Tandy Model 100
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| Developer | Kyocera, Tandy, Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Type | Portable computer |
| Release date | 1983 |
| Introductory price | for 8K version US$1,099 (equivalent to $2,700 in 2017) 24K versions US$1,399 (equivalent to $3,437 in 2017) |
| Units sold | 6,000,000 |
| Operating system | Custom dedicated runtime in firmware |
| CPU | 2.4-MHz Intel 80C85 |
| Memory | 8 KB - 32 KB (supported) |
| Display | 8 lines, 40 characters LCD |
| Graphics | 240 by 64 pixel addressable graphics |
| Input | Keyboard:56 keys, 8 programmable function keys, and 4 dedicated command keys |
| Power | Four penlight (AA) cells, or external power adapter 6V (>180 mA) |
| Dimensions | 300 by 215 x 50 mm |
| Weight | About 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb) with batteries |
The TRS-80 Model 100 is a portable computer introduced in 1983. It is one of the first notebook-style computers, featuring a keyboard and liquid crystal display, in a battery-powered package roughly the size and shape of a notepad or large book.
It was made by Kyocera, and originally sold in Japan as the Kyotronic 85. Although a slow seller for Kyocera, the rights to the machine were purchased by Tandy Corporation. The computer was sold through Radio Shack stores in the United States and Canada and affiliated dealers in other countries. It became one of the company's most popular models, with over 6,000,000 units sold worldwide. The Olivetti M-10 and the NEC PC-8201 and PC-8300 were also built on the same Kyocera platform, with some design and hardware differences. It was originally marketed as a Micro Executive Work Station (MEWS), although the term did not catch on and was eventually dropped.
Power supply: Four penlight (AA) cells, or external power adapter 6V (>180 mA, tip negative configuration)
The 8K and 24K versions sold for US$1,099 and US$1,399 respectively.
The Model 100 was promoted as being able to run up to 20 hours and maintain memory up to 30 days on a set of four alkaline AA batteries. It could not run from the rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries available at the time, but a hardware modification was available that made this possible.
The computer's only available form of mass storage was the port for a cassette audiotape recorder, which was notoriously finicky and unreliable. Many times several attempts to read a tape were required, along with much adjustment of the volume setting. A popular alternative was the Tandy Portable Disk Drive (TPDD), a serial device capable of storing 100 KB of data on a 3.5-inch diskette; this drive is identical to the Brother FB100 drive for knitting machines. A second version, the TPDD2, can store up to 200 KB, as it uses both sides of double-sided disks.
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