TRS-80 Info - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

1 Aug 1997

At 07:52 AM 8/1/97 -0600, you wrote:

...
 That machine is an 80186! (Nope, that's not a
typo.)  It's really not
'IBM' compatible, although it runs MS-DOS 2.  That machine obviously must
have the color card, if it comes with the CM-1 (I'd love one of those.)
The 2k sported several big enhancements over the PC.  The faster 186, 720k
floppies (DSQD), 600x400x16colors, full 16 bit expansion slots.  Overall
it's a really cool machine.  That's probably why it didn't survive. 
        As long as programmers used BIOS calls instead of writing directly
to the video hardware and such, the 2k would run a lot of PC software just
fine.  I've got a list around here somewhere of what PC software was known
to work with it.  I ran the basic PC versions of Wordstar and Norton
Utilities on mine for a long time, though things such as Framework required
special video drivers. Also, communications programs didn't like the
machine, unless they used a fossil driver to access the serial port, such as
GTPower. I enjoyed making new fonts for the machine to boot into, as it's
system font was loaded into RAM on startup, making it quite customizable.
As for the CM-1, that is one nice monitor.  I never could find one though,
so I ended up using an early NEC Multisync on mine for a while.

...
 Some had a hard drive.  If it was factory installed,
the nameplate should
read 'Model 2000HD.'  You might also look for any labelling on the back.
The HD controller might have some sort of stickers on it.  (The cards are
the long, 1/2" high metal strips on the back.) 
        My 2k started life as a dual-floppy model, and then I added a
Seagate ST-225 internally later.  I was kind of a pain finding the piggyback
hard disk power supply and mounting bracket for the drive though!  I also
had the color video board, 640k RAM, and a clock/mouse board.

        Jeff                         jeffh(a)unix.aardvarkol.com
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       Amiga enthusiast and collector of early, classic microcomputers

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