I loved mine. Found one at a yard sale as a kid (with the book!) and taught myself how to program with it. Eventually, I learned about QBASIC and my world — and love for programming — got so much bigger.
The TRS-80 Pocket Computer
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Re: The TRS-80 Pocket Computer
#12Literally the first computer I ever saw. My dad had one and used it for engineering calculations. When it too proved inadequate he went out and bought a full-on desktop TRS-80 (the Model 16).
> TRS-80 (the Model 16). That was a seriously cool computer back then.
It was, but it took Radio Shack a while to figure out what to do with it. It was kind of "a solution in search of a problem" until they decided to port Unix to it. At first the plan was to use Unos from Charles River Data Systems, but then -- because Microsoft gonna Microsoft -- Microsoft came in and said that unless they made Xenix the Model 16's operating system, Tandy Corp.'s business relationship with Microsoft would be threatened.
Re: The TRS-80 Pocket Computer
#13Several years ago Robert Baruch[0] did a video series[1] on having replacement LCDs manufactured for this line of computers. He sells LCDs for this model[2] and several models of Casio/TRS-80 pocket computers on his Tindie store. I found the discussion about reverse-engineering and having new LCDs manufactured delightful. It's amazing to live in a time when an individual can get small lots of a part like this manufac…
I know I've found my people when I remember the same relatively obscure video about a relatively specific repair of a long forgotten (by most) device.