G+_George Kozi Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 h/t Crystal Brewton Originally shared by Brad Acker Today in History: Radio Shack unveiled TRS-80 PC On August 3, 1977 — 37 years ago today — Radio Shack announced its first personal computer. Later models made this TRS-80 Model I, which came equipped with 4KB of RAM, cassette-tape storage, and a built-in BASIC interpreter. Along with Commodore’s PET and Apple’s Apple II, the TRS-80 was one of the first mass-produced personal computers. In this early period for microcomputers, most units came in kit form and appealed more to hobbyists. These fully complete personal computers were the first to address the average person and became quite popular in schools. The “TRS-80 Micro Computer System,” as it was called on the day it was announced, was not delivered until November to individuals and organizations that had ordered the product unseen. The product quickly became the #1 personal computer, largely because it was marketed through more than 3,000 Radio Shack storefronts. By 1979, the TRS-80 had more software titles available for it than any other PC product. [Apple and Steve Jobs must have remembered this situation when they decided to open retail stores after Jobs returned in Apple. For comparison, today Apple has 425 retail stores and they have become the most successful in business history.] By 1980, Kilobaud Microcomputing magazine estimated that Radio Shack was selling 3 times as many personal computers as Apple. https://plus.google.com/+BradAcker/posts/6wEgJUQbcQi Sources: •http://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/ •http://techland.time.com/2012/08/03/trs-80/ •http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80 •http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilobaud_Microcomputing •http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Store Image Credit: •http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/TRS-80_Model_I_-_Rechnermuseum_Cropped.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Chris Cooling Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Happy 37 to Trash80 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jorge Câmara Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 those were good times ... indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Keith Foster (Rex's Den Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 I just noticed the ribbon. Pull the keyboard a bit closer and you've broken it. LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Glenn Hoeppner Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 Radio Shack used to be cool. What happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Keith Foster (Rex's Den Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Glenn Hoeppner Now when I want capacitors I have to order them online and wait. All Radio Shack sells now are phones and toys. They should just change their name to PhonesRUs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Glenn Hoeppner Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I think they were trying to keep up with a changing marketplace, and all they ended up doing was alienating their loyal customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Brian Beatty Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 I had one of these when I was 7. We also subscribed to CLOAD magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts