Ranger03 Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 kinda Disrespectful to the TRS-80 don't you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 That was the point. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 It was kind of a playful rivalry back in the day. Many of us had different computers by so many manufacturers, we named the computers (that we didn't own). Even the Commodore 64 was not impervious to the naming... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 (edited) And who can forget "Crapple?" FWIW, a lot of Radio Shack users embraced the "Trash-80" nickname. I think there's even a podcast called Trash Talk. As a fan of TRS-80 systems myself, I'm certainly not offended by it. Edited July 26, 2018 by BassGuitari 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 (edited) Sorry, had to. Edited July 26, 2018 by Jess Ragan 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 My mother worked for a company that used one. If you think MS-DOS based accounting and inventory software was awkward and slow.. well, you never used a TRS 80 for the same purpose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 Their flagship Realistic electronics brand may have something to do with it. As a kid I remember most of the Realistic branded stuff was low quality. We went to Radio Shack for odd to find project boxes and parts, not big cost items. Which is to say Radio Shack had a rep for good tools and parts but low quality products, and tons of liquidated garbage items. They also sold goofy stuff like the construction helmet with the rotating red police car beacon/light on top. Don't get me wrong, I loved visiting the Radio Shack stores. The first computer I actually got to see and touch was a Radio Shack Model I. That thing blew my mind. I'll never forget that day... Still, Trash-80 fits for a store known for selling lots of crap. No self-respecting computer enthusiast would own a Trash-80. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 My mother worked for a company that used one. If you think MS-DOS based accounting and inventory software was awkward and slow.. well, you never used a TRS 80 for the same purpose I dunno, I think it was pretty awesome on the Model II, provided you knew the software. That thing had blazing disk access speed, and those 500KB 8" floppies had so much storage that they were practically like removable hard drives compared to other floppy disk formats. No self-respecting computer enthusiast would own a Trash-80. Depends when you're talking about, I think. The TRS-80 was practically the de facto "standard" personal computer of the late '70s, at least to the extent that there really was such a thing. It was far and away the best-selling and best-supported system until Apple systems starting coming down in price a little bit (the Apple was always the superior system, just too expensive), and stuff like the Atari 800, VIC-20, and TI-99/4a started coming out. Once better, more affordable systems started hitting the scene, yeah, the various TRS-80 models became a little schlocky by comparison, although they were nevertheless capable within their parameters. They had their fans. (The Color Computer joystick, though...only Radio Shack could have come up with that. ) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 The TI-99/4A joystick was worse, and Atari themselves made horrid 5200 and 7800 system joysticks. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 I give Tandy credit for the TRS-80 coming to market early and appearing in stores across America. Altair was probably the first fe-facto standard though. That said, the TRS-80 model 1 was what made me start dreaming of my own machine. Along with PET it was monochrome and severely limited with character graphics and all. I remember thinking of the TRS-80 line as primitive. Once color came around they always were playing catch-up with their cheaply styled CoCo. All said, I think the funny TRS “Trash” sounding name was inescapable for them. Especially so being marketed along-side all the other rubbish Tandy was selling. Never a serious computer store IMHO. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Still, Trash-80 fits for a store known for selling lots of crap. No self-respecting computer enthusiast would own a Trash-80. Hmmm... BITD I was the Computer Marketing Manager of the Longview, WA store. I even owned a TRS-80 there for a while. I got in trouble with Ft. Worth for buying it the way I did. At the time the exchange rate between Canada and the US fell to 50%, but the pricing in the catalogs was maintained. I also got a 10% discount for being a Radio Shack employee and at around Christmas time we got an additional 10% one time discount for owners of Tandy Stock. I ended getting a $1,999.95 computer for about $800.00 . They were *issed off! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 The self-respecting remark was in jest. We love all the retro systems now. Even Commodore. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feralstorm Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Every generation has its console and computer 'wars', which usually look pointless and infantile when viewed by subsequent generations. (of course, discussions on NES vs. 7800 and Amiga vs. ST keep popping up, so they never go away completely.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youxia Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 No self-respecting computer enthusiast would own a Trash-80. Sure, but lots of self-respecting computer enthusiasts owned a TRS-80. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClausB Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 We love all the retro systems now. Even Commodore. Let's not go too far! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OLD CS1 Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Let's not go too far! PCjr FTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 (edited) Well it's good to see RadioShackExpress open up inside my local hobbyshop. They're supposed to carry soldering stuff and small parts and stuff to fix stuff. I hope they filtered out the cellphone garbage and associate stink. Must be some new business strategy - these capsule stores. Edited July 27, 2018 by Keatah 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 The Rat Shack still exists?! That's kind of shocking to be honest. I thought they all went away after the bankruptcy. It would indeed be nice to have a resource for resistors and the like. The prices are nuts but I hate waiting for online sources to deliver their goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 (edited) The TI-99/4A joystick was worse, and Atari themselves made horrid 5200 and 7800 system joysticks. Well, that's a matter of opinion. And all of those are demonstrable better in most ways than the Color Computer joystick, which is basically just an upside-down, hypersensitive mouse with a stick set into the ball. Great for a few paddle- or cursor-oriented games, and terrible for just about everything else. Thankfully the Deluxe Joystick (a ubiquitous Kraft design) came along a couple years later. That thing is great! I've got a pair of Rev. 9 Atari 5200 controllers with the high-profile joystick boot that I Tinfoil Dotted, and let me tell you: those controllers are things of absolute beauty. Silky-smooth control, perfect button/key response, very deluxe feel. Granted, not every 5200 controller is created equal, but with these at least, I'm finding it really hard to understand where all the hate comes from. The ProLines, eh. Definitely a step back from the 5200 controller IMO, but they're okay as long as you only need one fire button. Forget playing games like Basketbrawl, though. The TI joystick, hm. It certainly isn't good, but I don't know if I'd say it's worse than the CoCo joystick. It's much less comfortable, with all the slipperiness, mushiness, and torquing around in the hand, but I think it's generally more functional for the games that call for it than the CoCo's is for its games. If nothing else, at least the cord doesn't run out the side. Call it a wash? I give Tandy credit for the TRS-80 coming to market early and appearing in stores across America. Altair was probably the first fe-facto standard though. The Altair? Standard? Gotta beg to differ there. It had Microsoft BASICs and was one of the first systems to be built around the S-100 bus, both of which became standards in the industry, sure, but I think chances are pretty slim that if you found a computer in Joe Average's house, or in a school or office in the late '70s that it would be an Altair instead of a TRS-80 or PET or Apple. Edited July 27, 2018 by BassGuitari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Okay, now we’re talking! What’s a high-profile boot and where can I get them for my Rev9 updated 5200 controllers? What is “tin foil dotted” and how do I accomplish this? Recently performed Rev9 updates only, and was left a little underwhelmed honestly. Sure, everything works now but it’s still sloppy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacman000 Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 "The Rat Shack still exists?! That's kind of shocking to be honest. I thought they all went away after the bankruptcy. It would indeed be nice to have a resource for resistors and the like. The prices are nuts but I hate waiting for online sources to deliver their goods." They closed most of their corporate stores, but their franchises still exist, & they never filed for ch7, only ch11, which allows them to reorganize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger03 Posted July 29, 2018 Author Share Posted July 29, 2018 (edited) Is there a (non shareware) way to emulate the trs-80 on windows 10 64 bit? Edited July 29, 2018 by Ranger03 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Usotsuki Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 MAME? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Okay, now we’re talking! What’s a high-profile boot and where can I get them for my Rev9 updated 5200 controllers? What is “tin foil dotted” and how do I accomplish this? Recently performed Rev9 updates only, and was left a little underwhelmed honestly. Sure, everything works now but it’s still sloppy. Tin Foil Dotted = Punched-out dots of tin foil adhered to the buttons' carbon contact pads. Essentially a poor man's "Gold Dot Rebuild" which seems to work just as well, as far as I can tell. You can tell the high-profile boots just by looking at them. They rise up much higher than the usual ones and really help with joystick response IMO. I believe controllers equipped with these also have longer joystick shafts, which are not only necessary to clear the additional height of the boot, but also create a shorter throw and don't stretch out the (already better) boot as much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshack Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Anyone know where to get the high-profile boots? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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