website/content/museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-iii.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Tandy Radio Shack TRS 80 MODEL III	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1981	Zilog Z80 then Z80A	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware emulators links docs comments related software oc_id source TRS 80 MODEL III /companies/tandy-radio-shack Tandy Radio Shack label value NAME TRS 80 MODEL III label value MANUFACTURER Tandy Radio Shack label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1981 label value END OF PRODUCTION Unknown label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE TRS-80 Level II BASIC label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad label value CPU Zilog Z80 then Z80A label value SPEED 2.03 MHz label value RAM 16 KB (up to 48 KB) label value ROM 14 KB label value TEXT MODES 32 or 64 columns x 16 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 128 graphic characters label value COLORS monochrome label value I/O PORTS Tape (500 or 1500 bauds), Centronics, RS232 label value BUILT IN MEDIA Zero, one or two 5.25'' disk-drives. label value OS TRS DOS (other OSes were available : New DOS, LDOS, MultiDOS, ...) label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS Various Tandy peripherals label value PRICE No disk model : AU$1450 (Australia, 1981)\ $2495 in 1984 for a complete system with 2x360 KB drives, TRSDOS, 64kb Ram, software and printer photos adverts hardware software emulators links docs title subtitle text image REBADGED VERSION A rebadged version sold by ADS Co. under the name DATAMAX. Thanks to **Jon Gilmore** null title subtitle text image TYPING SCHOOL In a few years traditional typewriters were replaced with computers. This revolution started around 1985. At the time, this school of the Pigier group was equiped with Tandy TRS80 models 1 and 3 null title subtitle text image ISAAC ASIMOV AD #1 This surprising advert is dated 1982. null title subtitle text image ISAAC ASIMOV AD #2 Advert said: Our word processing system changed Isaac Asimov's mind about writing...\ **"I may never use a typewriter again!"** Isaac likes the time he saves using SuperSCRIPSIT, our newest word processing program... null title subtitle text image US ADVERT APR. 1982 Courtesy of **[Attached](http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/)** null title subtitle text image U.S. AD (1982) null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (1982) null title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (JAN. 1982) null title subtitle text image REMOTE UNIT ACTIVE Serial# 26-1210 This rare unit is meant for teachers to control up to 16 TRS-80 Model 1 from a another TRS-80 equiped with min-disk. All the controled TRS-80 model 1 must be equiped with Level II. It cost 2895fr (France, 1981) /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_remote-unit-active.jpg title subtitle text image NETWORK II BOX p/n 26-1211 This box allowed up to 16 TRS computer to be networked. Three network boxes were released by Tandy (I, II and III).\ The Network II required verbal communication between the server operator and the remote user, and data transfer had to be completed one user at a time.\ The network III allowed automated control of the network so that users could easily access programs and data stored on the server's storage device. Thanks to **David Sutherland** for the pictures. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_network2_s1.jpg title subtitle text image DMP-200 80-column, 100 cps dot matrix printer. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_model3_dmp200_s1.jpg title subtitle text image DAISY WHEEL PRINTER II Serial# 26-1158 This is a high-quality printer meant to be used with wordprocessors. Some interchangeable daisy-wheels were available (Courrier, Elite, Madeleine). It could print 163 characters per line (34cm), at a 43 cps rate. It cost 9595fr (France, 1981) /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_daisy-wheel-printer-2_1.jpg title subtitle text image LINE PRINTER I Ref# 26-7017 This printer was a custom version of the Oki Microline 80.\ Printed lower and upper case on paper rolls or listing paper (24cm wide) from 40 to 80 columns/line, at a speed rate of 28 lines/minute. It cost 716 Euros in 1981 (France). /media/museum/hardware/tandy_model1_lineprinter1_s1.jpg title subtitle text image LINE PRINTER III Serial# 26-1156 This printer can print lower and upper case, at a speed rate of 120 c/s, on paper up to 38cm wide. It is conceived for intensive use ! It cost 9950fr in 1981 (France). /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_line-printer-3_1.jpg title subtitle text image LINE PRINTER VI Serial# 26-1166 This large printer can print lower and upper case, graphic characters and symbols at a speed rate of 100 c/s ! This is definately a professional printer. It cost 5495fr in 1981 (France). /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_line-printer-6_1.jpg title subtitle text image TP-10 THERMAL PRINTER Box /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80_tp-10_thermal-printer_box.jpg title subtitle text image 15 MB HARD DISK UNIT null title subtitle text image EXATRON Stringy Floppy drive The Exatron Stringy Floppy (ESF) was a low-cost data—storage system that fitted the gap, between cassettes and disk drives.\ The system was based on a miniature endless—loop tape cartridge called a "wafer".\ The amount of data that could be recorded on a wafer depended on the length of tape in it, typically, a 50—foot wafer could hold at least 40 KB of programs or data. **Matt** reports to us:\ A curiousity about the model 1, CPU SPEED had a direct relatonship with STORAGE CAPACITY. if you doubled the clock speed of your MODEL 1 CPU you doubled the amount of data you could store on your stringy floppies. this is a feat that no other computer no matter how many ghz you have in your PC can do today without using compression. Thanks to **David Sutherland** for the pictures /media/museum/hardware/tandy_model3_exatronwafer_s1.jpg title subtitle text image EXATRON DRIVE FOR THE MODEL 3 Thanks to **www.turnkit.com/computers** null title url platform text David Keil's TRS-80 Model III/4/4P Emulator Page http://discover-net.net/~dmkeil/trs80/model4.htm MS DOS This program emulates a complete TRS-80 title url platform text Matthew Reed's TRS-80 Emulator Web Site http://www.arrowweb.com/mkr/ MS DOS This page offers shareware versions of a TRS-80 Model 4 emulator and a TRS-80 Model 1-2 emulator title url platform text TRS-80 Model III/4 Emulator http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#model4 MS DOS This TRS-80 Model III/4 Emulator is a commercial product title url platform text xtrs: TRS-80 Model I/III/4 Emulator for Unix http://www.tim-mann.org/xtrs.html Unix / Linux xtrs is a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I/III/4/4P emulator for Unix and the X Window System title url platform text 2nd life TRS 80 model III emulator http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/atari_shack/emul8.htm Atari TRS 80 model III emulator for Atari ST systems title url platform text TRS-80 Level I BASIC in a browser http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#simulator Other platform With this Java emulator, you'll be able to write a BASIC program directly in your browser! title url platform text Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Pages http://www.trs-80.com/trs80-e.htm Multiplatform A complete list of TRS-80 emulators for various platforms ! title url platform text MESS http://www.mess.org Multiplatform MESS emulator also emulates a TRS-80 systems title url text 8bit-micro.com - Online TRS-80 Computer Magazine HTTP://WWW.8BIT-MICRO.COM Online Magazine dedicated to the TRS-80 and other Vintage - Monthly Issues title url text David's TRS-80 Page http://freespace.virgin.net/david.sampson/ title url text Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Pages http://www.trs-80.com/ Lof of infos about all TRS-80 computers title url text Java TRS-80 Model 1 BASIC Interpreter http://ganley.org/software/trs80.html title url text Mike's Personal Computer Museum http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/mclays/trsmod1.html Level 1 & 2 Basic summaries, Tandy time-lines, price-list, etc ... ! title url text RadioShackCatalogs.com http://www.RadioShackCatalogs.com Here, you can actually/virtually flip-through the pages to view the content of every RadioShack catalog! title url text The TRS-80 Home Page http://www.kjsl.com/trs80 Full of infos title url text Tim Mann's TRS-80 Page http://www.tim-mann.org/trs80.html Infos, tools and home of xtrs, a Model I/III/4 emulator for Unix title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Discussion about Tandy computers title url cover text TRS-80 MODEL III - OPERATION AND BASIC LANGUAGE OPERATION MANUAL null null **TRS-80 MODEL III - OPERATION AND BASIC LANGUAGE OPERATION MANUAL**\ written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by Wade Fincher\  type of document : PDF\  size : 6 MB\  source : [WinTRS80 homepage](http://asub.arknet.edu/wade/) title url cover text TRS-80 MODEL III - DISK SYSTEM OWNER'S MANUAL null null **TRS-80 MODEL III - DISK SYSTEM OWNER'S MANUAL**\ written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by Wade Fincher\  type of document : PDF\  size : 18 MB\  source : [WinTRS80 homepage](http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/) title url cover text GRAPHICS BOARD MANUAL http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/m3graphics.htm null [**GRAPHICS BOARD MANUAL**](http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/m3graphics.htm)written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by Wade Fincher\  type of document : PDF\  source : [WinTRS80 homepage](http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/) title url cover text DISK MODIFICATION KIT - SERVICE MANUAL http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/m3diskinstall.htm null [**DISK MODIFICATION KIT - SERVICE MANUAL**](http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/m3diskinstall.htm)written by Radio Shack  compiled/archived by Pete Bumgardner\  type of document : PDF\  source : [WinTRS80 homepage](http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/) title url cover text MDX-6 DISK UPGRADE FOR MODEL III http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/mdx6.htm null [**MDX-6 DISK UPGRADE FOR MODEL III**](http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/mdx6.htm)written by Micro-Design  compiled/archived by Wade Fincher\  type of document : PDF\  source : [WinTRS80 homepage](http://www2.asub.arknet.edu/wade/) author date text LaRoux King Gillespie (United States) Thursday 18th March 2021 In the later years of TRS-80 Model III I bought a 5meg external hard drive. Then IBM PC came along and I switched to it. In Kansas City we had a Radio Shack Computer User forum that met once a month in the Olathe Kansas store to share stories of how to program and get things to work. It was a giant help for me. About 30 of us met there. Dad sold me the Mod III that he had just bought for $2500 in 1982/1983. I went without lunches for a year and half to pay for that. I gave a lecture to a wealthy women''s group on Ward Parkway in about 1984 or so and took my Mod III with me to demonstrate what a computer could do. I kept mentioning how useful the users group was. After 30 minutes a lady said, "Oh, you are not talking about a drug users group." It never occurred to me to explain what a computer users groups was. author date text LaRoux King Gillespie (United States) Thursday 18th March 2021 I have some old radio shack programs. and Tandy tapes that could be read by Model III in my day. Who could I donate them to? Also I have several Basic program text books who to give to? author date text Chuck Rose (Vermont, USA) Friday 26th December 2014 In 1983, I worked on one of these for a Radio Shack store that also rented VHS movie tapes. It was a 48k dual floppy machine with a printer attached. My mission was to write the BASIC software necessary to inventory and keep track of which movies were currently rented out. It also printed out the tapes that were available for a given month. I got this job because I had experience with Level II BASIC on the Model I machine. Great times! :) author date text Johannes (Switzerland) Wednesday 20th August 2014 At school we had the model I and the TRS80 model III was my first own computer. I still have it and it is still working and I also have lots of original documentation and tons of floppies. As I bought it once in Germany it has an extremely rare feature: German keyboard layout! So I''m very proud to have it $-) Would be happy to share memories about this machine if you like: jvogel@vetphys.uzh.ch author date text Scott (USA) Wednesday 4th June 2014 My parents bought me a TRS-80 Model III as a high school graduation present in 1981. That was a sweet machine at that time. Of course, I didn''t have floppy disks because those were too expensive. OTOH, I did have the new *triple speed* audio cassette that could load data at a zippy 1500 bits per second! I quickly outgrew the 16K of RAM and upgraded first to 32K and then maxed out at 48K. I still have the machine, and I still have the Model III ROM Commented book that has the assembly source code for the L2 ROM. Not seeking to sell...just posting for shared interest. :-) author date text Rob (California, USA) Monday 23rd July 2012 This was my first computer. I bought it used (or perhaps I should say that my mom bought it for me as I didn''t have money at the time (Sound familar??)) for $1000 used. Came with two caes of disk, bunch of Load-80 tapes and several books. That night I was up until 5:00 A.M.w when my mom made me go to bed. I woke up 3 hours later and was back on the machine. True, the graphics sucked even at the time, but the games were still fun. I also had fun BBSing (but for some reason it wasn''t fun when the phone bill came looking as thick as a phone book ...just kidding, but the bill was no laughing matter. Still, it was fun trying to get on that popular BBS that ALWAYS had a busy signal....*SIGH* I tell you kids have SO EASY now a days with the Internet. Able to listen to any song you want right away w/o having to call a radio station asking the DJ to put it on wondering f he/she would, never getting a busy signal when you want to go online. In a weird way it was fun trying to get on that populat BBS$ LOL How many of you remember paying $40 for a box of ten 5 1/4" floppies at Radio Shack? That''s something I don''t miss!!! I do remember an Elephant floppy I had that I used to boot the system. I used that sucker for a year at least and that floppy NEVER gave me a gram of trouble. author date text Greg Brackett (United States) Tuesday 21st February 2012 I have a TRS80 III and the wide printer. Purchased back in 1985. Last used about 1995. Has been stored in excellent condition. Lots of cables and misc. Several boxes of books, magazines and software for this computer. If someone is interested in them please contact me. flyrite777@juno.com author date text Greg Brackett (United States) Tuesday 21st February 2012 I have a TRS80 III and the wide printer. Purchased back in 1985. Last used about 1995. Has been stored in excellent condition. Lots of cables and misc. Several boxes of books, magazines and software for this computer. If someone is interested in them please contact me. flyrite777@juno.com author date text Eric69 (Oullins / France) Tuesday 26th July 2011 J''ai 2 ordinateurs à donner, TRS-80 Modèle III (64Ko, 2 flopy 5"1/4, + carte graphique) et TRS-80 Modèle IV (clavier accentué) , plus une imprimante daisyweel avec margueritte.\ Le tout en parfait état.\ Faire offre de rachat au prix des frais de port, ou venir chercher en france. Tel 0336 23 86 38 45. 033478 21 42 14\ Urgent avant le 15 Aout 2011, date de destruction. Me contacter pour se mettre d''accord. author date text Dan Harvell (Spring Lake, MI) Sunday 23rd January 2011 @PAUL (FROM MICHIGAN) - I just left a job as "Computer Operator" that still prints reports off a line printer on good ol'' greenbar paper. Stepping into that office is like stepping in a time machine! But, on topic, my experience with the TRS-80 Model III was in the 5th grade. My 5th grade teacher predicted that we would be looking up information on our computers, rather than libraries, by the time my 5th grade class was in college. We laughed at him, back then. He was right on the money. author date text Kenneth (Iowa ) Wednesday 10th February 2010 This was my first computer and I remember typing in code so I could play games. My dad still has this. Any idea if it is worth anything today? author date text Francis Darmanin (Malta) Friday 24th October 2008 I purchase a new TRS 80 Mod III at the beginning of the 80''s. This came with 48K of RAM and two floppy 5.1/4" drives. I had it sent over from UK. At the time I was very interested in Amateor radio just having obtained my Ham license. I learned to program in basic using the manual supplied with the machine and this was the basis of my working in the IT field. I also purchases a unit called Terminall which I could use with my TRS 80 and Transciever to send and receive RTTY (radio teletype). Radio teletype was the old type telex. At the time machines still used punched tape to send messages but the TRS 80 with Terminall did it using software. I still have the machine sitting covered in my garage. Hopefully someone will decide to open a computer museum and it will find its righfull place there. author date text Paul (Royal Oak, Michigan, USA) Tuesday 9th January 2007 Back in 1984, my freshman year of highschool, our computer classes consisted of puchcards for FORTRAN programming and the good old "Trash-80" model III for BASIC and COBOL programming. I still remember the day I discovered the "dir" command and ran every single DOS command listed, up to and including format... which formatted the system drive for the network and killedeveryones projects. Live and learn. Oh, the days of 360K 5 1/4" disks and green-bar printouts. author date text Mary (indiana usa) Monday 27th November 2006 Hey there just got one today from a computer recycle place for free. ummm but how do turn this thing on! :) i used the switch next to the keyboard but the screen is blank......is it damaged? or is there a seprate switch for the screen? it has two disk drives. author date text Jon N. (Los Angeles, CA) Wednesday 10th May 2006 This was my second computer. I had the Model I, and with the FCC interference regulations that shut down the Model I, I was able to trade in my Model I on a new Model III. Al of the software that I had for both computers went with this model when I sold it. author date text Patrick Monks (USA) Saturday 11th February 2006 One of the "New and Improved" features was placing the "Reset" button right next to the number pad so that anyone could hit it while you were working on it! Many of us who sold these taped our business cards OVER that recessed button. On the other hand, unlike the model 1, you did not have to reach around the back to press the reset button. A very common and necessary function. author date text Tim Alosi (Massachusetts) Friday 2nd December 2005 This was also my first computer. 48K of ram, floppy drive, and tape drive. .NET web services are a long way from the basic programs I used to write. author date text David Remacle (Belgium) Tuesday 13rd January 2004 Tandy TRS-80 was my first vision of the Computers. I Start learn Basic Language ont that computer. author date text J. Michael Butler (Earth) Friday 5th April 2002 Cut my teeth on this one. It had 64k of memory, but only 48K was addressable. Rest was ROM. Mine came with one floppy. I remember adding the second one myself - instant computer technician. I also remember using a hole punch to create "flippies" - The drives were single sided. If you bought double sided diskettes, you could notch the other side and punch a couple of holes on either side of the case for the timing hole and - voila - you could flip the diskette and use the other side! Ah, the good 'ole days... /museum/radionic-model-r1001 /museum/sysdata-eletronica-jr /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-12 /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-16 /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-4 /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-4p /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-i /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-ii /software/attack-force /software/super-nova /software/typing-tutor 18 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230129160404/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=18 2023-01-29

The model 3 is generally regarded as the successor to the Model 1. Its two 5.25" floppy disk drives could convert model 1 disks.

Initially Radio Shack wanted to sell both the model 1 and 3 at the same time, but the FCC forced them to stop selling model 1. Is so they were discontinued because of the excessive radio noise that they put out.

However, the Model 3 wasn't FULLY compatible with the model 1. There were differences in ROM which meant some programs had to be converted, especially those machine language ones that made ROM calls.

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Model III configurations, by Dave Thompson:
TRS-80 Model III was sold in multiple configurations.
No hardrive configurations included:
Model III with Level 1 ROM, 8k RAM sold for US$799. Model III with Level 2 ROM, 16k RAM sold for $999.
The first floppy drive cost $849, and could store 168k. The second drive was cheaper, and could store more. The price difference is due to the first one included the drive controller. The increased space on the second drive (189k) was due to the first drive must also contain some TRS-DOS (the operating system).

Brandt Daniels adds:
There was also a TRS-80 VideoTex Computer terminal in 1980.

Mark Fowler reports:
I worked for a company in 1982 that had integrated a 5MB, and later a 10MB hard disk into the TRS80 Model III. It was then programmed in FORTRAN-66 as a dedicated medical records system, to mimic the pegbook accounting system in use in the 1980's. We introduced green phosphor, and later amber phosphor display tubes. Some systems were used with a modem to do simple email-type applications, and to access various bulletin boards.