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1984

Tandy 1000

Tandy / Radio Shack

Tandy 1000
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Specifications

CPU
Intel 8088 @ 4.77 MHz (later 7.16 MHz)
Memory
128 KB standard, up to 640 KB
Storage
One 360 KB 5.25" floppy; later models added a 20 MB HDD
Display
Built-in PCjr-compatible 16-color graphics; sound chip
OS
MS-DOS 2.11 with custom Tandy front-end
Intro price
$1,199

The machine

An IBM-compatible designed to be friendlier and cheaper than the IBM PC, sold through Radio Shack stores. It cloned the better video and sound capabilities of IBM's failed PCjr, creating the 'Tandy graphics' (TGA) and 'Tandy sound' standards that games supported throughout the late 1980s.

Why it matters

For many families, the Tandy 1000 was the home computer of the late '80s — a real PC-compatible at a price they could justify.