Old Hardware Emulated :MAME - TRS-80 Model 100/200 Portable Computers
The Emulation of Handheld Computers From The 80's.
The TRS-80 Model 100
The TRS-80 Model
100 is regarded as one of the first notebook/laptop computers to gain
massive popularity and enjoyed wide commercial success.The hardware
itself was designed and made by Kyocera, and the rights to the machine
was purchased by Tandy to sale the computer in the Radio Shack stores in
this country. It shares similarities to other portable computers of the
era like the Canon-X07, Casio FP200, Epson HX-20, and the NEC PC-8201,
some of which were also designed by Kyocera and might have been covered
in previous articles.
Anyone who would have frequented one of the many Radio Shack stores in the 80's would have run across this computer, along with the wonders of those awesome RC karts and the Tandy 1000 IBM Compatibles running King's Quest. Radio Shack was the Toy's Are Us for electronics enthusiast. Its a sad reminder that a company that sold awesome things in the past isn't around anymore. I was a 90's kid myself, so I don't remember the Model 100 in person. I do remember those Compaq 486's running Doom, along with the radio kits and the RC karts. Still sad to see a place with awesome memories disappear.
The Model 100 was powered by a 8-bit CMOS version of the Intel 8085 processor running at 2.46MHz. The models varied in memory configurations, with those options being 8,16,24, or 32KB of RAM. There was both a option ROM available that expanded gave the machine extra capability, along with memory expansion as well.
The LCD display had a resolution of 240 by 64 pixels, and supported 8 lines with 40 characters per line. The display was not back-lit though. There was a built-in modem that allowed the Model 100 to connect to the outside world. There was also a parallel printer (Centronics)port, a RS-232 serial communications port, and input for a barcode reader and a real-time clock. Nowadays, time in the device is kept automatically, but this was a selling point in the early 80's, as most devices weren't capable of this. How times have changed.
The Model 100 was not Y2K compatible. However, the software doesn't use the date and time, and as such, are not affected by the date issue. As noted in the MAME Emulator, the emulated Model 100 has defaulted to 1900.
There was also the ability to connected to tape deck to the Model 100 to load or save programs from cassette tape. Floppy drives were a expensive proposition during this time, so cassette tapes were widely regarded as the storage medium of choice for those on a budget. Cassette tapes wasn't only for music though!
The Model 100 could be powered by either four AA batteries, or a external power adapter. Running off of batteries gave the portable computer provided between 16-20 hours of use. One thing I found of interest in the Wikipedia article is that the computer could not use rechargeable NiCAD batteries unless there was a hardware modification in the computer to made that made there use possible. As a result, I will need to make a mental note of not using those batteries in this machine in case I ever run across one in the future.
There were different variations of the Model 100 based on the memory configurations in them. At introduction, there was a 8K and 24K version of the Tandy 100 which sold for $1,099 and $1,399, according to Wikipedia.
Anyone who would have frequented one of the many Radio Shack stores in the 80's would have run across this computer, along with the wonders of those awesome RC karts and the Tandy 1000 IBM Compatibles running King's Quest. Radio Shack was the Toy's Are Us for electronics enthusiast. Its a sad reminder that a company that sold awesome things in the past isn't around anymore. I was a 90's kid myself, so I don't remember the Model 100 in person. I do remember those Compaq 486's running Doom, along with the radio kits and the RC karts. Still sad to see a place with awesome memories disappear.
The Model 100 was powered by a 8-bit CMOS version of the Intel 8085 processor running at 2.46MHz. The models varied in memory configurations, with those options being 8,16,24, or 32KB of RAM. There was both a option ROM available that expanded gave the machine extra capability, along with memory expansion as well.
The LCD display had a resolution of 240 by 64 pixels, and supported 8 lines with 40 characters per line. The display was not back-lit though. There was a built-in modem that allowed the Model 100 to connect to the outside world. There was also a parallel printer (Centronics)port, a RS-232 serial communications port, and input for a barcode reader and a real-time clock. Nowadays, time in the device is kept automatically, but this was a selling point in the early 80's, as most devices weren't capable of this. How times have changed.
The Model 100 was not Y2K compatible. However, the software doesn't use the date and time, and as such, are not affected by the date issue. As noted in the MAME Emulator, the emulated Model 100 has defaulted to 1900.
There was also the ability to connected to tape deck to the Model 100 to load or save programs from cassette tape. Floppy drives were a expensive proposition during this time, so cassette tapes were widely regarded as the storage medium of choice for those on a budget. Cassette tapes wasn't only for music though!
The Model 100 could be powered by either four AA batteries, or a external power adapter. Running off of batteries gave the portable computer provided between 16-20 hours of use. One thing I found of interest in the Wikipedia article is that the computer could not use rechargeable NiCAD batteries unless there was a hardware modification in the computer to made that made there use possible. As a result, I will need to make a mental note of not using those batteries in this machine in case I ever run across one in the future.
There were different variations of the Model 100 based on the memory configurations in them. At introduction, there was a 8K and 24K version of the Tandy 100 which sold for $1,099 and $1,399, according to Wikipedia.
The Application Menu
When the unit is
powered on, the user is presented with a selection of applications to
use. These applications included BASIC, TEXT, TELCOM, ADDRESS, and
SCHEDL (Schedule). The BASIC interpreter was very standard. Like most
versions of BASIC found on the 8-bit micros at the time, this one was
written by Microsoft. In fact, this was one of the last machines that
Bill Gates personally wrote a huge amount of the software code for.
BASIC. What Is There To Say.
The Model 100 was
held in high regard by journalist, who previously, held a huge disdain
for Tandy products. The portable computer sported a full keyboard
suitable for typist, The size of the machine allowed journalist to have
the computer on them most of the time, allowing them to take notes or
write there articles on the go. This computer was much more suitable for
word-processing than the pocket calculators offered by Sharp or Casio.
The calculator keys on those devices wasn't suitable for
word-processing.
The text editor was standard on the Model 100 as well. The computer wasn't fast enough to display the text as it was being typed. This was due to a combination of the slow refresh on the LCD screen and the slow speed of the Intel 8085 CPU. As a result, fast typist could "out-type" the display. Anyone who used a computer that was slow or had a slow screen redraw could relate to this. After typing a sentence, the user would watch as the computer would write out the sentences that were typed earlier. As noted in the Wikipedia article, many users found this amusing.
The Telcom app allowed users to either send or receive files from there device. Again, this feature was held in high regard to journalist who could transfer there files to there main computer when they were done. There was a address book and scheduling app as well. Features taken for granted now, but for a portable computer in the early 80's, very revolutionary. Things that were only capable on a desktop system like the Apple II or the IBM PC, unless though one went very oldskool and used a actual address and scheduling book with a pen.
The text editor was standard on the Model 100 as well. The computer wasn't fast enough to display the text as it was being typed. This was due to a combination of the slow refresh on the LCD screen and the slow speed of the Intel 8085 CPU. As a result, fast typist could "out-type" the display. Anyone who used a computer that was slow or had a slow screen redraw could relate to this. After typing a sentence, the user would watch as the computer would write out the sentences that were typed earlier. As noted in the Wikipedia article, many users found this amusing.
The Telcom app allowed users to either send or receive files from there device. Again, this feature was held in high regard to journalist who could transfer there files to there main computer when they were done. There was a address book and scheduling app as well. Features taken for granted now, but for a portable computer in the early 80's, very revolutionary. Things that were only capable on a desktop system like the Apple II or the IBM PC, unless though one went very oldskool and used a actual address and scheduling book with a pen.
TELCOM, the file transfer program.
The Model 100 was
widely used in the mathematical and scientific field as well. The RS-232
port allowed users to hook the computer up to industrial control
systems, thus allowing those systems to be manage from the portable
computer. It's small size and low maintenance made the computer very
attractive in field work. The lack of air vents, which prevented dust
from entering the system, allowing the Model 100 to be used in those
settings where dust and dirt would kill any other computer.
This computer was widely supported by both Radio Shack and third-party developers. The BASIC, which was very standard, allowed developers to quickly port over there programs to the new platform. Games and applications became widely available as well, which could be transferred via the TELCOM app. Those familiar to programming on the TRS-80 home computers felt at home with the BASIC offered on the Model 100. The BASIC in the Model 100 was very similar to the ones in those computers
Radio Shack released option ROMS for the computer as well. Most of these programs were simple utilities, like disk and memory management tools. However, there was a few applications as well, like T-Word, which was a WordStar-like word-processor for the Model 100. For those who don't know what WordStar is, it was a very early word-processor for the 8-bit microcomputers that ran the CP/M operating system. Microsoft Multiplan, a spreadsheet application predating Excel that ran on the 8-bit micros running CP/M and later ported to the IBM Compatibles running MS-DOS, was available for the Model 100 as a option ROM as well.
This computer was widely supported by both Radio Shack and third-party developers. The BASIC, which was very standard, allowed developers to quickly port over there programs to the new platform. Games and applications became widely available as well, which could be transferred via the TELCOM app. Those familiar to programming on the TRS-80 home computers felt at home with the BASIC offered on the Model 100. The BASIC in the Model 100 was very similar to the ones in those computers
Radio Shack released option ROMS for the computer as well. Most of these programs were simple utilities, like disk and memory management tools. However, there was a few applications as well, like T-Word, which was a WordStar-like word-processor for the Model 100. For those who don't know what WordStar is, it was a very early word-processor for the 8-bit microcomputers that ran the CP/M operating system. Microsoft Multiplan, a spreadsheet application predating Excel that ran on the 8-bit micros running CP/M and later ported to the IBM Compatibles running MS-DOS, was available for the Model 100 as a option ROM as well.
Card File for the Model 100
Card File for the Model 100
T-Word by Traveling Software for the Model 100
Model 200
Introduced in 1984,
the Model 200 was a more capable product compared to the Model 100. The
Model 200 has a 16-line by 40 column display, compared to the 8 lines
on the Model 100. The computer could be expanded to 72KB of RAM. Also
included in the machine was Microsoft Multiplan.
The Model 102, introduced in 1986, was a direct follow-up/replacement for the Model 100. It was mostly similar, but had a thinner form factor and weighted less as well.
The Model 102, introduced in 1986, was a direct follow-up/replacement for the Model 100. It was mostly similar, but had a thinner form factor and weighted less as well.
The Application Menu on the TRS-80 Model 200
Emulation
Emulaton is
important as it preserves these platforms for future generations, long
after the original hardware bits the dust. Emulators allows those using
the software to create there own "virtual museums" geared towards
software preservation. The history of these platforms and the software
surrounding it to are there so students of history can see how software
on the various computers evolved. One can't look at Windows 10 or Mac OS
X and just say that everything came out of thin air. It didn't, and
understanding these old platforms offer insight into how our technology
evolved the way it did. Especially for a platform that played a
instrumental role in portable computing.
There are a couple of emulators that emulate these computers. The VirtualT program emulates the Model 100/102/200 computers. The MESS/MAME software emulates these computers as well. There is a GUI-frontend for MAME, but the program can run from the command-line. This allows those who know shell scripting to create there own custom configurations. My command-line argument (Windows Command Prompt) for the Model 100 emulation goes as the following:
mame64 trsm100 -w -nomax
while the Model 200 goes as the following:
mame64 tandy200 -w -nomax
The mame64 executable is the program itself. The "trsm100" is the emulator name for the TRS-80 Model 100, while "tandy200" is the name for the TRS-80 Model 200. The "-w -nomax" options tells MAME to run in a window that's not maximized. By default, without these arguments, the emulator would run full-screen. The "-w" by itself without "-nomax" would run in a maximized window.
Some of the option ROMS need extra memory. The emulated Model 100 comes with the default 8K of RAM. This option can also be configured via command line as well:
mess64 trsm100 -ramsize 32k -w -nomax
The "-ramsize 32k" tells MAME to allocate the emulated Model 100 with 32k of RAM.
By default, the MAME emulator doesn't come with the system ROMS for the computers covered within the article. Most of the emulators do come with them though. The needed ROMS can be extracted from the actual computer or *ahem* *cough* *cough* GOOGLE *cough*. The options rooms for the computer can be found this way as well. Technically, the software and ROMS are still intellectual property of Radio Shack (or what's left of it) and programmers that coded it back in the 80's. However, the platform has long since abandoned, and there is a real chance that these programs could be lost to time if not preserved. Software preservation is essential to show the evolution of software over the decades, especially for platforms that seem obscure now. Important history could be lost if not preserved.
For the MAME configuration, the system ROMS for the trsm100.zip and tandy200.zip go within the roms folder, and the options roms go into the /roms/trsm100 folder. If this folder doesn't exist, create it and dump the files there. If we want to use the CardFile program, MAME would need to be executed by the following command
mess64 trsm100 -cart cardfile -w -nomax
The "-cart cardfile" program references the cardfile.zip file which is located in the /roms/trsm100 folder. Option ROMS can't start automatically and must be called from within BASIC. To do this, BASIC is launched from the application menu, and the following command is issued:
CALL 63012
to start the program.
I could use the GUI-frontend, but what's the fun in that! When I wrote my individual launch scripts for Windows, I added a few echo statements to provide on-screen reference of what commands to issue. One of these scripts go as the following:
@echo off
echo Start BASIC
echo Type CALL 63012 (regular titles) or CALL 63013,1 (Traveling Software titles)
@echo on
mess64 trsm100 -cart cardfile -w -nomax
There are a couple of emulators that emulate these computers. The VirtualT program emulates the Model 100/102/200 computers. The MESS/MAME software emulates these computers as well. There is a GUI-frontend for MAME, but the program can run from the command-line. This allows those who know shell scripting to create there own custom configurations. My command-line argument (Windows Command Prompt) for the Model 100 emulation goes as the following:
mame64 trsm100 -w -nomax
while the Model 200 goes as the following:
mame64 tandy200 -w -nomax
The mame64 executable is the program itself. The "trsm100" is the emulator name for the TRS-80 Model 100, while "tandy200" is the name for the TRS-80 Model 200. The "-w -nomax" options tells MAME to run in a window that's not maximized. By default, without these arguments, the emulator would run full-screen. The "-w" by itself without "-nomax" would run in a maximized window.
Some of the option ROMS need extra memory. The emulated Model 100 comes with the default 8K of RAM. This option can also be configured via command line as well:
mess64 trsm100 -ramsize 32k -w -nomax
The "-ramsize 32k" tells MAME to allocate the emulated Model 100 with 32k of RAM.
By default, the MAME emulator doesn't come with the system ROMS for the computers covered within the article. Most of the emulators do come with them though. The needed ROMS can be extracted from the actual computer or *ahem* *cough* *cough* GOOGLE *cough*. The options rooms for the computer can be found this way as well. Technically, the software and ROMS are still intellectual property of Radio Shack (or what's left of it) and programmers that coded it back in the 80's. However, the platform has long since abandoned, and there is a real chance that these programs could be lost to time if not preserved. Software preservation is essential to show the evolution of software over the decades, especially for platforms that seem obscure now. Important history could be lost if not preserved.
For the MAME configuration, the system ROMS for the trsm100.zip and tandy200.zip go within the roms folder, and the options roms go into the /roms/trsm100 folder. If this folder doesn't exist, create it and dump the files there. If we want to use the CardFile program, MAME would need to be executed by the following command
mess64 trsm100 -cart cardfile -w -nomax
The "-cart cardfile" program references the cardfile.zip file which is located in the /roms/trsm100 folder. Option ROMS can't start automatically and must be called from within BASIC. To do this, BASIC is launched from the application menu, and the following command is issued:
CALL 63012
to start the program.
I could use the GUI-frontend, but what's the fun in that! When I wrote my individual launch scripts for Windows, I added a few echo statements to provide on-screen reference of what commands to issue. One of these scripts go as the following:
@echo off
echo Start BASIC
echo Type CALL 63012 (regular titles) or CALL 63013,1 (Traveling Software titles)
@echo on
mess64 trsm100 -cart cardfile -w -nomax
A visual reminder of the BASIC command that I need to issue. It's in the Windows Prompt.
The echo statements
display text statements without treating them as a command. The "@echo
off" command tells the Command Prompt not to print the echo part of the
echo statement (which it does by default). The "@echo on" statements
tell the Command Prompt to print text again.
There are various command-line arguments that can configure various parts of these computers, like the RS-232 serial communications port. Since these Tandy machines are simple enough, I won't cover them in detail. That won't be the case when I cover machines like the Apple II series of computers or the IBM Compatibles. One has to do a lot of research and read the online documentation to fully understand these arguments.
One can access the MAME menu from within the emulator by hitting "Scroll Lock" and then "Tab" on the keyboard. Various options to configure certain aspects of the computer are there.
There is also a online emulator as well called CloudT. It also has the option ROMS as well and can be executed in the same way. The online emulator works on Chrome in Windows 7. I haven't tested Firefox though.
The VirtualT emulator is linked down below as well. I haven't tested that emulator, but one of the interesting things about it is that VirtualT can be used for software development as well as general purpose use. It's possible to write new software for this classic platform.
There are various command-line arguments that can configure various parts of these computers, like the RS-232 serial communications port. Since these Tandy machines are simple enough, I won't cover them in detail. That won't be the case when I cover machines like the Apple II series of computers or the IBM Compatibles. One has to do a lot of research and read the online documentation to fully understand these arguments.
One can access the MAME menu from within the emulator by hitting "Scroll Lock" and then "Tab" on the keyboard. Various options to configure certain aspects of the computer are there.
There is also a online emulator as well called CloudT. It also has the option ROMS as well and can be executed in the same way. The online emulator works on Chrome in Windows 7. I haven't tested Firefox though.
The VirtualT emulator is linked down below as well. I haven't tested that emulator, but one of the interesting things about it is that VirtualT can be used for software development as well as general purpose use. It's possible to write new software for this classic platform.
The CloudT Emulator running on Chrome in Windows 7
Final Thoughts
Now granted,
because of how much time has passed, there really isn't any modern day
application for this platform for those who use smartphones and tablets.
The emulators are for those who want to preserve history or have a
nostalgic trip for this computer or other things Radio Shack-related.
With that said, the impact this computer had on the history of computing cannot be discounted either. The Model 100 and its follow-ups were very commercially successful, and proved that there was a financial viability for such machines. A viability that help lead to further research in portable computing and miniaturization. These machines helped pave the way for handheld and notebook/laptop computers that would follow-up in the future. The Tandy Model 100 helped legitimize the use of notebook computers and showed that these small computers were very capable. The march of progress would continued, and does today.
With that said, the impact this computer had on the history of computing cannot be discounted either. The Model 100 and its follow-ups were very commercially successful, and proved that there was a financial viability for such machines. A viability that help lead to further research in portable computing and miniaturization. These machines helped pave the way for handheld and notebook/laptop computers that would follow-up in the future. The Tandy Model 100 helped legitimize the use of notebook computers and showed that these small computers were very capable. The march of progress would continued, and does today.
Articles of Interest
Wikipedia - TRS-80 Model 100 : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Model_100
Old Computers - TRS-80 Model 100 : http://oldcomputers.net/trs100.html
Vintage Is The New Old - CloudT: A Tandy model 100 in your browse:
https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/cloudt-a-tandy-model-100-in-your-browser/
CloudT: http://bitchin100.com/CloudT/#/M100Display
MAME: https://www.mamedev.org
Project MESS: http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/
MAME Documentation - MAME Commandline Usage and OS-Specfic Configuration:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180619152212/https://docs.mamedev.org/commandline/commandline-all.html
VirtualT:https://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualt/
Rob van der Woude's Scripting Pages - Batch How To ...Display & Redirect Output:
https://www.robvanderwoude.com/battech_redirection.php
The Kixmiller Pigeon - Old Hardware Emulated : PockEmul - Miscellaneous Pocket Computers
https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/old-hardware-emulated-pockemul-miscellaneous-pocket-computers
Old Computers - TRS-80 Model 100 : http://oldcomputers.net/trs100.html
Vintage Is The New Old - CloudT: A Tandy model 100 in your browse:
https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/cloudt-a-tandy-model-100-in-your-browser/
CloudT: http://bitchin100.com/CloudT/#/M100Display
MAME: https://www.mamedev.org
Project MESS: http://www.progettoemma.net/mess/
MAME Documentation - MAME Commandline Usage and OS-Specfic Configuration:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180619152212/https://docs.mamedev.org/commandline/commandline-all.html
VirtualT:https://sourceforge.net/projects/virtualt/
Rob van der Woude's Scripting Pages - Batch How To ...Display & Redirect Output:
https://www.robvanderwoude.com/battech_redirection.php
The Kixmiller Pigeon - Old Hardware Emulated : PockEmul - Miscellaneous Pocket Computers
https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/old-hardware-emulated-pockemul-miscellaneous-pocket-computers
The Kixmiller Pigeon - Old Hardware Emulated : PockEmul - Casio:https://rkixmiller.dudaone.com/old-hardware-emulated-pockemul-casio
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