Was there a Level I Model III?

Although rare, the Level I Model III did exist. The 1981 Radio Shack catalog which introduced the Model III listed three versions:

• 26-1061, 4K Level I BASIC, cassette only, $699
• 26-1062, 16K Model III BASIC, cassette only, $999
• 26-1063, 32K Model III BASIC, two floppy drives, $2495

The catalog has this to say about Level I BASIC for the Model III:

You can start with the popular Level I “learner’s” language, and later expand to the very powerful Model III BASIC with 16K memory.

with a bit more detail later on:

Level I BASIC is the same as Model I BASIC (see page 9), but with printing commands included. Model III BASIC has all the features of Model I Level II BASIC (see page 9) plus a lot more.

I have never seen a Level I Model III, but I would guess that there weren’t many sold. No copies of the Level I Model III ROM are known to exist today.

Filed Under FAQ