TRS-80 Color Computer

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The TRS-80 Color Computer, often called the CoCo, was a family of home computers sold by Tandy (Radio Shack) starting in 1980. It was a fresh design, built around a Motorola 6809E CPU and the MC6847 video chip, and it used Color BASIC in ROM for quick, color-friendly programming. Unlike the earlier Z80-based TRS-80 machines, the Color Computer was a distinct system aimed at affordable home use and education.

CoCo 1 (1980–1983)
- CPU: 6809E running at about 0.895 MHz
- Memory: 4–32 KB
- Graphics and display: MC6847 video display generator; color output to a TV
- Software: Color BASIC in ROM; later versions offered Extended Color BASIC
- Peripherals: cassette storage, later 5.25" floppy disk drives
- Price at launch: $399
The original CoCo 1 came in a silver case with a simple keyboard and could be expanded to run more complex programs, keeping the system broadly compatible with later models.

CoCo 2 (1983–1991)
- CPU: 6809E at 0.895 MHz
- Memory: 16–64 KB
- Graphics: improved video options, including a variant of the MC6847
- Software: Color BASIC in ROM, OS-9 available from third parties
- Peripherals: disk drives, improved keyboard, and a redesigned disk controller
- Price at launch: around $159
The CoCo 2 kept backward compatibility with CoCo 1 software but added disk storage and more RAM. Production later spread to Korea, and newer ROMs and a more capable disk system improved convenience and expandability.

CoCo 3 (1986–1991)
- CPU: 6809E family (68B09E) at higher speeds, with software control to run faster
- Memory: 128 KB, expandable to 512 KB
- Graphics and display: the new Advanced Color Video Chip (ACVC), also known as GIME, enabling more colors and modes; 40- and 80-column text
- Software: Color BASIC in ROM; OS-9 Level 2 available
- Peripherals: compatible with CoCo 2 peripherals; more advanced sound and graphics capabilities
- Price at launch: about $219.95
The CoCo 3 was the most capable in the line, offering more memory, better graphics, and improved text modes. It unified many features in one chip (GIME) and could run software written for earlier CoCos, though its advanced features required newer software.

Decline and end
Tandy discontinued the Color Computer line in 1991 after a run that left a loyal community. The CoCo’s mix of BASIC, OS-9 options, and flexible hardware made it popular for education and hobbyists, and it inspired a number of clones and alternative systems, even as mainstream support faded.

In brief, the TRS-80 Color Computer started as an affordable, capable home computer in 1980, evolved through three major models with steadily increasing RAM, graphics, and software options, and was retired in 1991.