{"id":26333,"date":"2026-10-04T20:26:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T00:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=26333"},"modified":"2026-10-04T22:07:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T02:07:07","slug":"vin216","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin216\/","title":{"rendered":"Tandy TRS-80 Model I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Tandy TRS-80 Model I\n <\/h1>\n \n \n \n\n

The Tandy\/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I, introduced in 1977 by Don French and engineer Steve Leininger, was one of the first personal computers sold as a complete, ready-to-use consumer product rather than a hobbyist kit.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Vintage Computing Collection<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Tandy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

[Vin216]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1977 Tandy\/Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I became famous as one of the \u201c1977 Trinity\u201d of ready-built personal computers, alongside the Apple II and Commodore PET: its 1.77 MHz Zilog Z80, built-in ROM BASIC, keyboard and monitor package, cassette storage, and later floppy-disk expansion made programming and practical home or small-business computing accessible without building a kit. It was extraordinarily popular for the era and the initial production sold out within a month, Radio Shack sold about 100,000 units in 1978, and its nationwide retail network helped make the TRS-80 the best-selling U.S. microcomputer through its production run proving that a mass market existed for personal computers and helping launch the home computing boom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n