TRS-80 Model I released today in 1977 (August 3rd)

[+sm3]

It's hard to believe it's been 40 years. The TRS-80 Model I (along with the Atari 400) was one of the first computers I learned to program on in my middle school computer lab. Of course that was not in 1977, but 4 years later

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80

[Mr SQL]

It's hard to believe it's been 40 years. The TRS-80 Model I (along with the Atari 400) was one of the first computers I learned to program on in my middle school computer lab. Of course that was not in 1977, but 4 years later

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80

 

Awesome classic machine, brings back great memories! What I remember most is the great form factor - a real keyboard you could code on. 4K was plenty of memory for Level I Tiny BASIC and Assembly language programming.

 

If I had one now I would want the original level I ROM rather than the upgrades.

[Omega-TI]

Oh man has it been that long ago? I'm suddenly feeling... old.

[+sm3]

There have been a lot of cool hardware items recently created for it. Some of them are not too cheap, so that may limit exposure to them of course.

 

http://bartlettlabs.com/

[BassGuitari]

40 is the new 30.

Incidentally, I actually just took down my Model I setup from the retro-computer desk in my game room a couple days ago, possibly on the 3rd, actually... (Hey, I didn't know! )

(In case anybody's wondering, I took it down--after being set up for at least a couple of years--to make room for an Apple IIgs rig I got back in October and never really even set up yet. Found out the 3.5" drive I got for it doesn't seem to work, so serves me right, I guess. That RGB monitor, tho... )

[+sm3]

40 is the new 30.

 

Incidentally, I actually just took down my Model I setup from the retro-computer desk in my game room a couple days ago, possibly on the 3rd, actually... (Hey, I didn't know! )

 

(In case anybody's wondering, I took it down--after being set up for at least a couple of years--to make room for an Apple IIgs rig I got back in October and never really even set up yet. Found out the 3.5" drive I got for it doesn't seem to work, so serves me right, I guess. That RGB monitor, tho... )

 

I often swap out my vintage systems as well having more of them than space to set them up

 

I have never used an Apple IIgs but I do get tempted now and then to pick one up.

[BassGuitari]

I have never used an Apple IIgs but I do get tempted now and then to pick one up.

FWIW I got it for free from a friend who was getting rid of some stuff. I wasn't looking for one, knowing it would mostly end up being just a snazzier way to play Apple II games. It's neat enough but I don't regret not getting one sooner.

[ClausB]

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/262195-40-years/?do=findComment&comment=3697647

 

Excerpts from BYTE on the new TRS-80. That was its name, not Model 1. Just like the movie was called Star Wars, not A New Hope or Ep IV or whatever!

 

Edit: added rant

Edited August 16, 2017 by ClausB

[+sm3]

Not the point of my posting this thread, but yes, when it was released, it was the only TRS-80. When I used them in 1981, it was no longer the only TRS-80 model since the Model III and II were out by then, so when I mention the first TRS-80, it's always Model I to differentiate.

[mutterminder]

I was one of the first people to buy this computer back in 1977. I think I was probably the first person in my town. It was a lot of money for me as I had to save up money from my summer job. But a $599.99 it was really the least expensive complete computer system that you could buy at that time. The manual that came with it was a very good introduction to computers and programming. Since the only programs I had for it were Blackjack and Backgammon, I was interested in trying as many programs as I could. At first I couldn't write much more than the example programs in the manual, but there was a magazine call Creative Computing which contained numerous BASIC programs. At first, none of them were written for the TRS-80, so I had to learn how to translate the programs into Level I BASIC. Often I had to condense them to fit in 4K of memory. In this way I learned a lot about programing.

 

Unfortunately because of the limited memory in the TRS-80 Level 1, 4K, I had to preserve every byte I could. I used abbreviations, multiple commands per line, and no comments or spaces. Because of this, in later years when I went back and looked at my earlier programs, I often had trouble decoding what I had done.