TRS80s and TRSDOS (Was: Microsoft open sources GWBASIC

On Thu, 28 May 2020, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote: "TRS80" was the original one. LATER, when other derivative models came out, it began to be called "TRS80 Model 1". (Note: either Roman Numerals or arabic) Similar to the way that "The Great War" began to be called "World War 1". If you wade through old archives, you will find that the phrase "Word War 2" or "WW2" came into existence as a phrase or name BEFORE the existence of "World War 1" as a phrase or name. (Bar bet: "Which came first, 'World War 1' or 'World War 2'?") Similarly, depending on the clientele of the bar you frequent, and dependent on relatively non-existent archives for settling the bet, "Single Density" never existed as a phrase until AFTER marketing started to call MFM, "Double Density". ("Which came first,...?") TRS80 base model had 4K of RAM (upgradable to 16K), and "Level 1 BASIC" in ROM at the bottom (preventing easy use of CP/M), which was a derivative of Li-Chen Wang's "Tiny BASIC", changed to single precision floating point instead of 16 bit integer, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_I_BASIC David Lien's "User Manual For Level 1" was highly regarded as a beginninng intro. https://archive.org/stream/Level_1_Users_Manual_1977_David_Lien#mode/1up Upgradeable to "Level 2" (Microsoft BASIC) for about $100. (with some string handling, trig, error messages, etc.) The TRS80 [Model 1] default sale package at $600USD was the computer, an ordinary cassette recorder (CTR-41?), cable to connect cassette recorder (#26-1201?), and video monitor, which was the same as a certain model of cheap RCA TV, without tuner (might have had some isolation?) and painted gray. That model of TV (in white) shows up in the background on kitchen counter in "Married With Children" (a USA sitcom whose lead character, Al Bundy, is similar to Victor Meldrew of "One Foot In The Grave") There was a little known POSSIBILITY to order one without the monitor and cassette for $400 (I did.) The TRS80 [Model 1] had three 5 pin DIN connectors on the back for Video (Composite), Cassette (26-1201 cable) and power supply (a large cord wart). And a 40 pin expansion port. There were a few peripherals for the expansion port, such as a "cable" (with some circuitry) for driving Centronics syle printers. YES, their first printer was built by Centronics, so they were a major contributor to the misuse of calling the 36 pin Blue Ribbon connector "Centronics". They came out with an "Expansion Interface", with sockets for an additional 32K of RAM, a "Centronics Port" (34 pin edge connector and 26-1401 printer cable), a continuation of the 40 pin expansion port, an FDC (WD 1771, configured for 5.25" FM/SD with inadequate data separation), and an empty compartment with connector for an "RS232 Adapter" (the RS232 adapter did not make good electrical connection, requiring modification or twiddling). The Expansion Interface had its own power supply, identical to the computer power supply, but had a large open space inside to hold both power supplies. Cords going out the back, but a hole or notch could be made to get rid of the excess length/route of the computer power suppies cord to the computer. The connection (40 pin to 40 pin) between the computer and the Expansion Interface was fraught with problems, and resulted in NUMEROUS recalls, no-charge modifications, including one model with a box in the middle with buffers, some with an added wire to bypass the buffers, etc. Since the edge connectors were without gold plating, there was constant connector problems, easily significantly reduced by bolting the computer, E.I., and a power strip to a piece of plywood. The initial operating system was written by Randy Cook. It was OVERLY sophisticated, and he never finished it. It had multi-level passwords, and used a hash table to speed up directory searches. The first version released was "Version 2", before Randy Cook OK'd release, with a few mimeographed pages (influencing Apple to call the first release of theirs "Version 2.2"). Radio Shack quickly released version 2.1, with ALMOST everything ALMOST working. Randy Cook and RS parted company partway through writing V2.2. There were bugs in 2.1. Apparat patched a lot of them, and came out with "APR-DOS" that included a list of hundreds of bugs that they had fixed, and a statement that it was only for use by legitimate owners of TRSDOS. It is not clear whether that was an amazing disassembly, or whether they had access to some or all of the source code. RS lawyers considered the "only supplemental" terms INADEQUATE, since somebody could buy and use that without spending $15 at RS for TRSDOS. There are many undocumented rumors such as that Apparat tried to claim that it was changed enough to be non-infringing but that Randy Cook's lawyer (I can't remember his name, but he sold a small terminal program) ran the boot file as if it were a program, using one of the master passwords (hashed, so multiple sequences of letters worked) and pressed two keys (R,V) resulting in a full screen copyright message saying RANDY COOK popping up. That shot down the "non-infringing" argument. RS immediately patched the "easter egg" to read "TANDY CORP" instead. http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/zaps-patches-pokes-tips/easter-eggs/ As part of the settlement, Apparat rewrote their OS to be non-infringing and thus came out with a MUCH better OS - "NewDOS-80" V2.2 was patched enough to be usable, and V2.3 was reasonably stable and became the standard OS. Randy Cook really wanted to finish implementing some spectacular features. Some folks funded development and he started work on TRSDOS 3.0. (with "Automated Computer Software Service?) He didn't finish. http://www.trs-80.org/vtos/ Scott Adams (Adventure International, NOT THE CARTOONIST) took over and got him working on VTOS 4.0 He didn't finish. Logical Systems, Incorporated (AKA Lobo Drives) came out with an expansion interface for the TRS80 [Model 1], with 8 inch drives, and double density, using a WD 179x chip. The WD 179x can not write one of the Data Address Marks that model 1 TRSDOS uses (rumored to have been a result of transposed columns in a datasheet). So, they needed a patched operating system. They bought license for VTOS 4.0 and hired a significant portion of the best known TRS80 assembly language programmers (Roy Soltoff, etc.). They succeeded in completing LDOS 5.0. It was magnificent, and competed head to head with NEWDOS-80. Later, Radio Shack bought rights, and marketed LDOS5 as TRSDOS 6.0. Because model 1 TRSDOS had been a work-for-hire, AND was never finished (nor were 3.0, 4.0), in spite of being the designer of a major family of operating systems, Randy Cook had never made any significant money from it! BUT, when Radio Shack started marketing TRSDOS 6.0, Randy Cook was getting royalties from THAT. The "TRS80 Model 2" was a completely unrelated machine. It was sold as a business computer, with Z80, 64K RAM, and 8" drives. Radio Shack sold an operating system for it that they called "Model 2 TRSDOS" (V1.3?). NO connection or similarity to TRS80 [Model 1] TRSDOS. But, the Model 2 could also run CP/M. Lifeboat and "Pickles And Trout" sold CP/M for it. And RS eventually sold "CP/M Plus" (CP/M 3.0) for it. Later, a revised version of the Model 2, called the "Model 12" came out. And a 68000 co-processor board for the "Model 16", Model 16B, and "Tandy 6000" The "TRS80 model 3" was essentially a model 1 repackaged into a single desktop case. Radio Shack sold "Model 3 TRSDOS 1.3" for it (not to be confused with "Model 2 TRSDOS". But NEWDOS-80 and LDOS worked great on it, so VERY few people ran the "Model 3 TRSDOS". and then, when RS sold TRSDOS 6.0 (LDOS 5.0), that becsame a popular OS for it. Inability to run CP/M without modifications, and <80 column screen continued to haunt it. RS came out with the "TRS80 Model 4", in the same case as the Model 3, but not painted gray, with 80 column screen, and more versatile memory management. In addition to TRSDOS 6.0, "CP/M Plus for Model 3" (CP/M 3.0) was available. They also sold a luggable version called the "TRS80 Model 4P" I am unaware of any existence of mdels 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13,14, nor 15. So, the transition was TRS80 [Model 1] TRS80 Model 3 TRS80 Model 4 and 4P Independently, there were TRS80 Model 2 TRS80 Model 12 TRS80 Model 16, 16b, Tandy 6000 Separately, along the way, there was the Radio Shack Color Computer (6809), and later the Tandy Color Computer. TRS80 Model 100 (8085 tablet/notebook Kyocera machine similar to NEC 8201, PC8300, and Olivetti M-10) (believed to be the last machine that Bill Gates did significant coding) Model 102 Model 200 http://www.club100.org/ Radio Shack Pocket Computer (rebadged Sharp and Casio machines) Note that the FIRST one was called "TRS 80 Pocket Computer", and LATER became known as the "PC-1". After-PC (august 1981), Radio Shack made some MS-DOS machines such as the model 2000, and eventually PC-DOS machines. NOPE! NOT the III! Model 16 could run Xenix. Yes. essentially a repackaged model 1. Your remarks on it are confusing the III with something else. Then the above will bore the hell out of you. You can keep a copy buried for reference, or go through the sequence all over again later. "Accessory" items that warrant discussion include the Percom Data Separator and Doubler, the RS Votrax, etc. I hope that others will make corrections and fill in gaps so that eventually this could be accurate enough to be meaningful. Particularly Allison! and Eric Smith, who worked at Apparat long after the above incidents were a topic of discussion. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin at xenosoft.com Coco was a COMPLETELY independent model. There are unsubstantiated rumors about Motorola pushing RS to do it. Videogenie was not Radio Shack. They were based on the TRS80 [Model 1]. PMC-80 (a rebadged Videogenie) was marketed briefly in USA I've heard that Dick Smith (Australia) marketed one as the "System 80" It would qualify as a NON-CP/M home computer other than being based on TRS80 [Model 1]