Familiar with the Tandy 128 Color Computer 3?

[bangtango]

I found a keyboard for the Tandy 128 Color Computer 3 in Goodwill today for about 5 bucks. It is Model Number 26-3334. It comes with just the power cord but is in good shape.

What can some seasoned computer buffs tell me about this? I can't find anything searching this forum or Google. What sort of games did this play? What parts should I have with it? With that said, I wouldn't mind selling it depending on who wants one. Mainly though, I just want to find out more about this item. I don't know a thing about it. I figured I'd pick it up since it was laying around the store for awhile now.

[Jibbajaba]

Are you sure that you found just a keyboard? The tandy 128k CoCo 3 is a standalone computer, much like an Apple II or a C64.

For information, try reading the wikipedia entry for the TRS-80 here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Color_Computer

It's a pretty neat computer. I found a CoCo2 in a thrift store a couple of years back, but I sold it to Gapporin, who in turn got rid of it as well. It's neat, but if you are into classic computing, there are better options.

Chris

[bangtango]

Are you sure that you found just a keyboard? The tandy 128k CoCo 3 is a standalone computer, much like an Apple II or a C64.

For information, try reading the wikipedia entry for the TRS-80 here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Color_Computer

It's a pretty neat computer. I found a CoCo2 in a thrift store a couple of years back, but I sold it to Gapporin, who in turn got rid of it as well. It's neat, but if you are into classic computing, there are better options.

Chris

Thanks for the info. So it is simply a standalone unit like my Vic 20 and C64. That helps. I'll check out the link.

[YoshiM]

Don't listen to Jibba, he doesn't know the beauty of a TRS-80 CoCo. Then again, I'm probably biased....naaaah :P

My fave place to find stuff on the CoCo is http://www.coco3.com.

[idrougge]

I don't know why I should know this, since it was never sold in Europe, but the CoCo3 is to the CoCo what the IIgs was to the Apple II. Vastly superior to its predecessor, but small game library.

[YoshiM]

I don't know why I should know this, since it was never sold in Europe, but the CoCo3 is to the CoCo what the IIgs was to the Apple II. Vastly superior to its predecessor, but small game library.

I don't know if it was vastly superior but it did outperform the vernable CoCo 1/2. 128K right outta the box was a big help along with the built in ability for proper upper and lower case. The CoCo 1/2 didn't have this-everything was pretty much in upper case unless the software you had its own fonts (thus drawn) or had the video modified (kits were available to do this). Numero 3 was also not quite compatible with programs that used the "Semi graphics" mode-graphics built using the system's text.

Still...loved all three machines my family had.

[LocalH]

I never owned a CoCo3, but I always wanted one back when I had my old CoCo2. All I ever had was a few carts and some tapes with programs on them, and the cassette recorder was so sensitive that a slight jar would render the load useless and require a rewind and reload.

Most CoCo2 games will run on a CoCo3, but there are a few that won't (due to the use of semigraphics as mentioned before, and there's also a game or two that unintentionally fouls the GIME settings, I believe, similar to the incompatibility between the C64 and C128).

[idrougge]

I don't know why I should know this, since it was never sold in Europe, but the CoCo3 is to the CoCo what the IIgs was to the Apple II. Vastly superior to its predecessor, but small game library.

I don't know if it was vastly superior but it did outperform the vernable CoCo 1/2.

It is vastly superior. The Coco 1 and 2 models had a screen display that would make your eyes bleed; nine awful colours, low resolutions and a really quirky way of handling those colours. The Coco 3 has a big pallette, high resolution and no stupid restraints on how you use those colours.

[YoshiM]

I don't know why I should know this, since it was never sold in Europe, but the CoCo3 is to the CoCo what the IIgs was to the Apple II. Vastly superior to its predecessor, but small game library.

I don't know if it was vastly superior but it did outperform the vernable CoCo 1/2.

It is vastly superior. The Coco 1 and 2 models had a screen display that would make your eyes bleed; nine awful colours, low resolutions and a really quirky way of handling those colours. The Coco 3 has a big pallette, high resolution and no stupid restraints on how you use those colours.

Dang, shoulda been more specific. If you had a Tandy monitor...yeah the CoCo 3 freakin' SMOKED. If you had a TV....not so hot. Besides, the CoCo 3 STILL greeted users to the nuclear green screen which, even if you went with the different font, made your eyes bleed.

When I owned a CoCo 3 I was using a "green" monitor (traded my TI 99/4A for it) and the imagery was sharp. When I hooked it up to my 25" color TV (buddy of mine wanted to take the female sunbather image example in CoCo Max 3 and, um, disrobe her) the color didn't look too hot. Some games (the F-15 fighter jock game in an issue of Rainbow comes to mind) wouldn't even display properly on a TV, which is what I'm pretty sure most casual CoCo owners had.

I will not deny this lovely machine can do amazing things in the right hands (check [url=http://nitros9.lcurtisboyle.com/pacdudemonstermaze.html]this[\url] out-this is with 512K of memory) but so could the older CoCos (good example is Donkey King later called "The King").

[idrougge]

I will not deny this lovely machine can do amazing things in the right hands (check [url=http://nitros9.lcurtisboyle.com/pacdudemonstermaze.html]this[\url] out-this is with 512K of memory) but so could the older CoCos (good example is Donkey King later called "The King").

While Donkey King definitely is impressive on a Coco 2, it would be a "retro" game on a Coco 3, as the above game demonstrates. That machine played Leisure Suit Larry and Thexder, something the previous models never could.