Tandy Pocket Computers, Part 2

Welcome to episode 80 of the Floppy Days Podcast, for December, 2017!

This episode is part 2 of the coverage of the TRS-80 pocket computer line.  In the timeline we’re still in the year 1980, with the first of the pocket computer line, the PC-1, having been released in that year.  Again, the TRS-80 icon known as Ian Mavric will be walking through various aspects of that computer line with me.  We will be covering newsletters, magazines, emulation, Web sites, modern upgrades and much more.

Web site: http://floppydays.com

email: [email protected]

Twitter: @floppydays

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/floppydays

on iTunes and Stitcher (www.stitcher.com)

part of the Throwback Network (www.throwbacknetwork.net )

Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/I5bhao6ixoxkzq52qlku5mfb43q?t=FloppyDays_Vintage_Computing_Podcast

Links Mentioned in the Show:

New Acquisitions

• CoCoSDC - http://cocosdc.blogspot.com/
• REX - http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=REX
• NADSBox - http://bitchin100.com/wiki/index.php?title=NADSBox
• Model 100 Disk/Video Interface - https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n12/89_Tandy_DiskVideo_Interfac.php
• Paleotronic Retro-Technology Magazine Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/paleotronic/paleotronic-retro-technology-magazine-microm8-3d-e/description

News

• Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution by David and Theresa Welsh - http://www.microcomputerpioneers.com/prime/order.html

Upcoming Shows

• Vintage Computer Festival Pacific Northwest - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-pacific-northwest/ When: Saturday February 10th and Sunday February 11th, 2018 Where: Living Computers: Museum+Labs, 2245 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA

• CoCoFest - http://www.glensideccc.com/cocofest/ , April 21 & 22, 2018, Heron Point Convention Center, 645 West North Avenue, Lombard, IL

• Vintage Computer Festival East - http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/vintage-computer-festival-east/ When: May 18-20, 2018 Where: InfoAge Science Center, 2201 Marconi Rd., Wall, NJ

• KansasFest - https://www.kansasfest.org/ , July 17-22, 2018, Kansas City, Missouri

• other shows that will definitely occur but not yet announced:
• • VCF Southeast - Roswell, GA - April
  • VCF Midwest - Elk Grove Village, IL - September
  • Tandy Assembly - OH - October
  • TI International World’s Faire - Chicago - Oct/Nov
  • World of Commodore - Toronto - Dec
  • Atari Party - keep eye open

Magazines/Newsletters

• Pocket Computer Newsletter - http://www.pc-1500.info/
• Status1500 - http://www.pc-1500.info/
• TRS-80 Microcomputer News - http://www.os9projects.com/MAGAZINES/MicroNews/MicroNews.html
• Compunotes - ads in Interface Age Magazine (could not find any links to these)

Books

• 62-2086 TRS-80 Pocket Computer Programs, by Jim Cole ($1.95), published by Radio Shack - https://archive.org/details/119practicalprog00john
• 62-2312 Problem Solving on the TRS-80 Pocket Computer, by Don Inman and Jim Conlan, published by Radio Shack ($9.95) - https://www.amazon.com/Problem-solving-TRS-80-Pocket-Computer-Self-teaching/dp/0471092703
• 119 Practical Programs for the TRS-80 Pocket Computer, TAB Books, by John Clark Craig - https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programmes-TRS-80-Pocket-Computer/dp/0830613501
• 26-3620 Getting Started on the PC-2, by HC Pennington, Gary Camp, Ralph Burris, published by Radio Shack ($12.95) - https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Sharp-Radio-Shack/dp/0936200111

Ads

• Isaac Asimov ad for PC-1 - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/t80ppc/ad82a.jpg
• PC-2 ad - http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/t80ppc/h/pc2cat83.jpg
• PC-2/PC-3/PC-4 combined ad - https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2178/2468545035_68bb455023_b.jpg

Emulation

• Pock'Emul Multi pocket computers emulator
• Forever1500 Sharp pockets emulator project in HTML5/JavaScript
• PC-1500A emulator
• MESS - http://www.mess.org/

Modern Upgrades

• http://www.tramsoft.ch/sharp_erweiterungen/index_en.html
• • Toolkit: Four program-packages to extend the operating system DISCONTINUED
  • E-Box: Allows to connect up to four devices to a PC-1500/A or CE-150
  • Parallel/Floppy-Interface: Allows to connect a printer and a floppy drive DISCONTINUED
  • A/D Converter Standard Version: Eight channel 12-bit analog to digital converter for mobile data acquisition
  • Memory module: Increase the memory (RAM) to 32K

Community

• Community
• • Mailing Lists
  • • [email protected]
  • Forums
  • • AtariAge - http://atariage.com/forums/forum/174-tandy-computers/

Web Sites

• http://www.pc1500.com/
• Tandy! Pocket! Mania! @ Floodgap Retrobits - http://www.floodgap.com/retrobits/tpm/ - Cameron Kaiser
• Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Pocket_Computer
• All and more about the Sharp PC-1500 and PC-1600 - http://www.pc-1500.info/
• http://www.trs-80.com/trs80-models-pocket.htm
• http://pocket.free.fr/html/tandy/tandy_e.html
• http://radioshackcatalogs.com