View source for TRS-80 Model 100

{{Short description|Portable computer introduced in 1983}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name         = TRS-80 Model 100
| logo         =
| image        = Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100.jpg
| caption      = <!-- include if image is not a logo -->
| developer    = [[Kyocera]], [[Tandy Computers|Tandy]], [[Microsoft]]
| manufacturer =
| carrier      =
| family       =
| type         = [[Portable computer]] ([[Notebook form factor|notebook]])
| generation   =
| releasedate  = {{Start date and age|1983|04|26}}
| lifespan     =
| price        = 8K version {{USD|1099|1983|round=-2}}<br />24K versions {{USD|1399|1983|round=-2}}<!-- this is price at initial release, not the current price. -->
| discontinued =
| unitssold    = 6 million
| unitsshipped =
| media        =
| os           = Custom dedicated runtime in firmware<!-- operating system -->
| power        = Four penlight (AA) cells, or external power adapter 6V (>180 mA)
| cpu          = 2.4&nbsp;[[Hertz|MHz]] [[Intel]] [[8085|80C85]]
| storage      =
| memory       = 8&nbsp;[[Kilobyte|KB]] – 32&nbsp;KB
| display      = 8 lines, 40 characters [[LCD]]
| graphics     = 240 by 64 [[pixel]] addressable graphics
| sound        =
| input        = Keyboard: 56 keys, 8 programmable [[function keys]], 4 dedicated command keys, and 4 cursor control keys
| location     = <!-- GPS or Wi-Fi based -->
| controllers  =
| output       =
| camera       =
| touchpad     =
| connectivity =
| service      = <!-- online service/s offered -->
| dimensions   = 300 by {{nowrap|215 x 50 mm}}
| weight       = About {{convert|1.4|kg|lb|abbr=on}} with batteries
| topgame      =
| compatibility =
| predecessor  =
| successor    =
| related      =
| website      =
}}

The '''TRS-80 Model 100''' is a [[Notebook form factor|notebook-sized]] [[portable computer]] introduced in April 1983.  It was the first commercially successful notebook computer, as well as one of the first notebook computers ever released.<ref>{{cite web | last=McCracken | first=Harry | date=August 6, 2012 | url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/06/tech/gaming-gadgets/anniversary-radio-shack-computer/index.html | title=A 35th-anniversary salute to Radio Shack's TRS-80 | work=CNN.com | publisher=Warner Bros. Discovery | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415122425/https://www.cnn.com/2012/08/06/tech/gaming-gadgets/anniversary-radio-shack-computer/index.html | archivedate=April 15, 2022}}</ref> It features a keyboard and [[liquid-crystal display]], in a battery-powered package roughly the size and shape of a notepad or large book. The 224-page, spiral-bound User Manual is nearly the same size as the computer itself.

It was made by [[Kyocera]], and originally sold in [[Japan]] as the '''Kyotronic 85'''. Although a slow seller for Kyocera, the rights to the machine were purchased by [[Tandy Corporation]]. The computer was sold through [[Radio Shack]] stores in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] and affiliated dealers in other countries. It became one of the company's most popular models, with over 6 million units sold worldwide. The [[Olivetti]] '''M-10''' and the [[NEC]] PC-8201 and '''PC-8300''' were also built on the same [[Kyocera]] platform, with some design and hardware differences.  It was originally marketed as a ''Micro Executive Work Station'' (MEWS),<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio Shack Computer Catalog RSC-10, page 59|url=http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1984_rsc-10/h059.html|website=Radio Shack Catalogs dot com|publisher=Tandy/Radio Shack|access-date=April 10, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107201327/http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1984_rsc-10/h059.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> although the term did not catch on and was eventually dropped.

== Specifications ==
[[File:TRS-80 Model-100 Inside.jpg|thumb|The internals of the TRS-80 Model 100. The left half is the back.]]
* Processor: 8-bit [[Oki Electric Industry|Oki]] [[Intel 8085|80C85]], [[CMOS]], {{val|2.4576|u=MHz}}
* Memory: 32 KB [[read-only memory|ROM]]; 8, 16, 24, or 32 KB [[static RAM]]. Machines with less than 32 KB can be expanded in 8 KB increments of plug-in static RAM modules. An additional 32 KB Option ROM can be installed, for a total of 64 KB of ROM ([[bank switching|bank-switched]] in a 32 KB aperture), and the Standard ROM is [[CPU socket|socket-mounted]] (not soldered-in) so is readily replaceable.
* Display: 8 lines, 40 characters [[LCD]], [[Twisted nematic field effect|twisted nematic]] (gray) monochrome, with 240 by 64 [[pixel]] addressable graphics. The screen is reflective, not [[backlighting|backlit]].<ref>The display hardware is pure graphics; character display is generated by software, and the 8x40 character format is a characteristic of the standard ROM software (which, incidentally, is socketed and replaceable).</ref> The screen was made by [[Sharp Electronics]].<ref name=infoworld84>[https://books.google.com/books?id=fC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 InfoWorld Jan 23, 1984] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927194151/https://books.google.com/books?id=fC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22 |date=September 27, 2023 }} Sharp's 25-line display for lap models due out soon, Tom Shay</ref> The LCD controllers are by [[Hitachi]]: (10) HD44102CH column controller [[integrated circuits|ICs]] and (2) HD44103CH row driver ICs; the HD44102CH's provide the programmable hardware interface to software.  The refresh rate is about {{val|70|u=Hz}} (coarsely regulated by an [[RC oscillator]], not a crystal).
* Keyboard: 56 keys, [[QWERTY]] layout with full standard spacing, 8 programmable [[function keys]], 4 dedicated command keys, and 4 cursor control keys. These last 16 are tactile "button"-style keys. Almost all keys other than the 16 "button" keys are capable of [[key rollover]] (without phantom keys appearing depressed), so multi-key combinations can be used.
* Peripherals: The basic unit includes: Built-in 300 [[baud]] telephone ([[Plain old telephone service|POTS]]) [[modem]] (North American versions), [[IEEE 1284|Centronics]]-compatible parallel printer port, [[RS-232]] serial communication port (sharing serial I/O chip with internal modem), [[barcode reader]] input, cassette audio tape I/O, [[real-time clock]].
* Expansion: System bus interface [[DIP socket]] (under a cover on the bottom of the machine).
* Dimensions: {{val|300|x|215|x|50|u=mm}}, weight about {{convert|1.4|kg|lb}} with batteries
* Power supply: Four penlight (AA) cells, or external power adapter 6V (>180 mA, tip negative configuration)

The 8K and 24K versions sold for {{US$|1099}} and {{US$|1399}} respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/kyocera/h/m100ca84.jpg |title=The Micro Executive Workstation(TM) |access-date=January 8, 2008 |year=1984 |work=Radio Shack 1984 Catalog |publisher=Tandy Corporation |pages=59 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927031349/http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/kyocera/h/m100ca84.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Model 100 was promoted as being able to run up to 20 hours and maintain memory up to 30 days on a set of four [[alkaline battery|alkaline]] [[AA battery|AA batteries]]. It could not run from the rechargeable [[nickel-cadmium batteries]] available at the time, but a hardware modification was available that made this possible.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

== Data storage ==
The computer included a port to connect a cassette audiotape recorder for storage of data and programs. Programs written in BASIC could load and save data and programs to the cassette device. Control was provided to start and stop the tape, but the operator would have to manually put the cassette recorder into "record" or "play" mode as needed. 

A popular alternative is the ''Tandy Portable Disk Drive'' (TPDD),<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio Shack Computer Catalog RSC-15, page 50|url=http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1986_rsc-15/h050.html|website=Radio Shack Catalogs dot com|publisher=Tandy/Radio Shack|access-date=April 11, 2017|archive-date=October 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003160646/http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1986_rsc-15/h050.html|url-status=live}}</ref> introduced in late 1985, an RS-232 serial device capable of storing 100&nbsp;KB of data [[Frequency modulation encoding|FM-encoded]] on a 3.5-inch single-sided double-density diskette;<ref>[http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Tandy/Portable%20Disk%20Drive%20Operation%20Manual.pdf Portable Disk Drive Operation Manual] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824225424/http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Tandy/Portable%20Disk%20Drive%20Operation%20Manual.pdf |date=August 24, 2017 }}, Cat. No. 26-3808, 1985, TANDY<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20170615150507/http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Tandy/Portable%20Disk%20Drive%20Operation%20Manual.pdf --></ref><ref>[http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Tandy/Portable%20Disk%20Drive%20Command%20Reference.pdf Tandy Portable Disk Drive (PDD1 and PDD2)Command Reference] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824225424/http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Tandy/Portable%20Disk%20Drive%20Command%20Reference.pdf |date=August 24, 2017 }}<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20170615150507/http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Tandy/Portable%20Disk%20Drive%20Operation%20Manual.pdf --></ref> this drive is identical to the Brother FB100 drive for [[knitting machine]]s.<ref>[http://www.k2g2.org/wiki:brother_fb-100 brother fb-100] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615150921/http://www.k2g2.org/wiki:brother_fb-100 |date=June 15, 2017 }} wiki<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20170615150921/http://www.k2g2.org/wiki:brother_fb-100 --></ref><ref>[http://machineknittingetc.com/brother-fb100-floppy-drive-user-guide.html Brother FB100 Floppy Drive User Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706172335/http://machineknittingetc.com/brother-fb100-floppy-drive-user-guide.html |date=July 6, 2017 }}, Machine Knitting etc<!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20160620045820/http://machineknittingetc.com:80/brother-fb100-floppy-drive-user-guide.html --></ref> A second version, the ''TPDD2'',<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio Shack Computer Catalog RSC-17B, page 42|url=http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1987_rsc-17b/h042.html|website=Radio Shack Catalogs dot com|publisher=Tandy/Radio Shack|access-date=April 11, 2017|archive-date=October 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003162209/http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1987_rsc-17b/h042.html|url-status=live}}</ref> can store up to 200&nbsp;KB.

A Disk/Video Interface expansion box was released in 1984, with one single-sided double-density 180 KB 5-1/4 inch disk drive and a [[Cathode-ray tube|CRT]] video adapter. This allows the Model 100 to display 40 or 80 column video on an external television set or video monitor. One empty drive bay permits the installation of a second disk drive.<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio Shack Computer Catalog RSC-12, page 59|url=http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1985_rsc-12/h059.html|website=Radio Shack Catalogs dot com|publisher=Tandy/Radio Shack|access-date=April 10, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107201421/http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1985_rsc-12/h059.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another popular form of data backup was that of file transfer to a desktop computer, via either the modem connected to a telephone line, or the RS-232 serial port connected to a [[null modem]] cable. The built-in TELCOM firmware makes this a convenient option. The [[TRS-80 Model 4]]'s TRSDOS 6 operating system includes a utility called TAPE100 that uses the Model 4's cassette port to read and write tapes created by a Model 100, the data of which are stored in TRSDOS disk files. Also because TRSDOS 6 included a communications application (COMM/CMD), the Model 100 proved a popular "peripheral" for the Model 4 customer.

A bar code reader wand was also offered.

== ROM firmware ==
When first switched on, the Model 100 displays a menu of applications and files and the date and time.{{r|malloy198305}} The [[Read-only memory|ROM]] [[firmware]]-based system boots instantly, and the program that was running when the unit was powered off is ready to use immediately on power-up. Cursor keys are used to navigate the menu and select one of the internal or added application programs, or any data file to be worked upon.

The 32 [[kilobyte]] read-only memory of the Model 100 contains the N82 version of the [[Microsoft BASIC|Microsoft BASIC 80]] programming language. This is similar to other Microsoft BASICs of the time and includes good support for the hardware features of the machine: pixel addressing of the display, support for the internal modem and serial port, monophonic sound, access to tape and RAM files, support for the real-time clock and the bar code reader, and I/O redirection between the machine's various logical devices.  Like previous Microsoft [[BASIC interpreter]]s, variable names were restricted to two characters and all program lines and subroutines were numbered and not named.  However, the default for [[floating point]] numbers is double-precision.

The ROM also contains a [[terminal emulator|terminal program]], TELCOM; an address/phone book organizer, ADDRSS; a to-do list organizer, SCHEDL; and a simple text editor, TEXT. The TELCOM program allows automation of a [[login]] sequence to a remote system under control of the BASIC interpreter.{{r|malloy198305}} As with other [[home computers]] of the era, a vast collection of [[PEEK and POKE]] locations were collected by avid hobbyists.

The Model 100 TEXT editor was noticeably slow in execution, especially for fast [[touch typists]]. This was due partly to the slow 8085 CPU and due partly to the slow response time of the LCD screen. Often after speed-typing a sentence or two, the user would have to wait several seconds for the computer to "catch up". 

A perhaps not well-known but documented feature of TEXT was that it partially supported the [[WordStar]] command interface. The supported commands were the cursor movement and character deletion <Control><alpha> key combinations on the left hand side of the keyboard; the commands for activating Wordstar menus, like the <Ctrl><K> Block menu, were not functional.

[[Easter egg (virtual)|Invisible files]] in the system RAM named "Hayashi" and "Suzuki" commemorate the names of designers Junji Hayashi and Jay Suzuki. Another invisible deleted file named "RickY" refers to Rick Yamashita.<ref>{{cite web
 |url        = http://furukawablog.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!1pmWgsL289nm7Shn7cS0jHzA!2149.entry
 |title      = The Bill Gates I Know, Volume 12
 |access-date = January 8, 2008
 |author     = Akira Kogawa
 |date       = October 28, 2005
 |language   = ja
}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} Title and author obtained via Google translation from the original Japanese.</ref> The Model 100 firmware was the last [[Microsoft]] product that [[Bill Gates]] developed personally, along with Suzuki. According to Gates, "part of my nostalgia about this machine is this was the last machine where I wrote a very high percentage of the code in the product".<ref>{{cite interview
 |last         = Gates
 |first        = Bill
 |subject-link = Bill Gates
 |interviewer  = David Allison
 |title        = Bill Gates Interview
 |url          = http://americanhistory.si.edu/comphist/gates.htm#tc35
 |work         = National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
 |access-date  = April 10, 2013
 |archive-date = April 2, 2013
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130402195548/http://americanhistory.si.edu/comphist/gates.htm#tc35
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref>{{r|malloy198305}}

Added applications and data files are stored in the internal battery-backed RAM; these can be loaded from and stored to an audio cassette tape recorder or external [[floppy disk]] drive. Optional [[Read-only memory|ROMs]] can be installed in the Model 100, providing a range of customized application software.{{r|malloy198305}} Only one optional ROM can be installed at a time. Some commercial software applications for the Model 100 were also distributed on cassette.

The Model 100 ROM has a [[Year 2000 problem|Y2K]] bug; the century displayed on the main menu was [[hard-coded]] as "19XX". [[Workaround]]s exist for this problem.  Since the century of the date is not important for any of the software functions, and the real-time clock hardware in the Model 100 does not have a calendar and requires the day of the week to be set independently of the date, the flaw does not at all impair the usability of the computer; it is cosmetic.

== Applications ==

When introduced, the portability and simplicity of the Model 100 made it attractive to journalists,<ref name="kline19830815">{{Cite magazine |last=Kline |first=David |date=1983-08-15 |title=Portables revolutionize free-lance journalism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ui8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32#v=onepage&q&f=true |access-date=2025-04-27 |magazine=InfoWorld |pages=32-35 |volume=5 |issue=33}}</ref><ref>Bruce Garrison ''Computer-assisted reporting'', Routledge, 1998 {{ISBN|0-8058-3021-9}} , page 192</ref>{{r|robinson19850513}}<ref name="guardian">{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/gnmeducationcentre/audio/tandy-portable-computer-guardian-archive-podcast | title=Guardian's first laptop - podcast: teaching resource from the GNM Archive October 2012 | work=The Guardian | date=2012-09-21 | access-date=5 February 2015 |author1=Kennedy, Maev |author2=Holborn, Margaret }}</ref> who could type about 11 pages of text (if upgraded to the maximum of 32 KB RAM) and then transmit it for electronic editing and production using the built-in modem and TELCOM program.

The keyboard is full-size and uses a standard (QWERTY) layout; reviewers praised it but reported that it was noisy.{{r|malloy198305}} To quiet the computer, owners put [[Elastics (orthodontics)|orthodontic rubber bands]] under the keys.{{r|robinson19850513}} The computer is otherwise silent when it operates, except for the speaker, and runs for 20 hours on 4 readily available and easily replaceable AA batteries.  Data is protected by a built-in rechargeable ([[Ni-Cd]]) battery when the AA batteries discharge or are removed for replacement.  There are several simple programs available on the Internet for transferring files between a Model 100 and a modern personal computer (or a vintage one).

The Model 100 was also used for industrial applications and in science laboratories as a programming terminal for configuration of control systems and instruments.  Its compactness (ease of handling and small space requirements), low maintenance needs, lack of air vents (a plus for dusty or dirty environments), full complement of ports, and easy portability made it very well suited for these applications.

Third-party peripherals for the Model 100 extended its battery life and file storage capacity. Software was designed, and is still available, to extend the display capabilities (to 60 columns and 10 rows of text using smaller characters) and to provide more advanced word-processing or calculation software than the supplied programs.  To this day, hobbyists continue to design games, applications, and hardware for this device.  Simple drawing programs and games using the pixel-addressable display were favorites among users. As with virtually all other contemporary home computers, users are able to create their own applications using the included BASIC programming language.  There are no built-in facilities for 8085 assembler programming, but the thoroughly-documented BASIC interpreter by Microsoft offered the clever coder tricks for accessing machine code subroutines.  These tricks usually involved packing the raw object code into strings or integer arrays, and would be familiar to veteran programmers for the older [[TRS-80|TRS-80 Models I and III]].

== Peers and successors ==
[[File:Tandy Model 200 (1).jpg|thumb|Tandy Model 200]]
{{anchor|tandy200}}

[[Image:Tandy 102 and 200.jpg|thumb|right|A Tandy 102 portable and Tandy 200 laptop]]
The '''Tandy 200'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio Shack Computer Catalog RSC-15, page 51|url=http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1986_rsc-15/h051.html|website=Radio Shack Catalogs dot com|publisher=Tandy/Radio Shack|access-date=April 11, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107201510/http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/catalogs_extra/1986_rsc-15/h051.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A Star is Born, Tandy advertisement in 80 Micro magazine, April 1985 |url=https://archive.org/details/80_Micro_1985-04_CW_Communications_US/page/n1/mode/2up |website=www.archive dot org |date=April 1985 |publisher=Tandy Corp. |access-date=July 9, 2020}}</ref> was introduced in 1984 as a more capable sister product of the Model 100. The Tandy 200 has a flip-up 16 line by 40 column display and came with 24&nbsp;KB RAM which can be expanded to 72&nbsp;KB (3 banks of 24&nbsp;KB).  Rather than the "button" style keys of the Model 100, its four arrow keys are a cluster of keys of the same size and shape as those comprising the keyboard, though the function and command "keys" are still of the button type.  The Tandy 200 includes [[Multiplan]], a spreadsheet application. It also added [[DTMF]] tone dialing for the internal modem, whereas the Model 100 only supports [[pulse dialing]].  On a phone line that doesn't support pulse dialing, users may dial manually using a touch-tone phone and then put the Model 100 online.

{{anchor|tandy600}}
The last new model that could be considered part of this line was the '''Tandy 600''',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dixon |first1=Bradford N. |title=Tandy's Model 600, 80 Micro magazine, March 1986, page 28 |url=https://archive.org/details/80-microcomputing-magazine-1986-03/page/n27/mode/2up |website=www.archive dot org |date=March 1986 |publisher=CW Communications |access-date=July 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tandy advertisement for Model 600 |url=https://archive.org/details/80-microcomputing-magazine-1986-03/page/n1/mode/2up |website=www.archive dot org |date=March 1986 |publisher=Tandy Corp. |access-date=July 9, 2020}}</ref> introduced in October 1985.  Similar to the Tandy 200, it features a flip-up screen, but with 80 columns rather than 40.  Built-in features include a 3.5" diskette drive, rechargeable batteries, and 32K of RAM expandable to 224K.  The underlying software platform was Microsoft's 16-bit Hand Held Operating System (Handheld DOS or HHDOS), along with word processing, calendar, database, communication and spreadsheet software.  Unlike earlier models, BASIC was an extra-cost option rather than built in.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.digitaldinos.com/DigitalDinos/Pages/Information/docT600FAQ30.html
 |title       = The Tandy 600 FAQ - Version 3
 |access-date  = February 22, 2009
 |date        = May 26, 2008
 |publisher   = DigitalDinos
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081013022511/http://www.digitaldinos.com/DigitalDinos/Pages/Information/docT600FAQ30.html
 |archive-date = October 13, 2008
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>

{{anchor|tandy102}}
The last refresh to the product line was the '''Tandy 102''', introduced in 1986 as a direct replacement for the Model 100, having the same software, keyboard, and screen, and a nearly identical, but thinner, [[form factor (design)|form factor]] that weighed about one pound less than the Model 100. This reduction in size and weight was made possible by the substitution of surface-mount chip packaging.  Standard memory for the Model 102, 24K RAM, was upgradable to 32K with an ordinary 8K SRAM chip.

{{anchor|tandylt1400}}
Later portables from Tandy no longer featured a ROM-based software environment, starting with the [[Tandy 1400LT]], which ran a diskette-based [[MS-DOS]] operating system in 768&nbsp;KB of RAM, utilising two built-in 3.5" floppy drives. This model resembled the [[IBM PC Convertible]] with a "clamshell" design and had a screen supporting a textual display of {{nowrap|80 x 25}} characters and a graphical resolution of {{nowrap|640 x 200}} pixels, with eight intensity levels achieved using a form of [[pulse-width modulation]].<ref name="byte198710"/>

{{anchor|tandywp2}}
Tandy also released similar word processing portables for the education market based on a Z80-compatible CPU: the '''Tandy WP-2''' in 1989 equipped with 32&nbsp;KB of RAM and 256&nbsp;KB of ROM containing the application software,<ref name="tandy_wp2_service">{{ cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/Tandy_WP-2_Portable_Wordprocessor_Service_Manual_1989_Tandy/mode/2up | title=Tandy® WP-2 Portable Wordprocessor | publisher=Tandy Corporation | date=1989 | access-date=16 April 2022 }}</ref> and the '''Tandy WP-3''' in 1993 equipped with 64&nbsp;KB of RAM.<ref name="pcw199307_tandy">{{ cite magazine | title=Mitac and Tandy do palmtop deals | magazine=Personal Computer World | date=July 1993 | pages=199 }}</ref> The WP-2 provided serial and parallel interfaces, a cassette recorder port, an expansion card slot for 32&nbsp;KB of non-volatile RAM, and an internal 32&nbsp;KB RAM expansion slot. A disk drive was also available, connected via the serial port.<ref name="tandy_wp2_owner">{{ cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/WP-2_Portable_Word_Processor_Owners_Manual_1987_Tandy/page/n78/mode/1up | title=WP-2 Portable Wordprocessor Owner's Manual | publisher=Tandy Corporation | date=1987 | access-date=16 April 2022 | pages=143–145 }}</ref> In 1993, Tandy also announced the '''Tandy PPC-10''' pocket PC, based on an [[Intel_8086#Chip_versions|80C86]]-compatible CPU and having 1&nbsp;MB of RAM, bundled with MS-DOS 5.0, [[Microsoft Works]] 2.0, PC link and personal information management software, also featuring two [[PCMCIA]] slots.<ref name="pcw199307_tandy"/>

=== Similar computers from other companies ===
[[Image:NEC PC-8201 001 JPN.jpg|thumb|NEC PC-8201]]
[[File:TI Compact Computer 40 White Background.jpg|thumb|TI [[Compact Computer 40]]]]
[[File:Epson-hx-20.jpg|thumb|[[Epson HX-20]] ]]
[[File:Canon X-07.jpg|thumb|[[Canon X-07]]]]
The Olivetti M10, NEC PC-8201 and NEC PC-8300 were built on the same platform as the original Kyocera design, although the Olivetti M10 had a display that could be tilted towards the user.<ref name="design198403_portables">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/sim_design_1984-03_423/page/n49/mode/2up | title=Portable computers, a buyers' guide | magazine=Design | date=March 1984 | access-date=15 March 2022 | last1=Aartsen | first1=Menno | pages=48–57 }}</ref>{{rp|pages=53|quote=Battery-powered with lc display; by the same manufacturer as the Tandy and NEC portables. The keyboard and the housing are redesigned, and the display tilts to face the user.}} The earlier and smaller [[Epson HX-20]] of 1982 used a much smaller LCD display, four lines of twenty characters, and had an internal cassette tape drive for program and file storage. There were several other "calculator-style" computers available at the time, including the [[Casio]] FP-200, the [[Compact Computer 40]], and the [[Canon X-07]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n1/38_14_notebook_computers_in_.php|title=14 notebook computers in brief.|website=www.atarimagazines.com|access-date=July 1, 2024|archive-date=March 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240325183342/https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n1/38_14_notebook_computers_in_.php|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:GRiD Compass 1101 (1).jpg|thumb|[[Grid Compass 1100|GRiD Compass 1101]]]]
[[File:MicroOffice RoadRunner open.jpg|thumb|[[MicroOffice RoadRunner]]]]
Systems of about the same size and form-factor as the Model 100, aimed at journalists, were sold by companies such as [[Teleram]], as the Teleram T-3000<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vintagecomputer.net/laptops.cfm|title=VintageComputer.net - Laptops and Portables, and Guns|website=www.vintagecomputer.net|access-date=October 23, 2010|archive-date=January 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120213546/http://www.vintagecomputer.net/laptops.cfm|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[GRiD Systems]], as the [[Grid Compass|GRiD Compass]], which was used by NASA. GRiD was later acquired by Tandy. The [[Bondwell 2]] of 1985 was a [[CP/M]] laptop in a similar form factor to the Model 200. Both [[Convergent Technologies]] and MicroOffice released the WorkSlate and the [[MicroOffice RoadRunner|RoadRunner]] respectively in late 1983, which similarly targeted mobile computing.<ref name=ps>{{cite journal | last=McComb | first=Gordon | date=September 1984 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BMgQSOX5PfQC&pg=PA81 | title=''PS'' guide to 75 new portables | journal=Popular Science | publisher=Times Mirror Magazines | volume=225 | issue=3 | pages=76–81 | via=Google Books}}</ref>
[[File:Cambridge-Z88.jpg|thumb|[[Cambridge Z88]]]]
[[File:Amstrad-nc100.jpg|thumb|[[Amstrad NC100]]]]
Computers from two other British companies were similar in form and functionality to the Model 100 and its successors. The [[Cambridge Z88]] of 1987, developed by British inventor Sir [[Clive Sinclair]], had greater expansion capacity due to its built-in cartridge slots. It had a far more sophisticated operating system called OZ that could run multiple applications in a task-switched environment. The firmware contained a powerful application called Pipedream that was a spreadsheet that could also serve capably as a word processor and database. In comparison, the Tandy WP-2 was regarded in one review as "easier to use and sturdier than the Z88" with a "proper keyboard" as opposed to the Z88's "rubber membrane keyboard". Moreover, the WP-2 also included a 100,000-word spellchecking dictionary and 200,000-word thesaurus, making the Tandy product more compelling as a dedicated word processor.<ref name="newcomputerexpress19900915_tandy_wp2">{{ cite magazine | url=https://archive.org/details/NH2021_New_Computer_Express_Issue097.pdf/page/n13/mode/2up | title=The Best Budget Laptop? | magazine=New Computer Express | date=15 September 1990 | access-date=16 April 2022 | pages=14–15 }}</ref> The other British computers were the [[Amstrad NC100]] and NC200, produced from 1992.

The electronic word processing keyboards [[AlphaSmart]] Dana and the Quickpad Pro bear some resemblance to the physical format of the TRS-80 Model 100. In Japan, Pomera still makes and sells dedicated word processors under model names Pomera DM100, Pomera DM200 etc.

The [[Laser 50]] educational computer is in the same size and form factor as the Model 100, and was sold by Video Technology.

== Reception ==
Tandy stated that the Model 100's sales "have only been moderate",<ref name="bartimo19840820"/> and an ''[[InfoWorld]]'' columnist later claimed that "it was only journalists" who had been buying it.<ref name="strehlo19850617">{{cite news
 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8
 | title=The Chiclet Rule and the Green Dragon
 | work=InfoWorld
 | date=1985-06-17
 | access-date=24 March 2016
 | author=Strehlo, Kevin
 | page=8}}</ref> By 1983 [[David Burnett (photojournalist)|David Burnett]] and [[Bill Pierce (photographer)|Bill Pierce]] were using Model 100s, and ''[[Newsday]]'' reportedly bought 500 units.{{r|kline19830815}} The system's popularity with journalists probably helped Radio Shack improve the company's poor reputation with the press and in the industry.<ref name="bartimo19840820">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47 | title=Radio Shack Polishes Its Image | access-date=February 28, 2011 | last=Bartimo | first=Jim | date=August 20, 1984 | work=[[InfoWorld]] | publisher=IDG | pages=47–52}}</ref> ''InfoWorld'' reviewer in 1983 called the computer "remarkable", praising its power relative to size and price and noting that he wrote the review "at the lofty height of 37,500 feet aboard a United DC-10". He concluded, "I'm not used to giving Radio Shack kudos, but the Model 100 is a brave, imaginative, useful addition to the realm of microcomputerdom" and "a leading contender for ''InfoWorld''{{'}}s Hardware Product of the Year for 1983",<ref name="hogan19830627">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA66 | title=TRS-80 Model 100, battery-run, briefcase micro | work=InfoWorld | date=1983-06-27 | access-date=31 January 2015 | author=Hogan, Thom | pages=66–69}}</ref> an award which it indeed won.<ref name="robinson19850513">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2y4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46 | title=Making a Good Thing Better | work=InfoWorld | date=1985-05-13 | access-date=1 February 2015 | author=Robinson, Dan | pages=46–47}}</ref>

''[[BYTE]]'' in 1983 described the Model 100 as "an amazing machine". While noting the lack of mass storage, the reviewer praised "one of the nicest keyboards I've used on any machine, large or small" and the "equally impressive" built-in software, and concluded "the designers of this machine ... should be congratulated".<ref name="malloy198305">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-05/1983_05_BYTE_08-05_The_Electronic_Office#page/n15/mode/2up | title=Little Big Computer / The TRS-80 Model 100 Portable Computer | work=BYTE | date=May 1983 | access-date=October 19, 2013 | author=Malloy, Rich | pages=14}}</ref> [[Dave Winer]] in 1984 described the 100 in the magazine as "the first useful portable computer", listing its screen, keyboard, and software as why it was "a breakthrough".<ref name="winer198401">{{Cite magazine |last1=Winer |first1=David |author-link=Dave Winer |last2=Winer |first2=Peter |date=January 1984 |title=Portables—1984 and Beyond: Idea-Processing Software and Portable Computers |url=https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-01/page/n244/mode/2up?view=theater |magazine=BYTE}}</ref> The magazine later stated that "Tandy practically invented the laptop computer".<ref name="byte198710">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1987-10-rescan/1987_10_BYTE_12-11_Heuristic_Algorithms#page/n103/mode/2up | title=The Tandy Anniversary Product Explosion | work=BYTE | date=October 1987 | access-date=August 4, 2014 |author1=Malloy, Rich |author2=Vose, G. Michael |author3=Stewart, George A. | pages=100}}</ref> ''[[PC Magazine]]'' criticized the Model 100 display's [[viewing angle]], but noted that the text editor automatically reflowed paragraphs unlike [[WordStar]]. It concluded that the computer "is an ingenious, capable device ... an exciting example of the new wave of portable computers".<ref name="sandler198306">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=14Kfbrc6cbAC&pg=PA194 | title=The TRS-80 Model 100: Never An Idle Moment | work=PC Magazine | date=June 1983 | access-date=October 21, 2013 | author=Sandler, Corey | pages=195}}</ref>

''[[Your Computer (Australian magazine)|Your Computer]]'' magazine selected the Kyocera portable computer (including the Tandy, NEC and Olivetti models) as the best personal computer in its 1983 "Personal Computer of the Year" awards.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Personal Computer of the Year: Three of a kind |magazine=[[Your Computer (Australian magazine)|Your Computer]] |date=April 1984 |pages=39–41 |url=https://archive.org/details/yc_1984_04/page/39}}</ref> ''[[Creative Computing]]'' said that the Model 100 was "the clear winner" in the category of notebook portables under $1000 for 1984, although cautioning that "the 8K version is practically useless".<ref name="ahl198412">{{Cite magazine |last=Ahl |first=David H. |author-link=David H. Ahl |date=December 1984 |title=Top 12 computers of 1984 |url=https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n12/10_Top_12_computers_of_1984.php |magazine=Creative Computing |access-date=2019-03-16 |archive-date=May 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512050936/https://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n12/10_Top_12_computers_of_1984.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Aftermarket products ==
* DLPilot - allows a [[Palm (PDA)|Palm OS PDA]] with a serial port to emulate a Tandy TPDD drive, providing affordable, compact, and portable storage that is easily synced to a desktop computer
* ReMem - replaces all the memory in the laptop, allowing the use of 4MB of flash ROM and 2MB of SRAM
* REX - memory subsystem that fits in the option ROM socket
* Tandy 200 RAM Module - adds 2 banks of 24kb to a T200
* NADSBox - New Age Digital Storage Box - Interfaces an SD media card using the Tandy TPDD drive protocol for portable storage and easy file transfers to a desktop computer using industry-standard [[file allocation table|FAT]]-formatted Secure Digital cards.
* PCSG's SupeROM - WriteROM word processor; FORM spreadsheet input template; LUCID spreadsheet; Database (relational); Thought outliner.
* Soigeneris Backpack - a small [[SD card]] ‘disk drive’ for a Model T that runs from a single AA battery

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
;Notes
{{Refbegin}}
* Tandy/Radio Shack Computer Catalog Archive, [https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/#computer_catalogs "Tandy TRS 80 Models, Portable Computers & more"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816061937/https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/#computer_catalogs |date=August 16, 2022 }}
* TRS-80 Model 100 Owner's Manual, (1983) Tandy Corporation, Fort Worth Texas
* BYTE Magazine April 1984, advertisement for Disk-Video Interface
* BYTE Magazine May 1985, advertisement for Model 200
* Rich Malloy, [https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-05/1983_05_BYTE_08-05_The_Electronic_Office#page/n15/mode/1up "Little Big Computer: The TRS 80 Model 100 Portable Computer"], BYTE magazine, May 1983 pg. 14 - 34
* Stan Wszola, "NEC PC 8201 Portable Computer", BYTE magazine June 1983, pg. 282
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|TRS-80 Model 100}}
* [https://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/flipbook/1984_radioshack_catalog.html?fb3d-page=184 TRS 80 Mod. 100 in 1984 Radio Shack catalog]
* [http://www.club100.org The Model 100 Users Group]
* [http://bitchin100.com Projects and products for 8-bit 'True Portable' laptops]
* [http://oldcomputers.net/kc.html Oldcomputers.net page on Kyotronic 85]
*
* {{Citation | url = http://vintage-laptops.com/?page_id=186&lang=en | contribution = TRS-80 Tandy Model 200, 360 degree model | title = Vintage Laptop Museum | date = April 6, 2017 | type = museum}}

{{TRS-80 and Tandy computers}}
{{Kyocera}}
{{NEC computers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trs-80 Model 100}}
[[Category:NEC personal computers]]
[[Category:RadioShack]]
[[Category:Early laptops]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1983]]