Here’s what was special about it.
After the introduction of the Model II later, this first model became known as the TRS-80 Model I.
In 1977, the TRS-80’s $599.95 price was a big deal.
Steven Stengel / Benj Edwards
But you always get what you pay for: The original TRS-80 was a fairly primitive machine.
Translate the name as “Tandy Radio Shack Z-80,” and it makes sense.
To this day, the Trash-80 nicknamestill bothersTRS-80 fans, so it’s not a kind or endearing name.
Radio Shack
What Was It Like to Use a TRS-80?
When you purchased a TRS-80 Micro Computer System, you had everything you needed to write and store programs.
With the included cassette drive, you could load or save data to an ordinary audio cassette tape.
Radio Shack
You could also purchase software on cassette or floppy disk for your Model I computer.
Still, the TRS-80 has sort of a middling-to-lackluster reputation compared to other early PCs like theApple II.
He says that its lukewarm reputation is a misunderstanding, partially due to the computer’s nickname.
Radio Shack
Of these, only the TRS-80 Model III and Model 4 series were backward-compatible with the Model I.
The Model II started its own parallel branch, as did the TRS-80 Color Computer series.
As for the TRS-80 Model I?
Radio Shack
But it still had a huge impact and made a lot of fans along the way.
Happy Birthday, TRS-80!
Related:40 Years Later: What Was it Like to Use an IBM PC in 1981?
