDY 1000 - A TUTORIAL TO DESKMATE**](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/)written by Tandy Corporation  type of document : PDF\  size : 7 MB\  source : [ftp.robertstinnett.com](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror) - title: TANDY 1000 - DOS MANUAL url: ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/ cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandu_1000_dos_manual.jpg text: |- [**TANDY 1000 - DOS MANUAL**](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/)written by Tandy Corporation  type of document : PDF\  size : 8 MB\  source : [ftp.robertstinnett.com](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror) - title: TANDY 1000 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE url: ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/ cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_1000_programmers-reference.jpg text: |- [**TANDY 1000 PROGRAMMER'S REFERENCE**](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/)written by Tandy Corporation  type of document : PDF\  size : 6.5 MB\  source : [ftp.robertstinnett.com](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror) - title: TANDY 1000 SERVICE MANUAL url: ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/ cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/tandy_1000_service-manual.jpg text: |- [**TANDY 1000 SERVICE MANUAL**](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror/Tandy1000/documents/)written by Tandy Corporation  type of document : PDF\  size : 13.5 MB\  source : [ftp.robertstinnett.com](ftp://ftp.robertstinnett.com/mirror) comments: - author: Rich (United States) date: Wednesday 25th August 2021 text: I''m interested in buying it. Where are you located? - author: Caralynne K Kline (United States) date: Thursday 21st January 2021 text: I have a brand new Tandy 1000HX computer and monitor with original manuals and accessories brand new in box. I''ve never used it looking to sell for $500 OBO 7272920764 - author: Cameron Young (USA) date: Monday 30th November 2020 text: I received this computer as a hand me down from my grandma. Wish I still had it. - author: Rich (TX USA) date: Friday 18th October 2019 text: |- My first Computer $ still running! Looking for parts if anyone has leads! I need the following: \- Plastic cover that slides over the hard card slots\ \- The door for the Original matching Tandy monitor\ \- The Original 720K internal 3.5" Floppy Drive Also interested in any other external accessories! Thanks - author: Kelly R. (Wood River, IL USA) date: Thursday 30th August 2018 text: My first PC-compatible. Though my memories of it are sparse, they''re quite fond. These computers are tough, and designed to last$ not something you''ll find these days. - author: Tom Petro date: Wednesday 8th February 2017 text: My first computer. Got it for work to do payroll and track inventory. also it typed up contracts, proposals, using PC-file. It did a fantastic job even surpassing the business $35,000 IBM which had been mothballed due to the office incompetence which cost the company $$$. In time it had 640k, 2-720 , an external 360, a 2400 modem and a 42 meg internal HDD. - author: Randy (United States) date: Monday 21st September 2015 text: This was one of my very first personal computers, the price on this system was $699.00 in 1987, it was fun to program and play with, most program are a version of C. Deskmate was very good desk top organizer. - author: Tommy date: Monday 12th May 2014 text: Deskmate was a nice little piece of software that came with the Tandy 1000 HX - it had a faux windows look, and had a simple word processor, spreadsheet, drawing program, and a music program. Many programs at the time also supported "Tandy Color" a graphics standard in between CGA and EGA formats, that offered additional colors beyond the CGA standard, but at the same resolution. - author: jscottu (Indianapolis, IN) date: Sunday 16th June 2013 text: My first computer. I paid $200 used at Radio Shack (1989). In the mid 90''s I gave it to the kid next door. Today''s cell phones have more than 100 times the computing power. But it was great at the time. - author: Chris date: Saturday 10th July 2010 text: This was my first computer. I got it as a birthday present when I was six, so that would be 1987 or so. As I opened the box, I saw the monitor first, and I said "Oh, wow, a TV!" My dad replied, "no, son. That''s a computer." I said, "oh. Ok. What do I do with it?" My dad said, "Damned if I know" and handed me the manual for DOS 3.1. At six years old. And that, folks, is what got me introduced to the wonderful world of computing. :-) - author: Eileen (USA) date: Wednesday 30th April 2008 text: |- My mom had one of these and one day casually mentioned that she couldn't get it to work. I said, "Let me tinker around with it." I was just really starting to get into computers after figuring out how to program our DOS barcode labeler at work. I took the machine, took it apart, put a modem and a mouse card in it, and actually started surfing the net on it. It had a 4-color monitor and I remember trying to keep a spreadsheet on that DeskMate software. I feel like I cut my computer chops on that little machine, and it was the true start of my mid-life love of them. I ended up giving it to Goodwill due to lack of space when I acquired a 386, but now I almost wish I still had it. This is a great website with many fascinating machines, and I thank everyone involved. Kudos to you all and keep up the good work! \~ E. related: - /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000 - /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-ex - /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-sl-sl-2 - /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-sx - /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-tx oc_id: 1211 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230603013814/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1211 date: '2023-06-03' --- The Tandy 1000 HX is a member of the [Tandy 1000 series](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000/) family. See this entry for more info. The Tandy 1000 HX, released in 1987, was designed as another entry level [IBM compatible personal computer](/museum/ibm-pc-model-5150/) and the successor to the EX. Like the EX, the HX was a compact computer with the keyboard built into the computer casing. The computer came with an Intel 8088 CPU, 256 KB of memory, and had one 720 KB 3.5" disk drive on the right side of the machine behind the keyboard. HX computers came with MS-DOS 2.11 built into the ROM and “Deskmate 2” on diskette. The computer's memory could be expanded to 640 KB by the use of a memory expansion card; by default these cards, sold by Tandy, came with 128 KB, but one could add another 384 KB in memory chips to this board. These cards were named “Plus Cards” and used a pin configuration instead of the slot system used by IBM or the T-1000. The cards themselves followed all the IBM standards and eventually Radio Shack started selling the adaptors in their stores to allow the cards to be inserted into a standard IBM 8-bit ISA slot. There were three such spots available in the computer case. There was also a spare 3.5" drive bay in the computer case. On the back of the machine there was a port which allowed a user to connect an external 5.25" (360 KB) or 3.5" (720 KB) disk drive. There was also a connector for a printer. The 1000 HX did not come with a hard drive, and Tandy Corporation did not manufacture fixed disks for this type of computer. A HDD could be purchased from third party vendors, however. It was also here that the DOS in ROM was getting a little old and for the first time the settings on the computer could be changed so that instead of looking in ROM for DOS at bootup, it would go direct to the floppy drive instead. Most versions of MS-DOS worked with the 1000 HX, including 3.x, DOS 5.x & 6.x. DOS 4.0 did not work due to a bug in its environment that prevented it from working. --- Contributors: Derek McDonald (aka “Skel”)\ Sources: Switchtec's Virtual PC Museum, Emperor Multimedia Electronic Archives, Wikipedia, 8-Bit Micro, Tandy 1000 PC Museum