yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
3eeabe9649
6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun. 4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
305 lines
14 KiB
Markdown
305 lines
14 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Tandy Radio Shack TRS 80 MODEL II
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Professional Computer
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origins:
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- U.S.A.
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years:
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- '1979'
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cpus:
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- Zilog Z80 A
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params:
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name: TRS 80 MODEL II
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company: /companies/tandy-radio-shack
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company_name: Tandy Radio Shack
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: TRS 80 MODEL II
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Tandy Radio Shack
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- label: TYPE
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value: Professional Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: U.S.A.
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- label: YEAR
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value: May 1979
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: Basic delivered on disk
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: Full-stroke keyboard with separated numeric keypad
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- label: CPU
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value: Zilog Z80 A
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- label: SPEED
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value: 4 MHz
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- label: RAM
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value: 32 / 64 KB depending on models
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- label: ROM
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value: Unkown
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 40 x 24 / 80 x 24
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: None, but 32 graphical symbols are available to simulate graphics
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- label: COLORS
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value: monochrome built-in monitor
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: Heavy !
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Centronics/Parallel port, 2 x serial/RS232 ports
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- label: BUILT IN MEDIA
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value: One full height Shugart 8'' drive, single sided floppies with a capacity of 500K
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- label: OS
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value: TRS-DOS
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: Built-in PSU
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- label: PRICE
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value: $3,450 (USA, october 1979)
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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- hardware
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- emulators
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- links
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photos:
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- title: MODEL II
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: FRONT
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: LEFT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: 80'S WOMAN
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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This fabulous picture shows a happy woman using a complete TRS-80 Model II system. You can see 3 additional 8'' minidisks under the table, resulting in a 2Mb total storage capacity, wow. Behind the woman is a big Line Printer III.
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This whole configuration costed $8200 in 1981 (France).
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image: null
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- title: SAME CONFIGURATION
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subtitle: ''
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text: '... without the woman'
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image: null
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adverts:
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- title: ISAAC ASIMOV FEB. 1982
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subtitle: ''
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text: Courtesy of **[Attached](http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/)**
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image: null
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- title: FRENCH ADVERT (1981)
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: GERMAN ADVERT (1983)
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subtitle: ''
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text: A computer for each job
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image: null
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- title: NEW ZELAND ADVERT (1980)
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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"A complete system, including furniture (except chair) for only A$13164.95" Ouch!!
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Thanks to **Murray Moffatt** from New Zeland
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image: null
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hardware:
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- title: 8'' MINIDISKS
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subtitle: Serial# 26-416x
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text: |-
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Each of these additional 8'' minidisks can hold up to 500kb, not bad for 1981.
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Only one of these cost 7950fr and the box pictured above (3 minidisks) cost 15995fr (France, 81).
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image: null
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- title: REMOTE UNIT ACTIVE
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subtitle: Serial# 26-1210
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text: |-
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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.
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It cost 2895fr (France, 1981)
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_remote-unit-active.jpg
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- title: NETWORK II BOX
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subtitle: p/n 26-1211
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text: |-
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This box allowed up to 16 TRS computer to be networked. Three network boxes were released by Tandy (I, II and III).\
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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.\
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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.
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Thanks to **David Sutherland** for the pictures.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_network2_s1.jpg
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- title: DMP-200
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subtitle: ''
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text: 80-column, 100 cps dot matrix printer.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_model3_dmp200_s1.jpg
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- title: DAISY WHEEL PRINTER II
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subtitle: Serial# 26-1158
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text: |-
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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.
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It cost 9595fr (France, 1981)
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_daisy-wheel-printer-2_1.jpg
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- title: LINE PRINTER I
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subtitle: Ref# 26-7017
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text: |-
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This printer was a custom version of the Oki Microline 80.\
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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.
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It cost 716 Euros in 1981 (France).
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_model1_lineprinter1_s1.jpg
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- title: LINE PRINTER III
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subtitle: Serial# 26-1156
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text: 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).
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_line-printer-3_1.jpg
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- title: LINE PRINTER VI
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subtitle: Serial# 26-1166
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text: |-
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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.
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It cost 5495fr in 1981 (France).
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80-m1_line-printer-6_1.jpg
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- title: TP-10 THERMAL PRINTER
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subtitle: Box
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_trs80_tp-10_thermal-printer_box.jpg
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- title: EXATRON
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subtitle: Stringy Floppy drive
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text: |-
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The Exatron Stringy Floppy (ESF) was a low-cost data—storage system that fitted the gap, between cassettes and disk drives.\
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The system was based on a miniature endless—loop tape cartridge called a "wafer".\
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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.
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**Matt** reports to us:\
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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.
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Thanks to **David Sutherland** for the pictures
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image: /media/museum/hardware/tandy_model3_exatronwafer_s1.jpg
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emulators:
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- title: David Keil's TRS-80 Model III/4/4P Emulator Page
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url: http://discover-net.net/~dmkeil/trs80/model4.htm
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platform: MS DOS
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text: This program emulates a complete TRS-80
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- title: Matthew Reed's TRS-80 Emulator Web Site
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url: http://www.arrowweb.com/mkr/
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platform: MS DOS
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text: This page offers shareware versions of a TRS-80 Model 4 emulator and a TRS-80 Model 1-2 emulator
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- title: TRS-80 Model III/4 Emulator
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url: http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#model4
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platform: MS DOS
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text: This TRS-80 Model III/4 Emulator is a commercial product
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- title: 'xtrs: TRS-80 Model I/III/4 Emulator for Unix'
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url: http://www.tim-mann.org/xtrs.html
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platform: Unix / Linux
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text: xtrs is a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I/III/4/4P emulator for Unix and the X Window System
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- title: TRS-80 Level I BASIC in a browser
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url: http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html#simulator
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platform: Other platform
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text: With this Java emulator, you'll be able to write a BASIC program directly in your browser!
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- title: Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Pages
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url: http://www.trs-80.com/trs80-e.htm
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platform: Multiplatform
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text: A complete list of TRS-80 emulators for various platforms !
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- title: MESS
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url: http://www.mess.org
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platform: Multiplatform
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text: MESS emulator also emulates a TRS-80 systems
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links:
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- title: 8bit-micro.com - Online TRS-80 Computer Magazine
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url: HTTP://WWW.8BIT-MICRO.COM
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text: Online Magazine dedicated to the TRS-80 and other Vintage - Monthly Issues
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- title: David's TRS-80 Page
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url: http://freespace.virgin.net/david.sampson/
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text: ''
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- title: DOCUMENTS >
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url: http://www.trs-80.com/
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text: TRS-80 Model 2 manuals (PDF files)
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- title: Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Pages
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url: http://www.trs-80.com/
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text: Lof of infos about all TRS-80 computers
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- title: Java TRS-80 Model 1 BASIC Interpreter
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url: http://ganley.org/software/trs80.html
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text: ''
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- title: Kees's Computer Home
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url: http://home.iae.nl/users/pb0aia/cm/modelii.html
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text: Nice TRS-80 Model II dedicated page
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- title: Mike's Personal Computer Museum
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url: http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/mclays/trsmod1.html
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text: Level 1 & 2 Basic summaries, Tandy time-lines, price-list, etc ... !
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- title: RadioShackCatalogs.com
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url: http://www.RadioShackCatalogs.com
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text: Here, you can actually/virtually flip-through the pages to view the content of every RadioShack catalog!
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- title: The TRS-80 Home Page
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url: http://www.kjsl.com/trs80
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text: Full of infos
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- title: Tim Mann's TRS-80 Page
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url: http://www.tim-mann.org/trs80.html
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text: Infos, tools and home of xtrs, a Model I/III/4 emulator for Unix
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- title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
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url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
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text: Discussion about Tandy computers
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comments:
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- author: JonB
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date: Friday 17th January 2014
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text: |-
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I had a Model II with a 10MB hard drive. It was a separate unit in a matching case, so the twin 8" drives were also usable. And it was the size of a PC lying in its side, if a little less wise. I remember opening it up for a look-see and finding a belt driving the hard drive and the motor off to one side. This when all in one drives such as we see today were becoming the norm.
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I had quite a bit of software for it: Scripsit, DBase and BASIC, all running off TR-DOS, plus some CP/M disks which were (sadly) corrupted.
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- author: Chuck Rose (USA)
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date: Sunday 5th December 2010
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text: 'To Tom94022: The Shugart Hard Drives were sold in a separate box. The HD units could also be used with the Model III and 4 too as I recall. They also had a key lock on them for security.'
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- author: Sergio Internicola (Italy)
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date: Tuesday 6th November 2007
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text: In late 70's I developed a lot commercial software (accounting, insurance, etc.) for this machine (in Basic, with several critical routines written in Z80 machine language) and my company sold several of TRS-ModII. The problems with power supply involved mainly a tantalium condenser in the video card, which caused a black-out of the screen. On the other hand, it was a very good computer for its time.
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- author: Tom94022 (Los Altos, CA)
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date: Friday 16th March 2007
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text: |-
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Shugart Associates sold a large number of 8" hard disk drives to Tandy which I believe were incorporated into some variant of the TRS80 Model II. Does anyone recall whether it replaced the FDD in the chassis or went into a separate box (perhaps replacing an external FDD?\
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Tom
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- author: Lawrence Self (Brevard, NC )
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date: Friday 24th March 2006
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text: |-
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I have an antique TRS-80 Model II that has a character generator ROM that is fried to a golden black. I have an EPROM reader/burner so could build another on on a 2716 chip IF I can find the code or could borrow a chip to copy, etc. I can reconstruct the code if I knew the "rules" also.\
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Help......
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Thanks bunches
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Larry Self
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- author: Luke (Airzona)
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date: Wednesday 7th April 2004
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text: I recently got a complete set of the model 2. I have the moniter, keyboard, two of the 2 expansion drives that each holds 2 disks, and a unopened dot matrix printer. I still have the boxes for everthing but the moniter. I also found some mannuals and Newsletters to it. If anybody is interested or at least could give me more info about it that would be great
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- author: Karim Momin (Houston, Texas)
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date: Tuesday 3rd June 2003
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text: I still have this Model II...Great Memories!
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related:
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- /museum/radionic-model-r1001
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- /museum/sysdata-eletronica-jr
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- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-12
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- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-16
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- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-4
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- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-4p
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- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-i
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- /museum/tandy-radio-shack-trs-80-model-iii
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oc_id: 243
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230606185201/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=243
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date: '2023-06-06'
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---
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The TRS-80 model II, is the obscure brother of the TRS-80 family. Many internet pages deal with the models 1,3 and 4 but omit the model 2... This is maybe because the TRS-80 Model 2 was intended to be a business computer for use in offices and labs. Thus it is equiped with a full height Shugart 8'' drive with a capacity of 500k which is a lot compared to the 87k offered by the TRS-80 Model 1 system disk.\
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It is also possible to connect up to 4 floppy disk units, so you could have 2MB disk space online !
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It runs under TRSDOS, but can also achieve CP/M compatibility.
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Options for the machine included a hard disk controller, an arcnet network card, a graphics card and a 6 MHz 68000 board set with extra memory (up to 512K) so it could run XENIX.
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---
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**Mark Brumlik** reports to us:\
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Actually, there was a Hi-Res Graphics Mode for this machine, which mapped every pixel on the screen (still in monochrome). There was very limited software for it.\
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The machine had the capacity in hardware to utilize multiple 64K banks of memory but this was never implemented in production software. This is the same techiique the IBM PC and other clone 8-bit machines achieved 640K of memory (10 banks of 64K).
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**Edward Griffin** adds:\
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This machine could also read IBM formatted Mainframe and data entry unit disks. The data entry units (IBM 3742's I think) would write information directly to 8 inch floppys as the operater depressed the Carriage Return button, and then the disks could be taken from these large units and insterted into the drive of the model II for verification and other checking. I recall a Model II being expressly used for this purpose. It also came with a neat Radio Shack acoustic coupler!!\
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These machines did experiance frequent power supply problems though!
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