TRS-80.org » Hardware

The Anitek MegaMem

Matthew Reed — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:05:00 +0000

The MegaMem, introduced in early 1990 by Anitek Software Products, was the ultimate memory upgrade solution for the TRS-80 Model III and 4. By using the same high capacity SIP (single in-line package) memory modules that were being used in PC compatibles at the time, the MegaMem allowed a Model 4 to be upgraded as high as 8MB. Unlike the HyperMem, an earlier Anitek memory upgrade product, the MegaMem required no soldering, trace cutting, or other surgery to the computer. Peter Ray, the president of Anitek, described the MegaMem as the upgrade for “people who can spend extra money and hate soldering.”

Orchestra-80

Matthew Reed — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Like many personal computers at the time, the TRS-80 Model I had fairly primitive built-in sound capabilities. That changed in 1980 with the introduction of the Orchestra-80, a small $79.95 unit that plugged into the TRS-80 and could play music with four simultaneous voices over a six octave range. Orchestra-80 was sold by Software Affair, Ltd., a company created by Bryan Eggers and Jon Bokelman. It became one of the best remembered hardware add-ons for the TRS-80.

Orchestra-80 had predecessors in two earlier kit products for S-100 computers. In 1977, Software Technology Corporation introduced the STC Music System, which featured “Musical Arrangements by Jon Bokelman.” In 1979, after the STC Music System was no longer available, California Software Co. introduced the Software Music Synthesis System. Also created by Jon Bokelman, the Software Music Synthesis System, or SMS, maintained the same syntax as the STC Music System, even though it was a completely different product.

TRS-80 Multi-Pen Plotter

Matthew Reed — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:07:00 +0000

The TRS-80 Multi-Pen Plotter (catalog number 26-1191) was similar to the earlier TRS-80 Plotter/Printer (catalog number 26-1190), but offered one important new feature: the ability to print in color. Described as an “intelligent plotter,” the Multi-Pen Plotter used replaceable colored pens to print on paper or transparencies. Even at a price of $1995.00, the Multi-Pen Plotter was cheaper than many other color output alternatives available at the time. In fact, the catalog description states that the Plotter “brings an affordable price to color graphics!”

TRS-80 Digitizer

Matthew Reed — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:16:00 +0000

The TRS-80 Digitizer (catalog number 26-1195), available in November 1981, provided a way to digitize maps, blueprints, and charts in an era before document scanners were affordable or commonly available. The Digitizer, which measured 2¼″ by 15½″ by 4¼″, cost $449.00 and connected to the TRS-80 Model I or Color Computer through the cassette port or to other TRS-80 models through the RS-232 port. (Oddly, the Model III couldn’t be connected through the cassette port like the Model I.)

The manual described the concept behind the TRS-80 Digitizer:

What exactly is a digitizer? Basically, it’s a device that describes a specific point on a sheet of paper in terms of its X-Y (Cartesian) coordinates. For example, if you didn’t have a Digitizer and you wanted to describe the location of a particular point on an 8 1/2” X 11” sheet of paper, you would need to measure how far from the left edge that point is, then how far from the top edge it is.

A digitizer does this for you. It tells you how far horizontally (the X-axis) and how far vertically (the Y-axis) that point is from the edge of the paper.

The Network 3 Controller

Matthew Reed — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:20:00 +0000

The Radio Shack Network 3 Controller (catalog number 26-1212) was a networking system designed for use in classrooms. First appearing in the 1983 catalog, the Network 3 Controller cost $599.00. Unlike the earlier Network I and Network 2 Controllers, which worked with more than one type of TRS-80 computer, the Network 3 Controller only supported the Model III or Model 4 in Model III mode.

From the description in a 1983 Radio Shack catalog:

The Network 3 Controller enables up to 16 Model III student stations to choose from lessons stored on a teacher’s “host” system. This frees the instructor from repeatedly loading programs into individual stations. And scores are automatically stored on the host disk for later review as lessons that generate student record keeping are completed. The Network 3 also allows computer science students to learn Disk BASIC on a non-disk Model III. That means you get the features of a disk-equipped computer, but at about half the price!

PT-210 Portable Data Terminal

Matthew Reed — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:13:00 +0000

The TRS-80 PT-210 Portable Terminal (catalog number 76-1001) was a mobile dumb terminal that provided a way for travelers to access remote computers while on the road. Introduced by Radio Shack in late 1982 for a price of $995.00, the PT-210 was promoted with the slogan “Now there’s a TRS-80 you can take with you on business trips!”

The PT-210 weighed 15 pounds and came in a briefcase-style case. It contained a full-size 53-key keyboard, an acoustic coupler that communicated at 110 or 300 baud, and a “whisper-quiet” thermal printer. The catalog description stated:

The Network I Controller

Matthew Reed — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:13:00 +0000

The Radio Shack Network I Controller (catalog number 26-1210) was an early networking system for the TRS-80. Introduced on March 1, 1980, the Network I Controller (originally called the TRS-80 Model I Network I) cost $499.00 and was primarily designed for classroom use.

The Network I concept, described as “teacher-centric,” was based around a disk-based Model I (used by a teacher) connected through a Network I Controller and cassette cables to cassette-based Model I’s (used by students). Up to sixteen student computers could be connected over a distance of up to thirty feet. From the announcement in the TRS-80 Microcomputer News:

The Model III to 4 Upgrade Kit

Matthew Reed — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:06:00 +0000

The TRS-80 Model 4, introduced in 1983, was 100% software compatible with its predecessor, the TRS-80 Model III. A cassette-based Model 4 behaved identically to a cassette-based Model III and could run all Model III software. But a disk-based Model 4 could also run new Model 4 software that exposed features unique to the Model 4, such as extra memory and a larger text resolution. For Model III owners who wanted to run the new software but were unwilling to discard their Model III, Radio Shack offered the Model III to 4 Upgrade Kit.

The Model III to 4 Upgrade Kit (catalog number 26-1123) originally cost $799.95 and was introduced at the same time as the Model 4. It could convert a disk-based Model III into a disk-based Model 4, capable of running all Model 4 programs. One early Model 4 advertisement stated that “Model III disk system owners can get all the new Model 4 features by adding our upgrade kit.”

The Model III to 4 Upgrade Kit consisted of several parts:

Mayday Uninterruptable Power Supplies

Matthew Reed — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:15:00 +0000

Mayday was a line of uninterruptible power supplies for the TRS-80 and other computers. It was sold by Sun Research (originally Sun Technology), a division of Phase-R Corporation.

Phase-R Corporation was located in New Durham, New Hampshire and experienced frequent problems with poor power quality and frequent outages. They originally developed the Mayday to protect the office TRS-80’s, describing it as “designed and developed using a complete TRS-80 system.” Sun Research introduced the first Mayday model in 1980.

Echo-80 Speech Synthesizer

Matthew Reed — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:14:00 +0000

Street Electronics Corporation sold a variety of speech synthesizers with the Echo name. The Echo II, the Apple II version, was the most popular, but they also sold versions for other computers. As of 1982, there were four versions:

Echo-80 for the TRS-80 Model I and III
Echo II for the Apple II
ECHO-100 for S-100 computers
ECHO GP (General Purpose) for any computer with a RS-232 or parallel printer port (including a TRS-80)