31 Jan
1999
31 Jan
'99
8:41 a.m.
Hi, group.
I'm going to be putting up my annual exhibit at the local library and I need some
help with my facts so I don't screw anything up.
I have two display cases to work with. One will be tracing the development of
the portable pc, and will include the usual Compaq Sewing Machine, a Compaq
III, and a Compaq LTE286; a Kaypro II, an Osborne, a Mac Portable (non-
backlit), IBM Convertible, and a Tandy M200 and Pocket Computer. (I'm really
trying to get an M100, but all the reporters I know who still use them would
rather have their fingers removed first before they'd give 'em up.......)
Can anyone give me the original release dates and some tech specs on the
200 and the Pocket? The 200 has the parallel printer card, the external floppy
drive, all the books, and several floppies with stuff on them. The Pocket is the
original model, and has software, all the docs, the original boxes, the original
carrying case, RS-232 interface and the neat little color plotter/printer.
Any info, anecdotes, whatever would be greatly appreciated and acknowledged
in the display.
Thanks.
Paul Braun
NerdWare -- The History of the PC and the Nerds who brought it to you.
nerdware(a)laidbak.com
www.laidbak.com/nerdware
31 Jan
31 Jan
11:51 a.m.
Paul Braun wrote:
Hi, group.
I'm going to be putting up my annual exhibit at the local library and I need some
help with my facts so I don't screw anything up.
I have two display cases to work with. One will be tracing the development of
the portable pc, and will include the usual Compaq Sewing Machine, a Compaq
III, and a Compaq LTE286; a Kaypro II, an Osborne, a Mac Portable (non-
backlit), IBM Convertible, and a Tandy M200 and Pocket Computer. (I'm really
trying to get an M100, but all the reporters I know who still use them would
rather have their fingers removed first before they'd give 'em up.......)
Can anyone give me the original release dates and some tech specs on the
200 and the Pocket? The 200 has the parallel printer card, the external floppy
drive, all the books, and several floppies with stuff on them. The Pocket is the
original model, and has software, all the docs, the original boxes, the original
carrying case, RS-232 interface and the neat little color plotter/printer.
The first TRS-80 Pocket Computer, AKA the PC-1, was announced along
with the TRS-80 Model 3 and the Color Computer (I) in 1980, I think
about August 3rd, the third anniversary of the orginal TRS-80 later
called the Model One.
The Model 200 showed up in 1985, I'm pretty sure the first half -- I
didn't pay that much attention as it didn't impress me the way that
the original 100 did (though it didn't underwhelm me the way the 102
did about the same time). There was a printer port built into the
200 from before its birth, no add-on card was required.
I've got four 100s, I could rent you one. I can understand how those
reporters are attached to them, I probably delivered 500 of them to
the Los Angeles Times. Other RSCCs got the News and the Register,
but I was the one in downtown LA. Pity I was just the CSR, so I
didn't get any commission on the sales.
During the '84 Olympics in LA, there was a severe run on AA batteries.
Apparently reporters from all over the place were carrying the things.
(I hardly ever left LA County that year. How would I know who else
was selling the things -- Fort Worth never released the numbers?)
--
Ward Griffiths <mailto:gram@cnct.com> <http://www.cnct.com/home/gram/>
WARNING: The Attorney General has determined that Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms can be hazardous to your health -- and get away with it.
2:38 p.m.
New subject: Pro's & Con's of a Tandy 200...
On or about 08:51 PM 1/31/99 -0500, Ward Donald Griffiths III was caught in
a dark alley speaking these words:
The Model 200 showed up in 1985, I'm pretty sure
the first half -- I
didn't pay that much attention as it didn't impress me the way that
the original 100 did (though it didn't underwhelm me the way the 102
did about the same time). There was a printer port built into the
200 from before its birth, no add-on card was required.
Dunno when they were *released* but the serial numbers on the 200 reflect
when they were built - and the earliest one I've seen is January 1985.
As the Tandy 200 was the first Model 'T' I owned, I am partial to it... but
for more than just that reason. Having the arrow keys in a '+' arrangement
and being "real" keys instead of the in-a-row chicklet keys to me is a
*lot* easier to work with, the extra LCD real estate is nice, as is the
fact that the screen is faster than the 100 as well... and the fact you
don't need to crane your neck around on a flat table to see the screen.
At least in my experience, the T200's screen is very sturdily made... mind
you, mine's been thru the military, all over the US, and a trip to Germany
on a military transport -- they're not gentle about luggage.
I've seen very few that actually broke... and the ones that did were
repairable. (I should know; I repaired them for others, but mine is still
running strong). Typically what breaks on a T200 if it gets dropped is not
the clamshell hinges, or the ribbon cable, or anything else; it's the 4
posts in the corners of the housing around the LCD. The LCD itself is very
tough. Just rough up the posts and the post connection points with a dremel
tool (if you can cut shallow notches in the plastic, it will help the
bonding process), apply a decent amount of 5 minute epoxy (no, superglue is
*not* an option) and hold steady until the epoxy starts to cure.
Allow the epoxy ample time to fully cure (~24 hours), reassemble the 200,
and you're on the road again!
The main bummer about the T200: not able to handle 32K contiguous memory in
at least 1 bank, to make it easier to save large proggies to disk if
necessary. (still haven't figured out how to xfer Romulus Chess from tape
to TPDD2... proggie & DOS won't fit at the same time! :-/ )
Just my $0.02,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger
=====
Roger "Merch" Merchberger -- zmerch(a)30below.com
SysAdmin - Iceberg Computers
===== Merch's Wild Wisdom of the Moment: =====
Sometimes you know, you just don't know sometimes, you know?
4:35 p.m.
On Sun, 31 Jan 1999, Paul Braun wrote:
Can anyone give me the original release dates and some
tech specs on the
200 and the Pocket? The 200 has the parallel printer card, the external
[...]
Any info, anecdotes, whatever would be greatly
appreciated and acknowledged
in the display.
One info nugget of interest is that Tandy didn't make either the Pocket
Computer (Sharp) or the Model 100 (Kyocera). I'm not sure about the M200,
but I suspect it might have been made by Kyocera as well. Uncle Roger
knows more about all of the different Kyocera clones.
-- Doug
1 Feb
1 Feb
2:51 p.m.
Date sent: Mon, 1 Feb 1999 01:35:19 -0500 (EST)
Send reply to: classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu
From: Doug <doug(a)blinkenlights.com>
To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers"
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Need help on old Tandy stuff -- Allison? Anyone else?
Originally to: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
One info nugget of interest is that Tandy didn't
make either the Pocket
Computer (Sharp) or the Model 100 (Kyocera). I'm not sure about the M200,
but I suspect it might have been made by Kyocera as well. Uncle Roger
knows more about all of the different Kyocera clones.
-- Doug
I kinda knew the Pocket was a Sharp -- a bank I worked for had similar units,
made by Sharp, that were pre-programmed and supplied by the insurance
agent who underwrote loan insurance. We used them to figure insurance
premiums on different loan payments, as well as figure loan payments
themselves.
I didn't know about the Kyocera connection, however. Interesting....
While this display case will be exhibiting a variety of portables, the other case
will be showing the origins of everything that people commonly think was
invented by BillyG. Kind of a tribute to Hi-Toro/Amiga, Apple, PARC, ARPAnet,
and NCSA, among others.
Thanks.
Paul Braun
NerdWare -- The History of the PC and the Nerds who brought it to you.
nerdware(a)laidbak.com
www.laidbak.com/nerdware
2:53 p.m.
On Mon, 1 Feb 1999, Paul Braun wrote:
I didn't know about the Kyocera connection,
however. Interesting....
While this display case will be exhibiting a variety of portables, the
other case will be showing the origins of everything that people
commonly think was invented by BillyG.
Well, BillG did have some input into the Model 100. Legend has it that
his last coding job was part of the ROM'd software that came with that
machine:
http://innovate.si.edu/history/gates/gates35.htm
-- Doug
9456
days inactive
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5 comments
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participants (4)
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doug＠blinkenlights.com -
gram＠cnct.com -
nerdware＠laidbak.com -
zmerch＠30below.com