I remember seeing a Panasonic portable computer running Microsoft BASIC exactly the same as my Dragon did and the Tandy series computers too. It looked a lot like this except it had a mirror cassette tape deck on the righthand side and 2 or 4 line character display, possibly 20 or 40 characters wide. This would be about 1985. It was being used by one of the utility companies in Southern UK at the time, possibly as a trial.
Lovin' mine. Remember when using graphics the command on the TRS-80 to fill in a pixel is SET(X,Y). (Or on color computer SET (X,Y,C)). Replace SET on this device with PSET, does the same thing, no color of course. BEEFY for it's time, for sure. Pay attention to this video, this gentleman gives you the numbers for the lines and rows (great job, the whole video is GREAT!!). YES, also has the Y2K "bug" but it doesn't affect the machine really. I knew a machinist that used this device to drive a machine in his garage, I have no idea how, but it was neat. He sold me that one. I broke it. So I bought another one on Ebay. It still works. Life is good.
Be careful about leaving the NiCd battery in there. I left one in a Macintosh LC III too long and not only did the battery leak on the immediate components but it let out a gas plume that hosed all the chips and caps around it. I snipped the NiCd out of my Trs 80 Model 100 and the AA batteries still manage to backup the RAM when it is turned off. I may solder in a new dime battery holder some day. But the AA's are nice because they are not sitting right on the circuit board. I figure if it's plugged in to the DC power adapter during a AA battery swap, then the ram will be preserved. Of course, there's probably some risk.
This is a very beautiful PIECE OF HISTORY, yet its functions are so limited there's hardly any use for it nowadays. Anyway, it's good to travel back in time and think about the days when a thing like this would be state of the art tech, or even an amazingly futuristic concept.
@@gilbertokoxx3559 does everything have to be technicolour 4k video? Use your imagination and play some interactive fiction. Maybe you could help Dan Diamond in Franklin's Tomb, or get Lost in Space.
Unfortunately no i have not. With my new daughter, new house, renovations and everything else i jusf havent had the time to dedicate to it. I do have an old kantronics utu, that operates via terminal over rs232 that i want to try with it. It will do cw and some simple fsk modes, rtty for sure, dont recall the others. Maybe this winter if i have some spare time i will try and control the utu with it. I did get a parts machine and replace the lcd and installed new function keys in it, so it works like new now. Still have to replace thr RAM NiCd backup though.
![SANYO - Breaking the Mold [NHK documentary]](/img/n.gif)
I wish radio shack still made these for low end computing.
I remember seeing a Panasonic portable computer running Microsoft BASIC exactly the same as my Dragon did and the Tandy series computers too. It looked a lot like this except it had a mirror cassette tape deck on the righthand side and 2 or 4 line character display, possibly 20 or 40 characters wide. This would be about 1985. It was being used by one of the utility companies in Southern UK at the time, possibly as a trial.
Lovin' mine. Remember when using graphics the command on the TRS-80 to fill in a pixel is SET(X,Y). (Or on color computer SET (X,Y,C)). Replace SET on this device with PSET, does the same thing, no color of course. BEEFY for it's time, for sure. Pay attention to this video, this gentleman gives you the numbers for the lines and rows (great job, the whole video is GREAT!!). YES, also has the Y2K "bug" but it doesn't affect the machine really. I knew a machinist that used this device to drive a machine in his garage, I have no idea how, but it was neat. He sold me that one. I broke it. So I bought another one on Ebay. It still works. Life is good.
Club 100 sells the REX chip for the Tandy 100/102 and 200. That is a flashbased memorychip. with lots of memorybanks.
I Have A 100 And it Is In VERY GOOD Condition, Still White, Only One Tiny Row of Dead Pixels, Rubber Feet Still Intact
Be careful about leaving the NiCd battery in there. I left one in a Macintosh LC III too long and not only did the battery leak on the immediate components but it let out a gas plume that hosed all the chips and caps around it.
I snipped the NiCd out of my Trs 80 Model 100 and the AA batteries still manage to backup the RAM when it is turned off. I may solder in a new dime battery holder some day. But the AA's are nice because they are not sitting right on the circuit board. I figure if it's plugged in to the DC power adapter during a AA battery swap, then the ram will be preserved. Of course, there's probably some risk.
yeah its on the list of things to do, i saw in a blog someone replaced it with a super cap with good results, so i may go that route.
That's a good idea. I may go for a super cap too.
This is a very beautiful PIECE OF HISTORY, yet its functions are so limited there's hardly any use for it nowadays.
Anyway, it's good to travel back in time and think about the days when a thing like this would be state of the art tech, or even an amazingly futuristic concept.
Limited? I disagree. Its only as limited as your imagination, and ability to write the code to make it do what you need it to do.
@@dennis8196 dude?
Can you watch UA-cam on this thing?
@@gilbertokoxx3559 does everything have to be technicolour 4k video? Use your imagination and play some interactive fiction. Maybe you could help Dan Diamond in Franklin's Tomb, or get Lost in Space.
I got my extra ram chips from a well known (at the time) supplier. Lots of people did, much cheaper.
Right 0n Man , Liked and Shared . I Own Two of them so far , Thank You :) QC
Was there master computers when journalist go to work with these portables to mount into?
This is cool, if you can make a hacking simulator compatibility then I would be further impressed then I already am.
I’ve often thought about the model 100, 102 for use with ham radio. Did you ever get it to work for FSK?
Unfortunately no i have not. With my new daughter, new house, renovations and everything else i jusf havent had the time to dedicate to it. I do have an old kantronics utu, that operates via terminal over rs232 that i want to try with it. It will do cw and some simple fsk modes, rtty for sure, dont recall the others. Maybe this winter if i have some spare time i will try and control the utu with it. I did get a parts machine and replace the lcd and installed new function keys in it, so it works like new now. Still have to replace thr RAM NiCd backup though.