website/content/museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer-2.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Tandy Radio Shack Color Computer 2	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1983	Motorola 6809E	name company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links comments related oc_id source Color Computer 2 /companies/tandy-radio-shack Tandy Radio Shack label value NAME Color Computer 2 label value MANUFACTURER Tandy Radio Shack label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1983 label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard, 53 keys.\ Arrow keys, BREAK, CLEAR, SHIFT (x2) label value CPU Motorola 6809E label value SPEED 0,89 Mhz (1,8 Mhz by programming the clock generator) label value RAM 16 KB, 32 KB or 64 KB, depending on models label value ROM 8 KB (Color Basic), but later models had 16 KB (Extended Color Basic) label value TEXT MODES 32 x 16 label value GRAPHIC MODES 256 x 192 (2 colors), 128 x 192 (2 and 4 colors), 128 x 96 (4 and 2 colors), 32 x 64 (8 colors) label value COLORS 9 label value SOUND 1 voice (6-bit DAC) label value SIZE / WEIGHT 9 x 35 x 37,5 cm label value I/O PORTS Expansion/Cartridge connector, two analog joystick connectors, cassette interface (1500 bauds), RS232 serial port, TV RF connector label value OS OS9 Level 1 with disk-drives label value POWER SUPPLY PSU built-in label value PRICE 16k standard model : $159.95 (USA, 84)\ 16k extended model : $199.95 (USA, 84)\ 64k extended model : $259.95 (USA, 84) photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links title subtitle text image COLOR COMPUTER 2 null title subtitle text image COLOR COMPUTER 2 null title subtitle text image DETAIL null title subtitle text image REAR From left to right: - Tape Interface (cass)\ - Serial I/O\ - Right joystick connector\ - Left joystick connector\ - TV channel select switch\ - TV video output\ - Power on/off button null title subtitle text image BOX null title subtitle text image PROMOTIONAL LEAFLET null title subtitle text image TRS-80 COLOR COMPUTER DISK SYSTEM It includes single external disk drive (uses standard DS, DD 5.25” floppy) with plug in disk interface, and 92 page users guide. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_color1_fd500_2.jpg title subtitle text image FD-501 5''1/4 disk-drive This picture show the case housing a double disk-drive, the controler cartridge and the box. The cartridge has the "Microsoft Extended Color Basic 2.1" in ROM. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco_fd501-disk_1.jpg title subtitle text image PLUG AND POWER Domotic hardware ! An incredible extension for any Coco computer ! It turns your lights and other equipment on and off at designated times. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco_plug-and-power.jpg title subtitle text image PLUG'N'POWER Pic #2 This is the x10 (x-10) "Plug 'n Power Appliance and Light Controller" that goes with the cartridge of the same name. This can be used to program lights and other electrical devices in your home or office to turn on or off using the x10 protocol (you need to have x10 controllers on devices you would like to control) /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_plugnpower_2.jpg title subtitle text image RS232 PACK /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco_rs232-pack.jpg title subtitle text image SPEECH & SOUND CARTRIDGE /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco_speech-sound-cartridge_1.jpg title subtitle text image SPEECH-SOUND PAK cat. no 26-3144 /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_speech-sound-pak.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL TO PARALLEL CONVERTER It is a serial to parallel converter (DB25 connectors). A sticker on the bottom tells of all of the DIP switch settings, and a little LED shows the power status /media/museum/hardware/tandy_serial-parallel_converter_1.jpg title subtitle text image 512K TURBO RAM from Speech Systems This board installs in a coco 3 to give it a whopping 512k of ram ! /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco3_speech-system-512k-turbo-ram.jpg title subtitle text image WICO JOYSTICK ADAPTER The Wico TRS-80 adapter allows you to use Atari 2600 joysticks (and other various controllers using the Atari standard) on your Color Computer /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_vcsadapt_1.jpg title subtitle text image TRS80 COLOUR MOUSE /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_trs80colormouse_1.jpg title subtitle text image TRS-80 TOUCH PAD /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_trs80-touch-pad.jpg title subtitle text image TANDY JOYSTICK /media/museum/hardware/tandy_color1_joystick_1.jpg title subtitle text image GT-116 Tandy graphic tablet A4 size. It is used for transfering pictures or drawings, and also as a menu pointing system. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_color1_tablet_1.jpg title subtitle text image VINYL KEYBOARD COVER Suitable for models 2 and 3. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_plastic-cover_1.jpg title subtitle text image DC-2212 1200-baud modem with automatic dialing and answer /media/museum/hardware/tandy_color1_modem2212_s1.jpg title subtitle text image MULTI-PACK INTERFACE Model 26-3124 The Multi-Pack plugs into the cartridge slot on the side of the Color Computer and allows up to four devices to be plugged into the computer at the same time. A switch on the front of the MPI allows to switch between the 4 ROM Paks. This can be done also with software commands. With the MPI, a disk drive, an RS-232 Program Pak, and a game cartridge could be used simultaneously. /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco_multipack-interface_1.jpg title subtitle text image OLDER MODEL /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_multipack-old_1.jpg title subtitle text image OLDER MODEL Box /media/museum/hardware/tandy_coco2_multipack-old_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image TANDY COLOUR PRINTERS **CGP 220** : (left) 7 colours Inkjet printer\ **CGP 115** : (right) 4 colours plotter /media/museum/hardware/tandy_color1_printers_1.jpg title subtitle text image CGP 115 #2 4-pen color graphic printer.\ Cat. 26-1192A /media/museum/hardware/tandy_color1_4penprinter_s1.jpg title subtitle text image JOYSTICK CONNECTOR Looking at the outside of the Joystick jack on the computer **(1)** Comparator input (Right-Left)\ **(2)** Comparator input (Up-Down)\ **(3)** Ground\ **(4)** Fire button 1, High when open, Low when closed\ **(5)** Vcc, current limited +5VDC\ **(6)** Fire button 2 /media/museum/connectors/tandy_color3_con_joystick_s1.jpg title subtitle text image SERIAL RS232 CONNECTOR Looking at the outside of the DIN socket on the computer **(1)** **CD** Carrier detect (Status input line)\ **(2)** **RD** Receive Data\ **(3)** **GROUND** Zero voltage reference\ **(4)** **TD** Transmit Data Out /media/museum/connectors/tandy_color3_con_serial_s1.jpg title subtitle text image TAPE RECORDER CONNECTOR **(1)** Remote control\ **(2)** Signal ground\ **(3)** Remote control\ **(4)** Input from recorder\ **(5)** Output to recorder /media/museum/connectors/tandy_color3_con_taperec_s1.jpg title url platform text TRS-80 Colour Computer 2 Emulator http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#coco2 MS DOS This DOS emulator (freeware) will run original CoCo as well as CoCo 2 software title url platform text Virtual CoCo for MacOS http://www.maya.com/Local/phil/coco/ Apple title url platform text MOCHA http://members.cox.net/javacoco/ Other platform TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo) Emulator Written In Java title url platform text MESS http://www.mess.org Multiplatform MESS emulates Coco systems, among many other computers title url text Cloud-9 http://www.cloud9tech.com/Order/index.html The place where you can even buy a brand new CoCo3 title url text CoCo Quest Color Computer Games and More! http://www.prowler-pro.com/coco/ title url text Coco Webring http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=CoCo&id=40&list It says it all ! title url text CoCo Zonz http://www.bat-soft.com/coco/ title url text Color Computer Links http://coco3nuts.tripod.com/ title url text Color Computer Transfer Utility http://home.netcom.com/~tlindner/CTU.html title url text NitrOS9 HTTP://NITROS9.LCURTISBOYLE.COM Various Coco webpages, including 100+ downloadable games 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 www.coco3.com http://www.coco3.com The title speaks for itself ! It includes among many things, a Coco FAQ title url text Web Wiz CAPTCHA http://www.webwizcaptcha.com Discussion about Tandy computers author date text Tim Norton (USA) Tuesday 21st June 2016 This is the one that started it all for me. I moved to a new school in the fall of ''86 and in the back of the classroom was a CoCo. I stayed after school typing programs into that thing so often that my teacher finally got frustrated and told me to become a paperboy and buy my own computer... so I did, I got an Atari 800xl, then a 400, a C64 and Vic-20 and a bunch of other machines.... Now I am a computer technician at a major university looking back at these tiny machines with their kilobytes of ram and mhz processors. Those were the days :) author date text Ron (Missouri) Wednesday 20th November 2013 I have a Tandy 64 Color Computer 2 still in the original box and packing, with the original books and cords including a tv/coax slide adaptor. It has a slot for a rom drive but there are no rom drives with the computer The box says 64K EXTENDED Basic on the end with the serial number and cat. no. on the box as well. the cords have never been out of their original plastic packaging but I took the computer out of the plastic to look at it. from the looks of the packing I doubt it has ever been plugged into a wall outlet. It is just like the first TRS 80 that I started out with about 30 years ago... Except this one is "Brand New"! author date text Ryan Schweitzer (ND, USA) Tuesday 21st December 2010 The CoCo2 was my first computer I ever had. I actually had 2 CoCo2s, the first was one I borrowed back in 1990 from a family friend who wasn''t really using it much at the time, and that machine provided my first real personal computer experience. I remember spending hours on it typing in BASIC programs from books about the CoCo that I''d check out from the library (I even still have one program saved on cassette laying about somewhere). The second CoCo2 I had I bought in 1992 at a local hamfest flea market (I then returned the borrowed CoCo2 I first had, since I had my own now). The fellow I bought it from actually modified the unit to have additional composite video and line audio outputs (the CoCo2 only has a stock RF output for the video), albeit the video only being black $ white. But it was still a super machine, and even came with some program cartridges (one of them was the "Audio Spectrum Analyzer" cartridge, which allowed the CoCo to function as such in real-time using the audio in from the cassette cable!). I later acquired that same year a CoCo3 with dot-matrix printer, floppy software, and floppy drives $ controller cart from a neighbor''s rummage sale. I was rolling in the CoCo clover, so to speak! I later had also acquired from a friend a VT-100 clone terminal and a modem around the same time to access the local BBSes and the then-nascent Internet through a dial-up service offered through school. I took the printer that came with the CoCo3 and hooked it up to the terminal to make hardcopies of what I would access online! In 1993, I got my first PC, a true-blue IBM XT, and ended up selling all my CoCo gear at one of our own family garage sales that year (something I do regret doing :-( ). But the CoCo helped me to ignite the strong interest I have in computing, and hopefully I can find another CoCo system again on eBay or elsewhere (or run an emulator otherwise), just for old time''s sake!!! author date text Chulang Searles (Barbados(West Indies)) Tuesday 15th August 2006 If you want to use it on a mordern TV, buy a coauxual to RCA adaptop. Connect one end or the TV cable of a video cable use for a VRC to one end then plug it into the TV out of the Co-co 2. Connect the coaxual free end to the antenna connection of the Television set. Select channel 3 on the TV, turn on the computer and it willwork. It was a gret computer to learn computer interfacing on. I use the analog ports to create a scope for checking and repairing saudio equiptment and the tape output as a signal generator. author date text Onekopaka (west side of rockies) Sunday 19th March 2006 I dont understand BASIC and the coco2 i have is junk now that we dont have a compatible TV. Is there a way to hook it up to new TVs? author date text Barry Beaubien (da yooper) Thursday 20th February 2003 My first computer was a CoCo 1. I just picked up a 'Tandy Color Computer 2 with 64kb of ram. Plugged it into the wall and TV and there it was... M$ Extended Basic! The 'puter, while not in its origional box still had the operational manuels with it. I got it at Saint Vinnie's and I figured that the books, alone, were worth the price [it cost me a buck!]. I still have the casette player from my coco1... now if I can just find the cords to connect them! For their time they were powerful educational tools, and I kicked butt at astroids! author date text David A. Czuba (Hamburg, NY) Monday 14th October 2002 Does anyone recall, or have a digital copy of, an old 6809 assembly language programming advertisement for a through-the-mail course, with a cartoon graphic of a beared guy in suspenders pointing his finger and saying, "I'll teach you a lesson!" ? It was a great ad, and would make great memorabilia for mousepads, coffeemugs, etc. author date text dan (USA) Tuesday 28th May 2002 This was my first computer thing also. hard to call it a pc compared to today. I may still have a logo cartridge around the house somewhere. maybe i can find a backup on audio cassette somewhere. author date text Johno (Australia) Wednesday 1st May 2002 Rick, here are some websites dedicated to trs-80 users. Hope you enjoy them. The TRS-80 Home Page www.kjsl.com/trs80\ Tim Mans TRS-80 Pages www.tim-man.org/trs80html author date text Rick Cummins (Fort Wayne, In.) Sunday 21st April 2002 I guess not many people read this site. I still have all three of my coco II's from the early 1980's. It was cheaper to get a new one than to upgrade. I spent many late nights typing lines of "Q basic" from Rainbow magazine and saving it on cassette. The rom pack software was great. I still play around with it once and awhile. It was a great affordable learning tool. Where are all the old users? Would like to chat! Rick Cummins author date text Joseph Hays (USA) Wednesday 13rd February 2002 Ahh, the TRS-80 color model 2.. the first system I ever had. it sure brings back memories; Of course, I was only 4 when I got it :) /museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer /museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer-3 508 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230604031933/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=508 2023-06-04

The Color Computer 2 (coco2) replaced the Color Computer "Model 1" in 1983. It has the same characteristics than the Model 1 but has a better keyboard and a more integrated circuitry.

There were several models of the Coco2, some with only 8k ROM (Color Basic) called Standard Color Computer 2, and others with 16k ROM (Extended Color Basic) called the Extended Color Computer 2. Some later models differ also in RAM capacity (16k, 32k or 64k).

It was replaced with the Color Computer 3 in 1986.

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About the double speed, Gary Clouse specifies:
The double speed mode was not really accomplished by changing the clock speed. The Synchronous address multiplexor (SAM) chip by default generated memory refresh cycles for the entire address space. the "double speed poke" disabled the refresh cycle for the upper 32k memory address, where the ROM was mapped. Since the ROM was static, it didn't need this and since BASIC spent most of its time in the rom routines, it would appear to nearly double the speed. The flip side of this was that many I/O functions that relied on timing loops would be unusable, such as saving data to a tape. Also if you were using the upper 32k of ram, the double speed poke would wipe the memory.