Radio Shack TRS-80 Pocket Computer - Part 1

A Few Years Ago, the Idea of a Computer You Could Put in Your Pocket Was Just Science Fiction - Isaac Asimov

From the April 1982 issue of 80 US magazine

Sorry for the lack of articles. I’ve been sick. Not fun.

The Company

You can read about the history of Radio Shack in a post from last month.

The Computer

Radio Shack released the first of the Pocket Computer line, the PC-1, in 1980. According to Cameron Kaiser on his site, Tandy! Pocket! Mania!, Tandy “was looking for a small portable computer to complement their newly popular Color Computer and TRS-80 computer lines. Then as now, Tandy's main interest was to resell rather than develop internally if it could possibly avoid it.” The PC-1 was a rebadged Sharp PC-1211 pocket computer. It retailed for $249.95 originally but was later reduced to $149.95.

It might have been mistaken for a calculator, but it could do much more. You could use the tiny Qwerty keyboard to write programs in “Pocket BASIC” using the 24-digit dot matrix LCD screen. Interestingly, “Pocket BASIC” had two modes: RUNtime mode, which would allow you to run calculations (like a real calculator) or run programs (without editing them) and a “PROgram (or WRiTe) mode” where you could write or edit programs. Each program with limited to “1424 program steps”.

Cameron Kaiser noted, “Choosing BASIC as the programming language for the new line was an extremely sound decision. It transcended the sometimes opaque programming methods and "languages" used by other programmable calculators, and gave the impression of using a full desktop machine as virtually all desktop microcomputers of the day (such as the Apple II, Commodore PET and the Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80) used it as their primary programming language as well.”

There were many accessories and program packs available for the PC-1. Here is a list:

• cassette interface (Sharp CE-121)

• cassette and printer interface (Sharp CE-122)

• printer paper 1-25/32" wide, 31/32" diameter

• vinyl carrying case

• Real Estate Software Package ($24.95)

• Civil Engineering Software Package ($24.95)

• Surveying Software Package ($24.95)

• Aviation Software Package ($24.95)

• Math Drill Software Package ($14.95)

• Games I ($14.95)

• Business Statistics Software Package ($19.95)

• Business Finance Software Package ($19.95)

• Personal Finance Software Package ($19.95)

• Electrical Engineering I ($24.95)

• Statistical Analysis Software Package ($24.95)

• Games II ($14.95)

• Engineering Math I ($14.95)

• Engineering Math II ($14.95)

• Engineering Math III ($10.95)

• Engineering Math IV ($7.95)

• Calendars Software Package ($19.95)

• Horse Race Analyst Software Package ($19.95)

• Banners Software Package ($9.95)

• Golf Scoring Software Package ($14.95)

Happy with the response to the PC-1, Radio Shack decided to offer a more powerful option. Going back to the Sharp catalog, they picked the Sharp PC-1500, which they renamed the PC-2 when they released it in 1982. The PC-2 was bigger than the PC-1 both in terms of size and capability. It had a 1.3 MHz CPU (which was similar to desktop systems), an LCD capable of creating bitmap graphics, and an expansion slot so you could increase RAM to 16KB. From Kaiser, “Even more fascinating was the fact that you could write in true machine language and have the PC-2's CPU execute it, natively, at full speed -- the only Tandy Pocket Computer that had this feature”.

The new CPU meant that they could release an improved version of BASIC. Extended Pocket BASIC now included support for “sound commands, direct dot addressing (GCURSOR/GPRINT/POINT), ON ERROR/GOTO/GOSUB, INKEY$, WAIT, TIME (for its built-in clock!), a full complement of string functions, and bitwise operators”.

Initial sales were slow because it cost $279.95 for what many people thought was an oversized calculator. That price would jump up past $500 if you added the accessories. Radio Shack came to its senses and reduced the price to a more manageable $199.95 the following year.

In 1983, Radio Shack released the Pocket Computer PC-4. (Yes, you read that right, I didn’t write this out of order.) This time the product was a rebadged Casio device. The goal was to reach consumers looking for a lower-cost device. Costing only $69.95, the PC-4 fit perfectly. That price point meant that the PC-4 was limited to less than 1Kb of RAM, a 12-character LCD screen, and a 4-bit CPU. Customers found the PC-4 to be just what they were looking for, and it sold very well.

I think I’ll stop there for now. Radio Shack’s Pocket Computer continued to the PC-3, PC-5, PC-6, PC-7, and PC-8. Since, this post is running, long, I’ll cover those models next month.

Reviews

Byte Magazine commented on the upcoming release of the first Pocket Computer in December 1980:

“The Pocket Computer is really a marketing experiment. Neither Tandy nor any of the other pocketcomputer makers really know if there is a meaningful market for this machine. Quasar and Panasonic talk about selling one million of their new hand-held computers next year (at $400 each). Tandy, however, is selling its at $250 and may garner the major portion of the market.

But what is the market for these pocket machines? The makers are projecting that they will be bought by salesmen and executives who, via a modem, will contact their home computers to book orders, check order status, receive and send messages, etc. Will hobbyists be attracted to these machines? The successful systems today all have a strong hobbyist base. It will, therefore, be interesting to see if these pocket devices catch on as planned.”

The April 1982 issue of 80-US (where the above ad was found) has this to say about the PC-2, “If you've really wanted a take along computer, but haven't felt they were advanced enough yet, take a look at PC-2! You're in for a pleasant surprise.”

In December of 1983, David H. Ahl wrote a review of the Casio that the PC-4 was based on. He concluded, “The FX-700P is compact and light-weight, as are the cassette interface and printer. Coming from Casio, they are likely to be quite reliable. All things considered, the FX-700P offers an excellent value for the price.

The bottom line question is: do you need (or want) a pocket computer? If so, the Casio FX-700P certainly merits your consideration. If you are an engineer, technician, or student, or if your work requires lots of repetitive calculations in "field' locations, then this computer would be ideal.

On the other hand, the FX-700P should not be considered a replacement for a desktop or notebook personal computer--one of those two should definitely come first. Also, don't look to it for word processing or for long, complex programs--the display will drive you crazy.”

Did you ever use a TRS-80 Pocket Computer? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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