Tandy 1000 TL/2

YEAR: 1988

Initial Retail Price: $1,599, $3,520 in 2020

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System Config

• Model 25-1602
• Serial number 002866
• 80286 running at 8 Mhz
• 640KB; expandable to 768KB
• 1000 HD: 10 or 20 MB
• 640x200x16c and MDA/Hercules Graphics Emulation
• 3 Voice Sound & built-in DAC/ADC
• Ports
  • 1 x Card-edge parallel port
    1 x RS-232C serial port
    1 x TTL RGB monitor output
    1 x Headphone/microphone connector (switchable to line-level)
    2 x DIN Color Computer joystick ports
    1 x DIN keyboard port
  • 1 x 5.25” slot & 2 x 3.5” slots (1 internal, 1 ext)

The story

I got my computer from the flea market for $6. brand new, never used! The main unit has some issues that I am planning to solve.

1. There is no HDD Installed
2. The FDD unit is not reading (need to modify the cable to adapt a standard FDD because of the power supplied through that and not separately) Click here to see mod.
3. Replace the RadioShack CR2032 Li-Ion Battery
4. Play OUTRUN!

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The TL/2 was shipped with MS-DOS 3.3 and DeskMate 3 in ROM, and featured a serial EEPROM memory chip to store BIOS settings. The machines could also run ‘normal’ MS-DOS 3.x, 5.x, and 6.x and Windows 2.x and 3.0 operating systems, although Windows was limited to real-mode operations. In common with many PC clones of the era, MS-DOS 4 was problematic and generally avoided.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLkCmXR5kwQ

The 1000 TL/2 is essentially a 1000 TL that has 4 available ISA expansion slots and a built-in XT IDE hard drive controller that is not compatible with AT IDE hard drives.

End of the Road for Tandy Computers

In 1993, Radio Shack sold its computer manufacturing business to AST Research, and in 1994 they agreed to carry AST computers in Radio Shack stores, bringing an end to the Tandy 1000 series.

AST didn’t understand the importance of the low end of the PC market and kept its focus on premium hardware. AST was in dire financial straits in the mid-1990s and was acquired by Samsung in 1996. Despite investments in AST, Samsung was unable to turn things around and eventually closed down AST.

Tandy Loses Its Way

In 1991, Tandy opened its first Computer City stores, which carried brands such as Apple, IBM, and Compaq – but not Tandy – in hopes of competing with CompUSA.

That didn’t work, and in June 1998, CompUSA acquired to Computer City chain. 50 stores were closed and the others became CompUSA stores. CompUSA closed most of its stores in 2007, and in 2012 it disappeared for good.

In 2015, RadioShack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after 11 consecutive quarters of losses. The company had 4,297 stores in the United States in February 2015, of which 900 were run by independent dealers. As of March 31, 2015, there were only 1,743 stores left.

See also: “Practical Issues with the Tandy 1000 TL series”

http://nerdlypleasures.blogspot.com

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