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website/content/museum/tandy-radio-shack-1000-hx.md
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---
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