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Is there any such thing as a "Tandy 3" computer?

Hyperfrog

Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
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41
Location
Québec City, QC, Canada
Just out of curiosity, if you know a bit about TRS-80 computers, please take a look at this auction and tell me if you think it's a genuine Radio Shack computer.

It looks like a white Model III. I think a number of those were produced at the end of the Model III's lifecycle. What's strange, though, is the white keyboard bezel and, above all, the name : Tandy 3.

Cheers,

Christian
 
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Very interesting.

Could be a Coco 3 in a TRS 80 model 4 case, similar to how they sold Commdore 64's in PET chassis to schools. It's not IMHO a TRS 80 Model III. A "Tandy 3" could also be from somewhere outside of the USA.

It would help if they had the model number from the bottom, and/or show the boot screen.

Bill
 
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Could be a Coco 3 in a TRS 80 model 4 case, similar to how they sold Commdore 64's in PET chassis to schools.

Then it would be missing the Ctrl, Alt, F1 and F2 keys. The keyboard is a Model III one, not a Model 4 one. And AFAIK, Tandy was no longer using full-height disk drives by the time the CoCo 3 hit the market.

Christian
 
Yeah keyboard layout is same as a regular Model III from what I can tell but if it was foreign it would probably have other characters above the numbers. I suppose someone could have painted or bleached the plastic around the keyboard (retro-brite mistake?). Too bad it doesn't work heh. More pictures would be interesting though. Not a bad system if anyone enjoys Dallas.
 
Just out of curiosity, if you know a bit about TRS-80 computers, please take a look at this auction and tell me if you think it's a genuine Radio Shack computer.

It looks like a white Model III. I think a number of those were produced at the end of the Model III's lifecycle. What's strange, though, is the white keyboard bezel and, above all, the name : Tandy 3.

Cheers,

Christian

Check this link: http://www.tim-mann.org/trs80/tandycat.txt

The above is Tim Mann's compilation of Tandy computer part numbers. I would recommend that you contact the seller, if possible, and ask for the the Tandy part number (26-xxxx).
 
WOW!, Sold $416.00

WOW!, Sold $416.00

Being a newbie at Vintage Computer I found this an interesting topic due to all of the conjecture or speculation concerning this TRS-80 Models origin or Tandy division from which it hailed along with its marketing target. I tend to lean toward the TDP theory suggested as such. I also think that it would also be interesting to view the Tandy catalogue that offers products with the digits 71-xxxx part numbers. I personally have never seen any items with anything other than those with the 26-xxxx series of part numbers from a Tandy stock catalogue. What ever it is or where it came from at least a few individuals found it to be worthy of shelling out a considerable amount of hard cash for the purchase and subsequent possession of. Due to a larger curiosity I kept tabs on it via the eBay (or as I saw it fondly referred to here at Vintage, Free Bay) web site. At least two individuals found it to be VERY WORTHY of hard cash in that during the last few seconds of the auction the bid SKY ROCKETED to over $100.00 between two final bidders and ended with a sale price of a WHOPPING $416.00 AMERICAN, not to mention shipping costs of $96.00 which is about double for shipping from coast to coast. Perhaps these two individuals know something “we” do not concerning its actual configuration or perhaps they are basing its value on its rarity which is probably the case due to the fact that Tandy’s sales in their non-Radio Shack markets did not fare very well back in the day; subsequently, there were not high numbers of them sold. What ever the case may be, I think its a little mystery surrounding the origins of this particular model of “Tandy’s Little Wonder“. I would flip out later on down the road to read about it and find that some supposed guru or group of gurus have valued the thing to be several thousand dollars. One must admit; that would be a hoot; would it not? If that did turn out to be the case I guess that would give those two American Picker fellows another item to add to their pickers list!!

Happy Days & Good Cheer to All, (G.Gordon )
 
For the collector who has *almost* everthing Tandy I'm starting to wonder what I'd get for my prototype Model 4. I have the final beta model that was submitted to the FCC for approval. It has no S/N, and the keyboard is different. $1000?
Bill
 
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I don't know; it's not the "real" prototype (the original wire-wrap of the IBM PC would probably be worth a considerable fortune, for example); it's a sample to the FCC from the pre-production run.

But hell, collecting for money is a weird business and depends a lot on perceived rarity and interest of other people in the same item.

Got any Beanie Babies?
 
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I think paying $400 up for any Tandy 1000 is nuts, unless of course, you have every other Tandy in your collection and the "Tandy 3" just happens to round it out. P.T. Barnum nailed it.

BTW - The last two 'working' 1000's that I have were free.
 
Well c'mon now, it's crazy prices for a relatively crazy hobby ;-) Most folks would think wanting and storing this stuff seems crazy. Prototypes are always a big hit with the market. I'd imagine you'd probably end up in the $800s but it's all WAGs with this market lately. I've seen some great stuff go really cheap lately and some cheap stuff go really great heh.
 
barythrin

Boy have I got a deal for you. I have a working Tandy Model XIX for only $695. Its a XIX instead of a 1000SX because I put a tag on it and that makes it so. Be the 1st on your block with this beauty. Just kidding, of course.
I could really care less what people buy or sell for, but you have to admit, some of these deals kind of insult your senses.
 
Having worked for the Shack in the past, it might be a promo item.

RS had a habit of rebadging certain items then selling them at very low prices during a store grand opening.

Saw it several times with stereo receivers and audio equipment.

Wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they did it with the computer equipment also.

Still, that 71 series is intriguing.
 
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