Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

RADIO SHACK TRS-80

Date Range From

1975

Date Range To

1985

Materials

PLASTIC, RUBBER

No. Pieces

5

Height

9.3

Length

37.2

Width

35.0

Description

1. CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT. ABOVE DIMENSIONS (W/O CORDS). 2 PIECE. LOOKS LIKE A THICK KEYBOARD. DARK GREY IN COLOR. CONSISTS OF 53 KEYS (8 WHITE; 1 RED; 44 GREY). ABOVE KEYPAD IS "RADIO SHACK TRS-80 COLOR COMPUTER". ON BACK OF UNIT ARE RESET, CHANNEL SELECT AND POWER SWITCHES, AS WELL AS PORTS FOR "TO TV", "CASSETTE", "SERIAL I/O", AND RIGHT AND LEFT JOYSTICKS. THERE IS A POWER CORD COMING OUT OF BACK OF UNIT. THERE IS A PORT FOR CARTRIDGES ON RIGHT HAND SIDE OF UNIT. ON UNDERSIDE IS A LABEL THAT READS "CATALOG NO. 26-3003" "SERIAL NO. 000233". ALSO INCLUDED WITH UNIT IS A COAXIAL CABLE THAT FITS INTO THE "TO TV" PORT. 2. CASSETTE RECORDER. 2 PIECE. 3.4 X 17.7 X 11.6 (W/O CORD). RECORDER IS OFF-WHITE. ON TOP OF RECORDER ARE SPEAKER, CASSETTE COMPARTMENT WITH TRANSLUCENT COVER, AND BUTTONS AND SWTCHES. IN TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER READS "RADIO SHACK TRS-80 CCR-82 COMPUTER CASSETTE RECORDER". THERE IS A RESET BUTTON ABOVE CASSETTE COMPARTMENT. BELOW COMPARTMENT ARE 5 BUTTONS FOR "EJECT/STOP", "REVIEW/REWIND", "RECORD/CSAVE", "PLAY/CLOAD", AND "CUE/FAST-F". THERE ARE ALSO SWITCHES FOR "PAUSE" AND "MONITOR". THERE IS A VOLUME DIAL ON FRONT OF UNIT. SIDE OF UNIT HAS 5 PORTS, 3 OF WHICH ARE OCCUPIED BY BLACK AND GREY CORD INCLUDED WITH UNIT. UNDERSIDE OF UNIT HAS A BATTERY COMPARTMENT AND A LABEL THAT READS "RADIO SHACK CCR-82 MOD. 26-1209". 3. BOOK. 1.8 X 27.3 X 21.2. BOOK NUMBERED TO PAGE 308. FRONT COVER READS "RADIO SHACK GETTING STARTED WITH COLOR BASIC TRS-80 COLOR COMPUTER" AND FEATURES AN ILLUSTRATION OF A COMPUTER MONITOR AND KEYBOARD, BESIDE AN ANIMATED COMPUTER WITH EYES, MOUTH, ARMS AND FEET, OVER A RAINBOW BACKGROUND. BACK COVER READS "TANDY CORPORATION".

Subjects

DATA PROCESSING T&E

Historical Association

LEISURE

EDUCATION

History

ALTHOUGH THIS SYSTEM IS NOT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE, THIS IS A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF WHAT STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TAKEN HOME FROM UNIVERSITY'S HOME STUDIES PROGRAM, WHILE DONOR WORKED WITHIN THE PROGRAM. THE RADIO SHACK TRS-80 (NICKNAMED THE TRASH-80) WAS INTRODUCED IN 1977 AND WAS THE THIRD OF THE FIRST THREE CONSUMER READY PERSONAL COMPUTERS. IT USED A CASSETTE RECORDER TO PLAY PROGRAMS AND STORE DATA. DONOR HAS COLLECTED, IN GENERAL, ALL HIS LIFE. HE SAW COLLECTING AS A WAY TO WORK WITH HIS SONS, DAVID (B. 1975) AND COLIN (B. 1980). COMPUTER COLLECTION WAS BEGAN IN 1988 WHEN THE DONOR WAS WORKING AT THE U OF L. PRIOR TO THAT, SYSTEMS WERE TOO EXPENSIVE. FOR 10 YEARS MOST OF THE MATERIAL WAS IN DONOR'S GARAGE. HE USED IT TO TRY AND HELP PEOPLE TO DO FAMILY HISTORY/GENEALOGY. MOST OF HIS COLLECTION WAS OFFERED TO HIM BY PEOPLE WHO WERE AWARE OF THE DONOR'S INTEREST. DONOR DIDN'T WANT TO DISPOSE OF COLLECTION BY SELLING IT WHEN HE LEFT THE U OF L, BECAUSE HE FELT IT COULD BE USED IN AN EDUCATIONAL VENUE, SO IT WAS OFFERED TO THE MUSEUM. DONOR WAS BORN AND RAISED IN STIRLING/RAYMOND; GRADUATED FROM RAYMOND HIGH SCHOOL IN 1970. HE WORKED FOR THE TREASURY BRANCH, WHICH SENT DONOR TO N.A.I.T. FOR TRAINING AS A PROGRAMMER, SO THAT HE COULD MODIFY PROGRAMS AND WORK AS AN ACCOUNT OFFICE MANAGER. HE LEFT THE BANK IN 1979. DONOR WENT ON TO PURSUE A BACHELOR OF EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE DURING WHICH TIME HE WORKED WITH THE UNIVERSITY'S CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM IN HOME COMPUTER COURSES (STUDENTS TOOK COMPUTERS HOME). HE COMPLETED HIS B. ED. IN 1983. DONOR THEREAFTER BECAME A COMPUTING BUSINESS INSTRUCTOR IN MARWAYNE, ALBERTA AND WAS THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR ALBERTA'S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, TRAVELLING TO SCHOOLS TO TALK TO TEACHERS ABOUT THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN CLASSROOMS. IN 1988, THE DONOR RETURNED TO THE U OF L TO TEACH FOR 10 YEARS WITH THE FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT. HE TAUGHT HARDWARE MAINTENANCE & MULTI-MEDIA. U OF L WAS THE FIRST TO USE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TO TEACH LABS. DONOR LEFT FACULTY TO WORK AS AN ASSOCIATE REGISTRAR (1998-99) AFTER WHICH HE WENT TO ARIZONA TO BE AN INSTRUCTOR WITH THE NORTHLAND PIONEER COLLEGE. DONOR CURRENTLY TRAVELS TO ARIZONA COLLEGE'S DISTANCE CENTERS TEACHING CLASSES.

Catalogue Number

P19990101002

Acquisition Date

2003-07

Collection

Museum

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