Tandy 1500 Hd Modernize and Sell Again

IBM PC compatible dwelling estimator system

Tandy 1000
Tandy 1000 computer original.jpg

The original model of the Tandy 1000

Type Habitation computer
Release appointment November 1984; 37 years ago  (1984-11) [1]
Introductory price Usa$1,200 (equivalent to $3,130 in 2021)
Discontinued 1993

The Tandy 1000 is the start in a line of IBM PC workalike home computer systems produced by the Tandy Corporation for auction in its Radio Shack and Radio Shack Computer Center chains of stores.

Overview [edit]

In December 1983, an executive with Tandy Corporation, maker of TRS-80 computers, said about the new IBM PCjr: "I'm sure a lot of people will be coming out with PCjr expect-alikes. The marketplace is big."[2] While preparing the Tandy 2000—the company's get-go MS-DOS estimator—for release in November 1983, Tandy began designing the Tandy m, code named "Baronial". Dissimilar the 2000 it would be PC compatible with the IBM PC, and support the PCjr graphics standard.[3]

Released in November 1984,[1] the $1,200 Tandy k offered the same functionality as the PCjr, but with an improved keyboard and improve expandability and compatibility.[four] [5] [6] "How could IBM accept made that mistake with the PCjr?" an amazed Tandy executive said regarding its chiclet keyboard,[vii] and another claimed that the yard "is what the PCjr should have been".[6]

The Tandy 2000—not completely PC compatible—speedily failed. Although the printing saw the 1000 as former personal-computer leader Tandy albeit that it could no longer focus on proprietary products in a market the IBM PC dominated, the 1000 sold more than units in the first month than any other Tandy product and by early 1985 was its best-selling calculator.[6] [eight] [3] The m has joystick ports like the PCjr, and its sixteen-colour graphics and 3-phonation audio, but not the PCjr ROM cartridge ports. Since IBM discontinued the PCjr soon after the release of the yard, Tandy quickly removed mentions of the PCjr in its advert while emphasizing its product'southward PC compatibility.[9]

Although Tandy initially marketed the 1000 as a business concern figurer like the IBM PC, InfoWorld stated in 1985 that the company "produced a real home computer".[8] The company claimed that the 1000 was "the first fully IBM PC-compatible reckoner available for less than $1000".[10] The yard helped the company obtain a 9.v% share of the US home-computer market place in 1986, a year in which Tandy stated that one-half of its compatibles were purchased for the home.[11] In 1988 CEO John Roach disagreed with Apple tree counterpart John Sculley'due south rejection of the home marketplace: "Let him deny it. He's the only other person that's well-represented in the home market, and if he wants to abandon information technology, information technology's all right with me".[12] Tandy also regained a significant share of the Apple-dominated educational market,[13] which the two companies had once equally shared.[14]

The 1000 and its many successors were successful, unlike the PCjr, partly because it was sold in ubiquitous Radio Shack stores and partly because the estimator was less costly, easier to expand, and almost entirely compatible with the IBM PC. The PCjr's enhanced graphics and sound standards became known equally "Tandy-uniform". With its graphics, audio, and built-in joystick ports, the 1000 was the all-time computer for PC games until VGA graphics became pop in the 1990s.[nine] Software companies of the era advertised their support for the Tandy platform;[fifteen] 28 of 66 games that Computer Gaming Globe tested in 1989 supported Tandy graphics.[sixteen]

Design and architecture [edit]

Tandy m computers were some of the first IBM PC clones to incorporate a complete set of basic peripherals on the motherboard using proprietary ASICs, the precursor of the chipset. Although the original Tandy 1000 came in an IBM PC-like desktop instance, some models, notably the g EX and 1000 HX, used home-computer-style cases with the keyboard, motherboard and disk drives in one enclosure. This loftier level of integration made these machines a toll-constructive alternative to larger and more than complex IBM PC/XT and PC/AT-type systems, which required multiple add-in cards, ofttimes purchased separately, to implement a comparable feature-set to the Tandy 1000.

Beingness derived from IBM's PCjr architecture, the Tandy g offered several of import features that most IBM PC-compatibles of the time lacked, such every bit the PCjr's sound generator and extended CGA-compatible graphics controller. Information technology as well offered multiple built-in I/O ports, including a joystick port which was oft a separate add-on carte on not-Tandy machines.

The original line was equipped with the Intel 8088 CPU, which was later extended to faster clock speeds and also the 8086, 80286 and toward the stop of the line with the RSX, 80386SX processors. Successors to the 1000 appended ii or iii messages to the proper name, afterwards a space (e.g. Tandy thou EX and Tandy 1000 HX). In a few instances, later these letters a slash was appended, followed by either a number or additional letters (e.g. Tandy k TL/two, Tandy 1000 RL/Hard disk).

Retirement [edit]

By 1993, changes in the market place made it increasingly difficult for Tandy Corporation to make a turn a profit on its figurer line. Tandy Corporation sold its computer manufacturing business to AST Computers, and all Tandy calculator lines were terminated. Radio Shack stores then began selling computers fabricated by other manufacturers, such as IBM[17] and Compaq.[xviii]

Reception [edit]

In an article subtitled "Junior meets his match", John J. Anderson of Creative Computing called the original Tandy yard "the automobile IBM was too inept, incapable, or afraid to manufacture. Information technology is sure to put a whopping dent not but into PCjr sales, merely into sales of the PC 'senior' as well". He favorably mentioned its depression cost, adept PC-software compatibility, and arranged DeskMate ("yous might never demand some other software parcel for your calculator").[four] lxxx Micro canonical of the g's PC compatibility and stated that the outside design "gives it a feeling of quality and confidence". The mag concluded that "Tandy's auto closely emulates the about basic functions of an IBM PC, and it does so at an affordable price ... along with the security of Tandy's substantial support network", but wondered if people would buy the 1000 if IBM lowered the price of the PC.[19]

InfoWorld noted the 1000'southward low price ("fully one-tertiary less than a comparably equipped IBM PC"), predicted that the calculator was actually intended for "the elusive home estimator market place", and speculated that "in retrospect it might have been the PCjr's concluding straw". The magazine called the thousand "almost as fully IBM PC uniform as a estimator can get", but gave DeskMate a mixed review and advised customers of the computer'southward inability to use total-length PC expansion cards. It concluded that "By making the 1000 cheap and adaptable" and including DeskMate, "Tandy produced a real dwelling house figurer".[8]

BYTE chosen the one thousand "a proficient, reasonably priced IBM PC clone that has most of the best features of the IBM PC and PCjr ... at current prices it is a very good alternative". It noted the loftier level of software compatibility and the skilful keyboard, and stated that DeskMate was "fairly good ... just a little extra programming work could have turned [it] into a much better program", noting that—for example—the word processor did not accept a Move command. The magazine also mentioned the computer's short slots.[v] PC Magazine also noted the slots and criticized the Tandy one thousand'southward fit and terminate, but acknowledged the computer'south low price and bundled hardware features.[20]

Technical details [edit]

All Tandy one thousand computers featured built-in video hardware, enhanced audio hardware (based on one of several variants of the Texas Instruments SN76496 sound generator) and numerous peripheral interfaces, including game ports compatible with those on the TRS-80 Color Computer, an IBM-standard floppy-disk controller supporting ii drives, and a parallel printer port, all integrated into the motherboard in addition to the hardware standard on the IBM PC/XT and, in after Tandy chiliad models, PC/AT motherboards.

For the original Tandy k, the designers omitted a straight memory access (DMA) controller because the PCjr does not have ane, and they believed that those who needed it would add together it with additional retention for the computer; they omitted the RS-232 port because all Tandy printers utilise the parallel port and, they believed, most customers would use internal modems.[21] The earlier models of the Tandy thousand had a composite video output, and could be used with a color or monochrome composite monitor, or a TV with an RF modulator. The original grand and SX had a light-pen port. Different nigh PC clones, several Tandy thousand computers had MS-DOS congenital into ROM and could kick in a few seconds. Tandy bundled DeskMate, a graphical suite of consumer-oriented applications, with various Tandy one thousand models.

Early on Tandy chiliad models used Phoenix BIOS. Mutual models of the machine included the Tandy k, 1000 EX, 1000 HX, 1000 SX, 1000 TX, k SL, 1000 RL, and m TL. With the exception of the RLX and RSX, the Tandy 1000 machines are XT-class machines, which cannot support extended memory despite some models using 80286 processors. The RLX is an oddity, every bit information technology is an XT-class machine that supports 384 KB of extended memory, and the RSX is a fully AT-class machine which tin can back up up to 9 MB of extended memory.

Expansion slots [edit]

With the exception of the one thousand EX and HX, Tandy used industry standard 8-bit XT ISA slots in their desktop models, including the SX, TX, SL, and TL series, but the actual length was limited to 10.5 inches or shorter, rather than the industry standard XT length of xiii inches. While many 8-bit cards met this length requirement, some cards such as hard cards, EMS memory cards, and multifunction cards that required the standard thirteen" length did not fit in the 1000's instance. The EX and HX utilized a PLUS-style connector, which was electronically identical to an eight-bit XT ISA slot, merely had a 62-pin Berg connector instead of a card edge, rendering it incompatible with ISA cards without an adapter. The PLUS connector was designed for firmness in these models with built-in keyboards. The 1000 RSX featured two 16-bit AT ISA slots.

Hard disk drive drives [edit]

As hd drives at the time of the Tandy 1000'southward introduction were very expensive, Tandy yard systems were not commonly equipped with hard drives. Yet, information technology was possible to add a difficult drive to most Tandy 1000 computers. Most of the desktop-type Tandy 1000 units could accept regular eight-chip ISA omnibus MFM, RLL and SCSI controllers similar typical XT-form machines; however, intendance had to be taken when configuring the cards then that they did not cause conflicts with the on-board Tandy-designed peripherals.

For near Tandy 1000 models (other than the compact EX and HX) that did not come already equipped with a hard drive, Tandy offered hard disk options in the form of hardcards that were installed in one of the computer's expansion slots and consisted of a controller and drive (typically a 3.v-inch MFM or RLL unit of measurement with a Western Digital controller) mounted together on a metal bracket. Their ain xx MB hard carte du jour was offered for $799, though compatible 3rd-party units were bachelor. Although this arrangement provided a corking physical coupling between the controller and the disk, unmarried-sector internal transfers and dependence on the speed of the host car to transfer data to memory meant that a trial-and-error approach was still needed to prepare the disk interleave correctly to ensure optimum transfer rates. Furthermore, as the Tandy 1000's slots were only 10.5" long and are 8-bit only, some units would not fit and/or operate correctly unless they were certified to exist Tandy-compatible.

Starting with the Tandy thou TL/2, XT IDE controllers were integrated onto the motherboard. Nevertheless, these were incompatible with common AT IDE difficult drives. The TL/2, TL/3, RL and RLX all used the XT IDE interface, where the subsequently (and significantly upgraded) RSX was the only Tandy 1000 model computer to use a standard AT IDE interface. One option for mod users of these systems is to install and use XT ISA CompactFlash adapter; this is also the most applied way to install a hard drive into a Tandy 1000 EX or HX, using an adapter cable that adapts the male PLUS-mode connector to an 8-flake ISA card-edge slot.

I/O and ports [edit]

Tandy chiliad, SX, TX used a proprietary 8-pivot round DIN connector for the keyboard port that was compatible with the older TRS computers but non compatible with the IBM PC/AT or PS/two standard. Some browse codes differed between the Tandy one thousand and IBM PC/XT and AT, resulting in software compatibility issues. The SL/TL and later used a more directly PC/XT-compatible keyboard protocol, and the k RSX used a PC/AT and PS/ii-compatible protocol.

Tandy 1000 used a proprietary vi-pin female round connector for the joystick port that on the SX/TX was adjacent to the keyboard port in the front end of the calculator. As with the keyboard, it was compatible with the older TRS-eighty and Tandy color estimator models, just not compatible with the IBM standard 15-pivot male game port. Some DOS games do non work with these joystick ports, only those that support Tandy 1000 graphics and audio piece of work.

Early on Tandy 1000 models used a not-standard menu-edge parallel printer port rather than industry standard DB-25 printer port. It required a Tandy-1000 compatible printer cablevision to connect to a standard printer parallel port. This was later inverse to a standard DB-25 connector on the thousand RL.

Tandy 1000TX and across used a proprietary floppy drive cable port, that also powered the floppy drive. It required a Tandy 1000 uniform floppy drive, though information technology may exist possible to change a floppy drive cable to brand a standard floppy bulldoze work.

Operating systems and environments [edit]

Tandy shipped PCs with their own customized version of MS-DOS, which are compatible with Tandy graphics and keyboard. The most current version of MS-DOS for Tandy grand is DOS 3.22. Tandy 1000s came shipped with one of several varieties of Deskmate, their own GUI productivity software suite.

At that place may be compatibility issues with after versions of DOS such every bit DOS 5 and DOS half-dozen. Until the thou RLX, Tandy 1000s were typically limited to 640 KB master memory, and non-Tandy versions of DOS often reduce the memory available for applications and games. In add-on, the hardware detection routine for the installer of Microsoft MS-DOS half dozen could corrupt the serial EEPROM of Tandy 1000 HX machines.[22]

Tandy 1000s could work with Windows one.0, 2.0 and 3.0 but not 3.1, with the exception of the RLX which could run Windows 3.1 in Standard mode,[23] and the RSX which fully supported running Windows 3.1 in 386 Enhanced mode.[23]

Peripherals [edit]

Monitors [edit]

Tandy offered two color monitors specific for its Tandy 1000 computers: the CM-v, with a 0.64 millimeter dot pitch,[24] and the Tandy CM-11 with a dot pitch of 0.42 mm.[25] Both were thirteen-inch displays and had a ability cablevision and a nine-pin RGB cable to attach to the Tandy CGA port. The more than expensive CM-xi likewise supported a special proprietary Tandy enhanced 225 scan line text brandish fashion.

Tandy also offered monochrome monitors that back up MDA and Hercules standard that likewise piece of work with Tandy 1000. Equally it uses a CGA-compatible interface, non-Tandy monitors that support CGA should work.

Keyboard [edit]

The original Tandy thousand, SX, EX, TX, HX used a proprietary keyboard and keyboard layout that was non uniform with the PC/XT/AT standard then in use. The layout of the keyboard prefigured the IBM Model Chiliad keyboard, with function keys arranged in a row at the elevation, instead of on the left as in the PC and PC XT/AT. Later models of the Tandy grand series, such equally the one thousand SL, TL and RL series used a keyboard more than similar and uniform with the IBM PS/2 serial keyboard connector and layout.

Mouse options [edit]

As the Tandy m used the same game ports every bit the Tandy Color Computer series, the 26-3025 Color Mouse and 26-3125 Deluxe Mouse were compatible with the Tandy one thousand, though not all DOS software and drivers were written to recognize them. The Tandy Digi-Mouse was also bachelor, which required a dissever controller that was available in either ISA or PLUS format. Systems with RS-232C series ports could employ standard series mice, and later on systems, such every bit the 1000 RL, featured a PS/2 mouse connector.

Joystick options [edit]

Radio Shack offered one push button joystick that worked with its proprietary vi-pin DIN joystick connector that was compatible with the older TRS-lxxx Color Computer but non standard 15-pivot IBM PC game ports often plant on sound cards and i/o multifunction ISA cards. It worked with many games written to take advantage of Tandy graphics and sound.

Modem options [edit]

Radio Shack offered Tandy 1000 PLUS 300-Baud PC Modem that was uniform with the 1000EX/HX that used PLUS slots. Radio Shack likewise offered 2400-baud internal modem. Tertiary party modems with speeds of 14k baud should work provided they are eight-bit ISA, and fit.

Printers [edit]

Radio Shack sold the Tandy DMP-130A dot matrix printers to go along with their Tandy 1000 line, along with compatible menu-edged printer cable. This printer was sold at home budget prices. Radio Shack frequently offered a parcel bundle with a Tandy yard computer, CM-5 upkeep monitor and DMP-130A printer. Using specially-designed aftermarket cables, it was possible to connect not-Tandy printers to the system.

Apple IIe compatibility [edit]

Tandy Radio Shack wanted to compete in the education, schoolhouse and domicile markets, which were dominated at the fourth dimension by the Apple IIe. In 1987, they partnered with Diamond and through Radio Shack sold the Diamond Trackstar 128 series Apple tree IIe compatibility board for $399, and offered free installation in their Tandy 1000 serial. This peripheral was similar to Apple tree IIe Card sold subsequently for certain Macintosh models; it was a fully functional Apple IIe clone with 128KB RAM and 6502 CPU and double high-resolution graphics which, allowed Tandy 1000 computers to run software written for the Apple IIe and IIc platform, an particularly important consideration in the education market place of the fourth dimension. It was too marketed to home users and businesses interested in having both MS-DOS and Apple tree II compatibility.

The board has a laissez passer-through RGB cable and floppy drive cable, and required an open ten-inch 8-bit ISA slot, and used a kick disk to boot into Apple manner. The kicking disk has both DOS and Apple software and is copy-protected. Compatibility was fairly good and allowed Tandy 1000 owners to run near Apple II software on their Tandy 1000 motorcar for less than the price of owning separate IBM PC and Apple Ii systems.

Many Tandy 1000s sold to schools came with the Diamond Trackstar 128 installed,[26] and dwelling house owners also purchased this for compatibility with both DOS and Apple Ii software.[27]

Organisation specifications [edit]

Full-size desktop systems [edit]

m/A/HD m SX 1000 TX chiliad SL, SL/2 grand TL, TL/2, TL/3
Processor Intel 8088 running at 4.77 MHz 8088 running at seven.16 or iv.77 MHz Intel 80286 running at 8 or four.77 MHz
  • xvi-flake memory information path[28]
Intel 8086 running at 8 or 4.77 MHz
  • TL, TL/2: 80286 running at 8 or 4.77 MHz
  • TL/iii: 80286 running at 10 or five MHz
RAM 128KB minimum; expandable to 640KB 384KB minimum; expandable to 640KB 640KB; expandable to 768KB
  • Memory beyond 640KB reserved for video logic
  • SL: 384KB
  • SL/ii: 512KB
  • Both systems expandable to 640KB
640KB; expandable to 768KB
  • Memory beyond 640KB reserved for video logic
Video controller Tandy Video (PCjr and CGA compatible) Tandy Video II
Sound chip Texas Instruments SN76489 or NCR 8496 (PSG) Tandy PSSJ (PSG, plus eight-chip ADC/DAC)
Drive bays 2 x v.25" half-height
  • SL: ii x 5.25" half-height
  • SL/two: 2 x iii.five" slim-line, 1 ten 5.25" half-height
two ten 3.v" slim-line, 1 ten 5.25" half-acme
Hard drive Optional
  • one thousand HD: 10 or 20 MB
Optional
Expansion slots 3 10 eight-bit PC-XT ISA slots 5 x eight-bit PC-XT ISA slots
Keyboard TRS-80 compatible; not-XT compatible PC/XT uniform
Ports
  • one x Card-edge parallel port
  • one x TTL RGB monitor output (DE-9)
  • i 10 Composite video output (RCA jack)
  • 1 x Line-level audio output (RCA jack)
  • one ten Lite pen connector (DE-ix)
  • two x DIN Colour Computer joystick ports (6-pin)
  • i ten DIN keyboard port (eight-pin)
  • ane x Card-edge parallel port
  • one x TTL RGB monitor output (DE-9)
  • 1 x Composite video output (RCA jack)
  • 1 x Line-level audio output (RCA jack)
  • 1 ten RS-232C serial port (DE-9)[29]
  • two x DIN Color Computer joystick ports (6-pin)
  • ane x DIN keyboard port (viii-pin)
  • 1 x Headphone jack (i/8" TRS)
  • one ten Carte-border parallel port
  • 1 x RS-232C serial port
  • one ten TTL RGB monitor output
  • one x Headphone/microphone connector (switchable to line-level)
  • 2 x DIN Color Estimator joystick ports
  • 1 x DIN keyboard port
Additional features
  • Reset button
  • Reset button
  • Volume command knob

Compact and all-in-one systems [edit]

thousand EX k HX 1000 RL, RL/Hd chiliad RLX grand RSX
Processor Intel 8088-2 running at 7.16 or 4.77 MHz Intel 8086 running at 9.56 or 4.77 MHz Intel 80286 running at ten or five MHz Intel 80386SX running at 25 MHz
RAM 256 KB minimum; expandable to 640 KB 512 KB, expandable to 768 KB
  • Memory across 640KB is reserved for video logic
640 KB, expandable to i MB
  • 384 KB of extended retentiveness max.
At least i MB, expandable to nine MB
Video controller Tandy Video (IBM PCjr and CGA compatible) Tandy Video Ii VGA, 256 KB video memory Super VGA, 256 to 512 KB video memory
  • AcuMos AVGA2 (Cirrus CL-GD5402) chipset
Sound flake Texas Instruments SN76489 or NCR 8496 (PSG) Tandy PSSJ (PSG, plus eight-chip ADC/DAC)
Drive bays 1 x 5.25" one-half-height 2 x three.five" slim-line 3 x 3.five" slim-line
  • Ane bay internal, reserved for hard disk
two x 3.5" slim-line
  • One bay internal, reserved for hard disk
Hard drive Not unremarkably supported XT-IDE, optional
  • RL/Hard disk: 20 MB
XT-IDE, optional; typically xx, 30 or 40 MB AT-IDE; typically 52 MB (504 MB max.)
Expansion slots 3 x PLUS slots 1 x 8-fleck PC/XT ISA slot 2 x xvi-bit PC/AT ISA slots
Keyboard Integrated PC/XT compatible; PS/2 interface PC/AT compatible; PS/2 interface
Ports
  • 1 x Card-border parallel port
  • 1 x External floppy connector
  • 1 x TTL RGB monitor output
  • 1 x Blended video output
  • 1 x Headphone connector
  • 2 x DIN Color Reckoner joystick ports
  • 1 ten DB-25 parallel port
  • i x RS-232C serial port
  • i x TTL RGB monitor output
  • i x Headphone/microphone connector (switchable to line-level)
  • 2 x DIN Color Estimator joystick ports
  • two 10 PS/ii connectors (keyboard, mouse)
  • i ten DB-25 parallel port
  • 1 x RS-232C serial port
  • 1 10 Analog VGA monitor output
  • one 10 Headphone/microphone connector (switchable to line-level)
  • 2 x DIN Color Reckoner joystick ports
  • 2 x PS/two connectors (keyboard, mouse)
  • 1 10 DB-25 parallel port
  • 1 x RS-232C serial port
  • 1 10 Analog VGA monitor output
  • 1 x Headphone connector
  • 1 ten Microphone connector
  • 2 x PS/2 connectors (keyboard, mouse)

Selected models [edit]

Tandy m [edit]

The original Tandy 1000 was a large reckoner near the size of the IBM PC, though with a plastic example over an aluminium lower chassis to reduce weight. It came standard with i internal five.25" double-density floppy disk drive, with an additional exposed internal bay usable for the installation of a second 5.25" disk drive (available as a kit from Radio Shack). The floppy drives used jumpers to select the drive number instead of the IBM cable twist. The standard retentivity was 128 KB, with the computer accepting upwardly to 640 KB of total retentivity with the add-on of expansion cards.

MS-DOS 2.11, DeskMate 1.0, and a keyboard with the same layout as the Tandy 2000's were included with the estimator. Similar the PCjr, the Tandy 1000 motherboard did not supply DMA, but unlike that system, it could have DMA added with a memory expansion board. While the Tandy 1000 had three XT-uniform expansion slots, early Tandy retentiveness upgrade boards took up two of the slots to get to 640 KB. Because the slots were 11+ 1two inches in length instead of the PC's thirteen inches, full-length cards did not fit,[five] simply reviewers noted that the many congenital-in hardware features reduced the demand for cards.[20]

A later revision of the original Tandy thou model was the Tandy 1000A. This revision stock-still bugs, scanned expansion cards for bootable ROMs, and added a socket for an Intel 8087 math coprocessor.

Tandy 1000 Hard disk drive [edit]

The original Tandy k (and many other models), like almost home computers sold at the time, did not have a hard disk drive. The Tandy 1000 Hard disk drive was essentially an original Tandy 1000 with a hard disk option manufacturing plant installed. The manufacturing plant hard disk drive had a capacity on the order of ten or 20 MB.

Tandy 1000 SX and TX [edit]

The Tandy thousand SX and TX were upgraded versions of the original Tandy 1000, utilizing a similar chassis. Two major upgrades over the original Tandy g were the inclusion of a DMA controller, which improved the speed of diskette operations and IBM PC-compatibility of these systems, and the improver of two additional ISA expansion slots, to offering a full of v 8-bit ISA slots.

1000 SX [edit]

The Tandy 1000 SX used a 7.16 MHz 8088-2 processor, had 384k of memory (upgradeable to 640 KB on the motherboard), came with either one or two five.25" internal floppy deejay drives, and had the calorie-free pen port (not a serial port) like the original Tandy 1000. An adjustable potentiometer inside the arrangement controlled the book of the internal speaker. The Tandy AX was an SX rebadged for sale in Walmart stores. The 1000 SX came with MS-DOS three.ii and Deskmate Two on v.25" 360kB diskettes.

The SX was the first Tandy 1000 in which the built-in video circuitry could be disabled via DIP switch. This was to let the installation of an upgraded graphics carte, typically an EGA or VGA card, in an expansion slot.

1000 TX [edit]

The Tandy 1000 TX was like to the 1000 SX with its discrete keyboard, unique parallel port edge connector and XT-fashion architecture in a slightly modified case. The major departure was the 80286 CPU clocked at 8 MHz. Similar to the IBM XT 286, information technology featured a 16-fleck-broad retentivity bus, although the on-lath peripherals and ISA slots were eight $.25 broad.[28]

The TX had a 3.5" internal floppy deejay drive mounted in a 5.25" bay with room for an optional second internal three.5" or v.25" floppy disk drive. The rear console had the same ports as the thousand SX, except that an RS-232C serial port replaced the light-pen port. The memory size was 640 KB, with sockets for an additional 128 KB devoted to the onboard video logic. This actress 128 KB could only be used for and by the on-board video controller, so it was impractical to expand the on-board retentiveness beyond 640 KB if a VGA graphics bill of fare was installed. The figurer came arranged with Personal DeskMate 2.

The TX was the last 1000-series calculator to utilise DIP switches to store the system configuration parameters. All newer 1000s rely on CMOS static RAM chips powered by a battery soldered to the circuit board. These batteries degrade with fourth dimension (as well as often leaking acrid which ruins the circuit board) and must be replaced to restore full functionality after any lengthy flow of disuse.

Tandy chiliad EX and HX [edit]

The Tandy 1000 EX and HX were designed equally entry-level IBM-compatible personal computers, and marketed every bit starter systems for people new to computing. They were offered in a meaty, all-in-one chassis that featured a 7.16 MHz 8088 (capable of clocking downward to 4.77 MHz), 256 KB of memory (expandable to 640 KB with a PLUS memory expansion board), PCjr- and CGA-compatible Tandy Video graphics controller, a keyboard and, depending on the model, either a single 5.25" 360 KB floppy drive, or one to two three.5" 720 KB floppy drives. An external floppy drive could be connected to a port on the back. The machine itself supplied ability to the external drive, and so simply Tandy'south floppy drive unit was usable with the EX and HX. The external drive was the standard 360 KB 5.25 inch format; in 1988 a compatible 720 KB 3.v inch model was offered.

The EX and HX are upgradable via Tandy PLUS cards, and these systems accept bays for three cards. A PLUS carte connector is electrically identical to an ISA slot connector, but uses a Berg-way 62-pin connector instead of a 62-contact ISA card-edge connector. Other PLUS cards could exist installed to add serial ports, a 1200-baud modem, a clock/agenda and bus mouse board, or a proprietary Tandy network interface. Radio Shack later on sold an adapter card assuasive installation of a PLUS carte du jour into a standard ISA slot, such as those in the larger Tandy 1000 models.

Like the original Tandy k, the EX and HX do not take a born DMA controller, though 1 can exist added using the PLUS memory expansion board.

thousand EX [edit]

A cat resting on a Tandy 1000 EX estimator

The Tandy chiliad EX featured a 5.25" floppy drive built into the right-manus side of computer casing. The EX sold for U.s.a.$ane,000 from Radio Shack in Dec 1986. The EX and, later on, the HX would be amongst the most popular of the Tandy chiliad line because of their (relatively) low cost.

A useful characteristic for the EX and later systems was the ability to boot off either drive, as the drives could be logically swapped when the system booted, and then that the drive that was normally drive B: became drive A:, and vice versa, and the drives remained swapped until the system was powered off or reset. (The SX and TX take this capability as well.)

The 1000 EX came with MS-DOS ii.11 and Personal Deskmate on 5.25" 360kB diskettes. The MS-DOS was a version specialized for and just bootable on the Tandy 1000; it included a version of BASICA (Microsoft's Advanced GW-BASIC) with support for the enhanced CGA graphics modes (a.k.a. Tandy Graphics or TGA) and 3-vox audio hardware of the Tandy one thousand.

1000 HX [edit]

A Tandy 1000 HX, with a Tandy RGB monitor, an external 5.25-inch deejay drive, joystick, and a Tandy DMP-133 dot matrix printer

The Tandy 1000 HX was an updated version of the EX. It utilized the same compages and PLUS cards as the EX; withal, one obvious difference was that it offered 2 3.5" trophy on the front panel, occupied past 1 or two 720 KB three.five" floppy drives, as opposed to a single side-mounted five.25" bay and floppy drive with the EX. It also had Tandy MS-DOS 2.11R in ROM, which could be accessed past starting the computer with no bootable deejay nowadays. Another improvement over the EX is the addition of a serial EEPROM to store configuration data, enabling like functionality to today's CMOS NVRAMs. By comparing, earlier Tandy 1000 models, similar IBM PC and PC/XT systems, used DIP switches and jumpers for startup configuration settings.

By putting the basic elements of DOS and Deskmate in ROM and eliminating the memory test on startup, the HX booted speedily compared to other contemporary MS-DOS machines, despite having no firsthand provisions for a hd bulldoze.

In addition to Tandy MS-DOS 2.11R, the HX shipped with Personal Deskmate 2. About versions of MS-DOS worked with the g HX, including DOS 3.10 and some after versions. There was, however, a quirk in the DOS 4.0 environment that prevented that version of DOS from working with Tandy grand HX computers. Additionally, the installer for MS-DOS 6 could corrupt the contents of the serial EEPROM.[22]

Tandy 1000 SL and TL series [edit]

The Tandy SL and TL series of computers were updates of the SX and TX, respectively. In addition to offer redesigned cases, the machines offered a more integrated motherboard with improved graphics and sound capabilities while dropping composite video output. The graphics controller now supported 640 × 200 × 16 resolution as well every bit a Hercules Graphics Card-uniform, 720 × 350 way for monochrome monitors. Audio capabilities now included an 8-scrap monaural DAC/ADC, which was like in part to parallel port audio devices (such as the Covox Spoken communication Thing and Disney Sound Source) but was extended to back up DMA transfers, microphone input capability, and sampling rates up to 48 kHz. The SL/TL lines allowed the on-board floppy controller, parallel port and series ports to be disabled, which the earlier models did not.

The SL and TL were likewise shipped with MS-DOS 3.3 and DeskMate three in ROM, and featured a serial EEPROM retention chip to store BIOS settings. The machines could also run 'normal' MS-DOS 3.10, 5.x, and vi.ten and Windows 2.x and three.0 operating systems, although Windows was limited to real-manner operations. In common with many PC clones of the era, MS-DOS 4 was problematic and generally avoided.

g SL and SL/ii [edit]

The SL's sound/reset satellite board

The Tandy thou SL and SL/2 characteristic an Intel 8086 processor running at 8 MHz. This is socketed, and thus upgradeable with an NEC V30.[xxx] The SL came with 384 KB of RAM preinstalled, whereas the SL/2 offered 512 KB. Both machines could exist expanded to 640 KB, although the graphics controller reserved a portion of this memory, yielding only 608 KB available the operating system, even on systems using add together-in ISA graphic cards. The SL line had the mic/earphone ports, volume knob and reset button on a small satellite lath. A jumper on the board allowed the user to change the microphone input to a line-level output.[31] The SL series offered five 8-scrap XT-compatible ISA slots, and did not come with pre-installed real-fourth dimension clock chips, making them optional upgrades in the form of the plug-in Dallas DS1216E SmartWatch.

The SL is the simply machine in the line that offers an upper 5.25" bay, and therefore the only model to offer two 5.25" bays, where the other models, including the SL/2 and the unabridged TL range, feature two upper 3.v" bays and one lower five.25" bay. Equally a outcome, plumbing fixtures a difficult drive to an SL that already has the upper and lower 5.25" bays populated may require either the removal of one of the devices in those trophy, or the installation of a hard disk drive carte-fashion subclass which seats in 1 of the ISA slots.

yard TL, TL/2 and TL/3 [edit]

The Tandy thousand TL and TL/2 used viii MHz Intel 80286 processors, whereas the TL/3 used a 10 MHz 80286. The TLs had 640 KB of memory preinstalled, with an choice for an extra 128 KB for video frame buffering merely as in the 1000 TX. Unlike the SL series machines, the TL machines came with the SmartWatch real-fourth dimension clock logic built-in, which was powered past a removable 3-volt CR2032 push-cell battery on the motherboard.

The TL offered five viii-chip XT-compatible ISA slots, while the TL/2 and TL/3 offered four slots and an on-board 8-bit, XT IDE-compatible hard disk interface, which was not compatible with standard AT IDE hard drives. The TL serial offered 2 upper 3.5" bays and ane lower v.25" bay. The TL/three also offered a high-density floppy drive controller for 1.44 MB drives, though it shipped with a double-density 3.v" 720 KB drive.

Every bit the processors on the TL-series are socketed, it is possible to install 386SX or Cyrix 486SLC-based processor upgrades, though the do good of installing more avant-garde processors is limited across merely providing a speed increase due to the computers' XT-based architecture, and their resulting inability to access extended retentivity above one MB.[xxx]

Tandy yard RL-series and RSX [edit]

A Tandy 1000 RL running DeskMate (optional mouse non shown)

The Tandy 1000 RL/RLX/RSX series were slim-line desktop home computers. They featured a much more meaty case, with at least 512 KB of memory pre-installed, smaller PS/two-style keyboard and mouse ports, and at least one ISA expansion slot. The RL-series and RSX include provisions for an internal hard deejay drive, depending on the model: the RL-series featured a built-in XT-IDE hard bulldoze interface, while the RSX featured an AT-compatible IDE interface. The keyboard connectors of the RL-serial, while similar to and mechanically compatible with PS/2-style connectors, were not fully compatible with typical PS/two keyboards, equally the keyboard uses the XT keyboard protocol. The RSX, withal, incorporated the AT keyboard protocol, making it the offset 1000-series system to offer more consummate compatibility with typical PS/ii keyboards, and AT keyboards using an adapter.

1000 RL and RL/Hard disk [edit]

The RL and RL/HD featured a surface-mounted 9.54 MHz 8086 processor, 512 KB of RAM (expandable to 768 KB to provide 128 KB for video and 640 KB conventional memory), a DB-25 unidirectional parallel port instead of the edge-connector ports, and the SL's enhanced graphics and sound. A single half-size viii-fleck expansion slot was available. The RL/Hard disk drive had a battery-backed real-time clock chip to store date and time information, which the RL lacked. These models also had MS-DOS and a portion of DeskMate in ROM, and could therefore kicking much faster than many other computers on the market. The RL/HD came with a 20MB bulldoze preinstalled.

grand RLX [edit]

The RLX was the 'mid-range' offering of the RL line. It had a 10 MHz 286 (surface-mounted) and 512 KB of RAM, and different other 286-based Tandy m models, it supported 384 KB of extended memory when RAM was expanded to the maximum 1 MB. However, it was not a total AT-course machine, as it even so had an 8-bit ISA bus (as with the RL, one half-size expansion slot) and simply 8 IRQs and iv DMA channels. While the iii-voice sound chip and DAC were still nowadays, Tandy video was dropped in favor of an AcuMos VGA controller offering 256 kB of video retentiveness and standard VGA graphics resolutions. The parallel port was bidirectional, a first for the Tandy chiliad series. The RLX had one 1.44 MB iii.v" floppy drive; an empty drive bay could host a second such bulldoze. The difficult deejay RLX/Hard disk drive came with a 20 MB hard disk and one MB RAM preinstalled. The hard disk occupied the empty drive bay, so this version supported only a single floppy bulldoze.

k RSX [edit]

A more upscale offering, the RSX offered a 25 MHz 80386SX processor, i MB RAM, two 16-flake ISA slots, AcuMos SVGA video, a bidirectional parallel port, and standard PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports. Information technology was a full 386-form PC and could run Microsoft Windows 3.x. 2 sockets for SIMM memory cards were provided. Only 1 MB or iv MB SIMMs of the 9-fleck type were supported, and if 2 were installed they had to exist of similar capacity. With two 4 MB SIMMs installed, the grand RSX could be expanded to 9 MB RAM (without using an ISA slot). The RSX/HD variant came with a 52 MB hard drive using an AT-compatible IDE interface; replacement hard drives up to 504 MB could be substituted. Considering of the slimline case, only i hard drive could be installed alongside the 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy drive.[32] [33]

The motherboard had a socket for the 80387SX math coprocessor. The RSX still retained the Tandy 1000 iii-voice audio hardware and DAC, though the I/O address for the 3-voice sound chip was moved, rendering many games previously compatible with information technology unable to play music unless modified. The DAC could exist used to emulate the Covox Voice communication Affair via MS-DOS device drivers for express sound support. This worked with the game Chuck Yeager's Air Gainsay.[34]

Windows three.xx sound device drivers were available that worked in Windows 95 (with full 9MB RAM) on Tandy 1000 RSX. The ACUMOS VGA graphics could be software-updated with Cirrus Logic BIOS (via MS-DOS commuter) to allow VESA/SVGA to role in Windows 95, as the Windows 3.20 Tandy VGA drivers were insufficient for Windows 95.

Selected Tandy 1000-enhanced software [edit]

Major software publishers and makers of game and educational software, such as Sierra and Broderbund, offered software titles that specifically supported Tandy'due south unique and proprietary sixteen-colour graphics, three-phonation sound, and other Tandy specific hardware features. These enhancements offering a superior graphics and audio experience for Tandy one thousand owners over standard DOS titles. Software that supported Tandy'due south graphics were typically labelled on the packet as Tandy 1000/PCjr compatible. Many Tandy 1000 enhanced games are featured on YouTube.

Although the Tandy chiliad can run nearly DOS software, the beneath programs are known to specifically support Tandy 1000 enhanced features. These programs require DOS to run. Tandy shipped its own version of DOS. Tandy used the main memory for graphics, equally a result most programs require 640k or 768k to run. The enhanced graphics and sound ofttimes tax the processor, then an 80286 processor or faster is recommended for best results.

There are also games and educational software that supports second generation Tandy 1000 graphics and sound, which offers 640 by 200 past 16 colors, and 8-bit DACs, institute simply on the thou sl/tl series. Examples of such software includes Mario's Typing Tutor, Star Trek, Freddy Pharkas: Borderland Pharmacist, Sargon Chess.

  • A-x Tank Killer
  • Alley Cat
  • Arkanoid
  • Caveman Ugh-Lympics
  • Choplifter
  • Defender of the Crown
  • Digger
  • Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Chemist
  • Gauntlet
  • King's Quest ane, 2, iii, 4, and 5
  • Knights of the Sky
  • Lemmings
  • LHX Attack Chopper
  • Loom
  • Mario Teaches Typing
  • Operation Wolf
  • Out Run
  • Police Quest
  • Rastan
  • Reader Rabbit
  • RoboCop
  • Sargon
  • Sentinel Worlds I: Hereafter Magic
  • Shogun
  • Silpheed
  • Skate or Die
  • Infinite Quest 1, two, and iii
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • The Bard's Tale
  • The Black Cauldron
  • The Cycles: International M Prix Racing
  • The Three Stooges
  • Thexder 1 and two
  • Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
  • Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
  • Zeliard
  • Darwin'southward Arena (a shareware game)

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "BRIEFS". InfoWorld. 1985-02-12. p. 23. Retrieved Feb 27, 2011.
  2. ^ Mace, Scott (26 December 1983 – 2 January 1984). "Q&A: Mark Yamagata". InfoWorld. p. 91. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  3. ^ a b White, Ron (August 1987). "The Tandy Story: x years after the TRS-80 Model I". 80 Micro . Retrieved 2019-05-xviii .
  4. ^ a b Anderson, John J. (December 1984). "Tandy Model one thousand; junior meets his match". Artistic Calculating. p. 44. Retrieved Feb 26, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c Malloy, Rich (August 1985). "The Tandy 1000". BYTE (review). p. 266. Retrieved 27 Oct 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Bartimo, Jim (1985-03-eleven). "Tandy Revamps Product Line". InfoWorld. pp. 28–29. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  7. ^ "From Home to Business: The Eclectic Radio Shack Computer Line". InfoWorld. 1984-08-20. pp. 47–52. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c Springer, P. Gregory (1985-06-03). "Tandy's Magnificent Concession". InfoWorld. p. 72. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  9. ^ a b Loguidice, Nib; Barton, Matt (2014). Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time. CRC Press. pp. 96–97. ISBN978-1135006518.
  10. ^ Juge, Ed (October 1985). "News for the top: what's really going on at Tandy". Creative Computing. p. 108. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  11. ^ Halfhill, Tom R. (December 1986). "The MS-DOS Invasion / IBM Compatibles Are Coming Habitation". Compute!. p. 32. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  12. ^ Ferrell, Keith (July 1988). "Windows on John Roach". Compute!. pp. 88–89. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  13. ^ Ferrell, Keith (December 1987). "Apple tree Vs. IBM: The Struggle For The Educational Market". Compute!'s Apple Applications. pp. 27–33. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  14. ^ Welch, Marking J. (1985-12-09). "Tandy Backs Emulator For 1000". InfoWorld. p. 5.
  15. ^ "Electrifying Software For Today's PC". Compute! (advertizement). June 1988. p. 23. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  16. ^ "The Owner'southward Guide to Tandy sixteen Color". Computer Gaming World. August 1989. p. 14.
  17. ^ "Radio Shack adds hot new IBM Aptiva MPC to name-brand reckoner line" (Printing release). Nov 9, 1994. Retrieved May xvi, 2017 – via Business Wire.
  18. ^ "Radio Shack Computers - 1997 Almanac Report". RadioShack.com. 1997. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved 2015-02-12 .
  19. ^ Rowell, Dave (April 1985). "Tandy Rides Again". fourscore Micro. pp. l–59. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  20. ^ a b Rosch, Winn L. (1985-10-15). "Price-Witting Computing". PC Mag. p. 113. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  21. ^ Vose, G. Michael (December 1984). "The Tandy g". BYTE. pp. 98–104.
  22. ^ a b ftp://ftp.oldskool.org/pub/tvdog/tandy1000/documents/dos60.txt
  23. ^ a b "Tandy 1000RL and RLX Pictures".
  24. ^ "CM-five specifications". radioshacksupport dot com. Tandy Corporation. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  25. ^ "CM-11 specifications". radioshacksupport dot com. Tandy Corporation. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  26. ^ "Trackstar".
  27. ^ "Trackstar: The Apple 2 clone inside an IBM PC".
  28. ^ a b ftp://ftp.oldskool.org/pub/tvdog/tandy1000/documents/txtech.cypher
  29. ^ replacing the light pen port of previous models
  30. ^ a b "Benefits and Drawbacks of the Late Model Tandy 1000s, CPU Upgradability". Nerdly Pleasures. Bully Hierophant. Retrieved May thirteen, 2019.
  31. ^ Tandy faxback document #1262. 1995-04-26. Retrieved September half dozen, 2014.
  32. ^ "Tandy 1000 RSX specifications". Radio Shack Support. Tandy/Radio Shack. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  33. ^ "Tandy 1000 Rl/RLX Pictures". Oldskool.org. Tv Canis familiaris. Retrieved June thirteen, 2016.
  34. ^ "Chuck Yeager'southward Air Gainsay for DOS (1991) Tech Info". MobyGames . Retrieved 2016-08-08 .

External links [edit]

  • Radio Shack Tandy Computer Support, the official support site for Tandy Computers (product search folio)
  • The Tand-Em Project, a Tandy 1000 emulator project
  • DOSBox MS-DOS, Tandy grand, PCjr Emulator
  • MESS Multiple emulator with Tandy 1000HX support
  • Tvdog's Annal, Major annal of Tandy 1000 programs and documentation
  • Tandy k Bones Programs, Games and applications
  • The OldSkool Shrine, Tandy 1000 History And Memories
  • Tandy g Webring, More than Sites On The Tandy yard
  • Depression End Mac's retrospective on the Tandy 2000 computer and Tandy 1000 series (Daniel Knight - 2015-12-xix)
  • The Tandy 1000 - The best MS-DOS computer in 1984. on YouTube
  • [1] 80 Micro preview commodity on the Tandy 1000, December 1984
  • [2] 80 Micro review of the Tandy 1000, April 1985
  • [three] fourscore Micro review of the Tandy 1000 SX, Baronial 1987
  • [4] 80 Micro review of the Tandy g TX, March 1988
  • [5] 80 Micro review of the Tandy thou EX, May 1987
  • [6] 80 Micro review of original Deskmate for Tandy 1000

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_1000

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