My name is Bob and I enjoy collecting, repairing and restoring old computers.
My favorite is the early-80s Radio Shack TRS-80 line. When I was around 13 years old, I worked all summer to save up enough to purchase a TRS-80 Model III. I found one in a magazine for a good price — and it included an amber monitor. I ordered it and waited excitedly for it to arrive. The day it arrived, I open the box, spun it up and — the monitor displayed nothing! I called the company and arranged to have it shipped back. You can only image my heart-break. The next day, my grandmother took me to the new Radio Shack computer center in our town and paid the difference for a slightly more expensive Model III. I was so grateful for that niceness.
I could not afford floppy drives for the machine — and 16k of RAM was the only option within my budget. I was relegated to saving programs on cassette tape. Good times!
I programmed on that thing just about daily — often deep into the night. Many memories on that machine — more than 16k worth anyway!
Here we are in the 21st century and I now possess what I could only dream about back then. I mean… two floppy drives? 64k RAM? Crazy talk! My collection consists of a bunch of old TRS-80s as well as other assorted old-tech.
Welcome!