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---
title: Tandy Radio Shack 1000 SL & SL/2
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1989'
cpus:
- Intel 8086
params:
name: 1000 SL & SL/2
image: /media/museum/photos/tandy-1000sl2_1s.jpg
company: /companies/tandy-radio-shack
company_name: Tandy Radio Shack
specs:
- label: NAME
value: 1000 SL & SL/2
- label: MANUFACTURER
value: Tandy Radio Shack
- label: TYPE
value: Home Computer
- label: ORIGIN
value: U.S.A.
- label: YEAR
value: ? 1989
- label: KEYBOARD
value: full stroke keyboard with numeric keypad and function keys (102 keys)
- label: CPU
value: Intel 8086
- label: SPEED
value: 8 MHz
- label: CO-PROCESSOR
value: Intel 8087 optional
- label: RAM
value: |-
SL: 384 KB (up to 640 KB)\
SL/2: 512 KB (up to 640 KB)
- label: VRAM
value: Unknown
- label: ROM
value: '512 KB (DOS 3.3 on drive C: + main Deskmate 3 program)'
- label: TEXT MODES
value: 80 x 25 / 40 x 25
- 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 + 8-bit mono DAC
- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
value: 354 x 394 x 140 mm / 7.8 Kg
- label: I/O PORTS
value: keyboard (DIN 5), 2 x joysticks (DIN 6), monitor video output, composite video output, lightpen, parallel port, serial (RS232c) port, 5 internal expansion slots (ISA XT), audio mono output, audio mono inputs (mic + line)
- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
value: |-
SL: one 5.25'' floppy disk drive (360 KB)\
SL /2: one 3.5'' floppy disk drive (720 KB)
- label: OS
value: MS-DOS 3.3, DeskMate 3 and GW Microsoft Basic included with the system
- label: POWER SUPPLY
value: Built-in power supply
- label: PRICE
value: 1000 SL/2 = 9990 FF (France, 1990)
tabs:
- photos
- hardware
- emulators
- links
- docs
forum_thread: 1185
photos:
- title: 1000 SL
subtitle: ''
text: ''
image: /media/museum/photos/tandy_1000sl_1.jpg
- title: 1000 SL/2
subtitle: ''
text: Thanks to [www.mo5.com](http://www.mo5.com) for this picture
image: /media/museum/photos/tandy-1000sl2_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)
related:
- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000
- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-ex
- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-hx
- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-sx
- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-tx
oc_id: 1218
source:
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230320222056/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1218
date: '2023-03-20'
---
The Tandy 1000 SL series of computers were an update of the [Tandy 1000 SX](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-sx/). They came in a redesigned case and, in the case of the TL/2 and above, featured onboard XT IDE hard disk controllers (These controllers are not AT IDE compatible and thus will not work with modern ATA hard drives).
The Tandy 1000 SL boasted an Intel 8086 processor running at 8 MHz. The 8086's 16-bit bus gave it a small but definite performance advantage over the earlier 8088-based [Tandy 1000s](/museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000/). The SL came with 384 KB of memory preinstalled, whereas the SL/2 offered 512 KB. Both machines could be expanded to 640 KB.
The Tandy SL model was equiped with a 5.25" floppy disk drive (360 KB) whereas the SL/2 featured a 3.5" floppy disk drive (720 KB). It was possible to add a second disk drive or even a hard disk.
The SL series offered two innovations over the earlier SX series. One is high resolution (640x200) 16 color graphics; the other is an improved sound circuit, using an 8-bit mono DAC alongside the PSSJ 3-voice sound source. The DAC gave the SL series digital sound output capabilities not much unlike those of the early 8-bit SoundBlaster line of audio cards: 3 PCM voices, 8-bit DMA up to 22050 KHz, audio mono output, audio mono inputs (mic + line), sampling at 5512 KHz, 11025 KHz and 22050 KHz.
One interesting feature was the 512 KB BIOS, from which 350 KB where available as a read-only C: drive. DOS 3.3 and the main component of Deskmate 3 where stored on it. This was excellent as you could access DOS and start to work only within a few seconds (an unreachable dream nowadays).
There is no internal clock but one called "SmartWatch" was available as an option. There was thus a socket on the electronic board reserved for it.
---
Contributors: Derek McDonald (aka “Skel”)\
Sources: Wikipedia, MO5.com
**Ray Jewhurst** comments:\
The SL and SL/2 both came with Deskmate 3 not Deskmate 2 I know this because I used to be a Radio Shack store manager in the early 90's and Deskmate 3 was one of improvement over the SX.
<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>