I want Tandy
June 28, 2025 12:56 AM Subscribe
From leather shoe bits to the TRS-80: The Tandy Corporation: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4 [Abort, Retry, Fail]
A TRS-80 next to a Coleco Adam would be the completist's set of "home computers sold by leather companies".
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:54 AM on June 28 [3 favorites]
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 2:54 AM on June 28 [3 favorites]
The most important day of the month in my home was the arrival of Rainbow Magazine, whereupon I would sequester myself in the “computer room” and type in all the programs, followed by many days of frustrated debugging to find my typos, or the editor’s misses.
posted by simra at 2:56 AM on June 28 [8 favorites]
posted by simra at 2:56 AM on June 28 [8 favorites]
The hoary old type-in tome The Captain 80 Book of Basic Adventures
It summarizes Mystery Fun House! I remember being so frustrated by not being able to complete it on my TRS-80 Model 1 Level 2. I think I was ten or so at the time; I would also type in games from magazines. Commercial games came on tape - one of my favorites had starship combat - until I asked my parents for an ‘expansion interface’ that let me get a floppy drive. That was all so I could get Zork.
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 3:41 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
It summarizes Mystery Fun House! I remember being so frustrated by not being able to complete it on my TRS-80 Model 1 Level 2. I think I was ten or so at the time; I would also type in games from magazines. Commercial games came on tape - one of my favorites had starship combat - until I asked my parents for an ‘expansion interface’ that let me get a floppy drive. That was all so I could get Zork.
posted by Flight Hardware, do not touch at 3:41 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
+1 for the title
posted by Lemkin at 5:19 AM on June 28 [5 favorites]
posted by Lemkin at 5:19 AM on June 28 [5 favorites]
Subscribers only. Does anyone have an archive/nonpaywall link for parts 2, 3, and 4?
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:46 AM on June 28 [3 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:46 AM on June 28 [3 favorites]
In 1978, while growing up in rural South Texas, I impossibly taught myself BASIC and then later, Z-80 assembly, using a friend’s TRS-80 Model 1. His dad had a home business that involved using a truly impressive array of 1970s Tektronix computers, plotters, tape storage machines, etc. He bought my friend a TRS-80, and the rest is history. Looking back on the time and place, it’s amazing how improbable that whole scenario was for me. Like finding advanced technology left behind by aliens in the mesquite brush. I’d have likely followed my family into ranching if not for that encounter.
posted by smcdow at 9:12 AM on June 28 [3 favorites]
posted by smcdow at 9:12 AM on June 28 [3 favorites]
Oh man, I miss Radio Shack and Tandy. I want a time machine so I can go back and grab whatever consultant or private equity firm that turned them into a Sprint phone kiosk and rub their noses in what they've done.
They could have *still* been the go-to local brick and mortar store for parts and tools and leaned way into it and even eaten Microcenters lunch.
Imagine a world where not only did they still sell computers, electronics, gadgets and parts but they could have partnered with rapid prototyping services and parts dealers like PCBway, Thingiverse. Digikey, Mouser and so many others.
Imagine walking into a Radio Shack where not only do they sell 3D printers but they do stuff like 3D prints or rapid laser etched PCBs and pick and place on demand like a Kinko's for electronics repair and hobbyists instead of photocopies.
Imagine a world where every Radio Shack was a local neighborhood maker space.
They had the distribution, the warehouses, the thousands of stores and most importantly the very nerdy and fanatically loyal staff all primed and ready to go to take Radio Shack into the future...
Instead some MBA assholes turned it into a mall phone kiosk for a mobile phone company that also doesn't even exist any more.
posted by loquacious at 9:58 AM on June 28 [13 favorites]
They could have *still* been the go-to local brick and mortar store for parts and tools and leaned way into it and even eaten Microcenters lunch.
Imagine a world where not only did they still sell computers, electronics, gadgets and parts but they could have partnered with rapid prototyping services and parts dealers like PCBway, Thingiverse. Digikey, Mouser and so many others.
Imagine walking into a Radio Shack where not only do they sell 3D printers but they do stuff like 3D prints or rapid laser etched PCBs and pick and place on demand like a Kinko's for electronics repair and hobbyists instead of photocopies.
Imagine a world where every Radio Shack was a local neighborhood maker space.
They had the distribution, the warehouses, the thousands of stores and most importantly the very nerdy and fanatically loyal staff all primed and ready to go to take Radio Shack into the future...
Instead some MBA assholes turned it into a mall phone kiosk for a mobile phone company that also doesn't even exist any more.
posted by loquacious at 9:58 AM on June 28 [13 favorites]
When Radio Shack was in its last days I got a couple of nice electronics kits from them, which included a soldering iron and a multimeter. I keep meaning to do something with them, but I'm more into software than hardware.
Another previously: a post on Radio Shack's ending, including a link to the classic Jon Bois article.
posted by JHarris at 12:38 PM on June 28 [3 favorites]
Another previously: a post on Radio Shack's ending, including a link to the classic Jon Bois article.
posted by JHarris at 12:38 PM on June 28 [3 favorites]
« Older "The Great American Poet of Daily Chores' | "My boyfriend did this and you better like it!" Newer »
The hoary old type-in tome The Captain 80 Book of Basic Adventures
An in-browser emulated version of Arctic Adventure, without the typo from the book that makes it unplayable (plus another game from the same book)
Way way way too many more in-browser emulated TRS-80 games and programs
posted by BiggerJ at 1:52 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]