Tandy 1000
[vin35]
The Tandy 1000, launched in 1984, was a landmark home computer known for its affordability, full IBM PC compatibility, and innovative features like enhanced 16-color graphics and three-voice sound, which surpassed the standard capabilities of most PCs at the time. Its claim to fame was delivering superior multimedia performance and expandability for less money than IBM’s own offerings, making it a favorite for home users and educational markets, and helping Tandy capture nearly 10% of the US home computer market by 1986. The Tandy 1000 was immensely popular, selling several million units, and was widely available in Canada through Radio Shack stores, with Canadian-specific manuals and support, and even some hardware like the Roar Technology “SayIt” card originating from Canadian companies.
- Manufacturer: Tandy Corporation and sold primarily through Radio Shack stores
- Released: November 1984
- Type: Desktop computer
- Cost at release: USD $1,200 (CAD ~$4,000 adjusted for inflation)
- Cost with peripherals: USD $1,800 (CAD ~$6,200 adjusted for inflation)
- MIPS: 0.33 (330 KIPS)
Hardware Specifications
- Processor: Intel 8088 @ 4.77 MHz
- Memory: 128 KB (expandable to 640 KB) RAM
- Storage: 5.25-inch floppy disk drive (single or dual), optional hard drive in later models
- Display: Tandy Graphics Adapter (TGA), compatible with CGA, supporting 16 colors at 160×200 resolution
- Sound: Three-voice sound chip (Texas Instruments SN76496), plus PC speaker
- Expansion: Three ISA slots (8-bit)
- Ports: Parallel, serial, joystick, and keyboard ports
- Keyboard: Full-size, detachable keyboard
Operating System & Programming Languages
- O/S: MS-DOS (bundled), compatible with most IBM PC software
- Programming Languages:
- GW-BASIC (bundled and commonly used for learning and hobbyist programming)
- Turbo Pascal and Borland Pascal
- Turbo C, Borland C, and compatible C/C++ compilers
- Microsoft QuickBASIC and BASIC
- Assembly language (using assemblers like MASM)
- Fortran (with appropriate DOS compilers)
Notables
- The Tandy 1000 was nicknamed the “machine IBM was too inept, incapable, or afraid to manufacture,” highlighting its reputation as the PCjr done right.
- It offered enhanced 16-color graphics and three-voice sound, making it the best PC-compatible computer for games until VGA became standard in the 1990s.
- The Tandy 1000 was the first home PC to popularize features like the inverted-T arrow key layout and function keys grouped along the top, now standard on modern keyboards.
- It sold more units in its first month than any previous Tandy product and quickly became the company’s best-selling computer.
- Its built-in joystick port and affordable price made it a favorite for home and educational use, helping Tandy capture nearly 10% of the US home computer market and regain a significant share of the educational market from Apple.
- The Tandy 1000’s “Tandy-compatible” graphics and sound became a widely supported standard for PC games, with many titles advertising explicit support for the platform.
- DeskMate, its bundled graphical environment, predated Microsoft Windows as a home productivity suite, offering a user-friendly interface before GUIs were common.
- The series remained in production for nearly a decade, with about a dozen models released, and was widely available in Canada through Radio Shack stores, with Canadian-specific support and documentation
Donated by: Arlen Michaels