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

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Tandy Radio Shack Color Computer	Computers	Home Computer	U.S.A.	1980	Motorola 6809 E	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links related oc_id source Color Computer /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco1_1.jpg /companies/tandy-radio-shack Tandy Radio Shack label value NAME Color Computer label value MANUFACTURER Tandy Radio Shack label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1980 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Tandy (Microsoft) BASIC interpreter label value KEYBOARD QWERTY, calculator type keyboard label value CPU Motorola 6809 E label value SPEED 0.895 MHz (or 1.79 MHz) label value RAM 4 KB (up to 64 KB) label value ROM 8 KB label value TEXT MODES max : 16 x 32, min : 16 x 8 label value GRAPHIC MODES Several graphic modes, max : 256 x 192 (with 2 colors) label value COLORS 9 label value SOUND 1 voice label value SIZE / WEIGHT 36.9 (W) x 34.4 (D) x 9.4 (H) cm label value I/O PORTS Tape, RGB, Joystick (2), Monitor, Cardridge, Serial RS232 label value OS OS-9 Level 1 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PRICE $400 photos adverts hardware connectors emulators links 106 title subtitle text image TANDY COLOR COMPUTER /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco_ebay_1.jpg title subtitle text image UNDER /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco1_under.jpg title subtitle text image REAR From left to right :\ - Reset button\ - Video out\ - Channel select A/B\ - Cassette\ - Serial\ - Right joystick\ - Left joystick\ - ON/OFF button /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco1_rear.jpg title subtitle text image OPENED /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco1_opened.jpg title subtitle text image LATER MODELS This late model of the Coco is quite similar to a Coco2 in aspect : mechanical keyboard and beige case. /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco_late-model_1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE COCO **(1)** Video clock. Fixes the number of displayed characters and lines.\ **(2)** System init button (Reset).\ **(3)** Connector for ROM cartridges or disk drives.\ **(4)** Memory chips holding RAM memory.\ **(5)** 6809-E microprocessor running at 895 Khz. (One of the few computers using a processor clock speed < 1 Mhz.).\ **(6)** Socket for an additional 8 Kb. ROM circuit.\ **(7)** 8 Kb. ROM circuit holding the Microsoft Basic interpreter and Input/Output routines.\ **(8)** Video 6847 chipset. Manages text and graphic displays.\ **(9)** Keyboard connector.\ **(10)** This switch allows two different TV channels to be used.\ **(11)** Standard tape recorder DIN connector with remote control.\ **(12)** Serial RS-232 DIN connector.\ **(13)** Integrated power supply transformer.\ **(14)** Power regulation components.\ **(15)** Power On/Off switch.\ **(16)** Connector for analogue joysticks. Can be used as well for various analog peripherals. /media/museum/photos/tandy_color1_inside_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOX /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOX /media/museum/photos/tandy_coco_box_2.jpg title subtitle text image US ADVERT #1 Picture courtesy of [Steve Browning, www.sbrowning.com/vintage](http://www.sbrowning.com/vintage). /media/museum/pubs/tandy_trs80-coco1_pub_1.jpg title subtitle text image US ADVERT SEPT. 1981 Courtesy of **[Attached](http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/)** /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_pub_s3.jpg title subtitle text image ISAAC ASIMOV #1 This November 1982 advert introduces the new CoCo 1 price : $299 instead of $399. Even if the advert said:\ "Hurry - this fantastic offer ends december 31, 1982"\ the price never came back to $399. /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_asimovad_1.jpg title subtitle text image ISAAC ASIMOV #2 Courtesy of **[Attached](http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/)** /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_pub_s5.jpg title subtitle text image CHRISTMAS 1982 Advert said: **A smart investment**\ Radio Shack's popular TRS-80 Color Computer is now on sale. You can get this complete, versatile system with a 16 K-byte memory and Standard Color BASIC language for only $299.95 (Cat. No. 26-3004, reg. $399.95). It's the affordable way for the entire family to start computing. The Extended BASIC - 16 KB version was priced $399.95\ The 32 KB version was priced $549.95. /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_chpub_1.jpg title subtitle text image DISK DRIVE #1 JAN. 1982 Courtesy of **[Attached](http://www.aci.com.pl/mwichary/)** /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_pub_s4.jpg title subtitle text image DISK DRIVE #2 FEB. 1983 Advert says: These 35-track, 51/4" double-density drives will give you the high-level performance you want from your Color Computer. Each drive puts over 156K of on-line data and program storage right at your fingertips. And you can chain up to four drives together for a total of more than 626K. Yet all that extra storage is available at a seek time of 30 milliseconds and a data transfer rate of 250 bits per second... /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_pub_2.jpg title subtitle text image COCO CLONE ADVERT Sampo, a Taiwanese company specialized in monitors and video terminals production also attempted to produce a CoCo clone computer, but the marketing little lasted. /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_clonesampo_1.jpg title subtitle text image PRINTERS ADVERT /media/museum/pubs/tandy_color1_printeradv_1.jpg 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 /museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer-2 /museum/tandy-radio-shack-color-computer-3 91 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230326032528/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=91 2023-03-26

The Tandy TRS-80 Color Computer was known to be called "coco" (Color Computer) by its users. It uses its own version of BASIC, "Tandy Color BASIC" instead of the world famous Microsoft BASIC.

It was followed by the TRS-80 Color Computer II in 1982.

The Welsh Dragon 32 was one of its many clones...

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More information about the various Tandy Color BASIC versions from Lee Veal :
In reality, the 'dialects' of BASIC on all versions of the TRS-80 Color Computer 1s & 2s were written by Microsoft for Tandy. That includes Color BASIC (CB), Extended Color BASIC (ECB) and Disk Extended Color BASIC (DECB).
In fact, with very few modifcations, BASIC programs from an IBM-PC or compatible using Microsoft BASIC could run on a CoCo and vice versa. (The way I know that is that I did it. Some were quite complex graphics oriented programs.)
Within one-half K of the beginning the Color BASIC ROM address, there's a character string that reads "COLOR BASIC 1.0(C) 1980 TANDYMICROSOFT". When you fire up a CoCo 1 that has only the Color BASIC ROM, you'll see on the screen
COLOR BASIC 1.0
(C) 1980 TANDY
The authors of Tandy's Color BASIC (Microsoft) left their name in the code, but they left it off the opening display.
Subsequent levels of CoCo BASIC (Extended CB and Disk Extended CB) had Microsoft prominently displayed in the opening display. Thus, Color BASIC was quite compatible for obvious reasons with the BASIC that Microsoft develped for the PC. Extended and Disk Extended versions of CoCo BASIC were even more compatible with Microsoft's BASIC for the PC.

On the other hand, the BASIC dialects contained in computers like the Commodore-64, TI-994A, etc were quite incompatible with any version of Microsoft BASIC.

The BASIC developed by Microware (the developers of the OS-9 operating system and originally Tandy's first choice of a BASIC developer), called BASIC09, was NOT compatible with Microsoft BASIC. BASIC09 is and was a powerful language that compiled to intermediate code but it is more akin to Pascal then BASIC.