TRS-80

 

 

 

 

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TRS-80 Color Computer 2 -- The Tandy Radio Shack-80 Color Computer 2 was released in 1983.  The product line is lovingly referred to as the Trash-80 or the CoCo.   The first CoCo was released in 1980, but the TRS-80 line goes all the way back to 1977.  This places it in good company with the Apple 2 and the more business oriented Commodore PET as one of the earliest gaming-capable computer lines.  

It isn't really fair to lump the entire TRS-80 line together in one category.  The pre-CoCo TRS-80s were not very capable gaming machines.  Their limited graphics capabilities hindered their gaming viability.  The TRS-80 CoCo, on the other hand, was considered a serviceable gaming PC in its heyday.  It had far superior graphics and sound compared to its ancestor.  Ironically though, the CoCo actually had less third-party game support than the original TRS-80.  This was because the original computer only had to compete with Apple, and in the beginning Tandy was holding its own in terms of sales.  The CoCo, on the other hand, was always  a runner up to its contemporaries from Apple, Atari and Commodore.  There were not many big-name, third party games for the TRS-80 CoCo, but Radio Shack did enough publishing to make it a viable gaming platform.  The product line evolved and was sold into the late 80's, but by that time it was already obsolete for gaming purposes compared to its contemporaries.  GOTCHA acquired its CoCo 2 complete in the box in 1998.

CPU: Motorola 6809 E, 1.79 MHz
ROM: 16 Kb
RAM: 16 Kb
OS: Microsoft BASIC Color
Text mode: max : 16 x 32, min : 16 x 8
Graphic mode: Several graphic modes, max : 256 x 192 (with 2 colors)
Colors: 9
Sound: 1 voice
I/O Ports: Tape, RGB, Joystick (2), Monitor, Cartridge, Serial RS232
Storage:  None
Introduced: 1983

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Last modified: November 09, 2001
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