TRS-80 Computers: TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo)

Color Computer I

Pictures
CoCo 1 CoCo 1 Alt

Features
   
Introduced on July 31st, 1980 for $399.00
   
Motorola MC6809E 8-bit CPU running at .89MHz
   
4K RAM
   
8K ROM – Microsoft Color Basic v1.0
   
53 Key Keyboard
   
32 Column Display Ability (32 x 16 with 4 Colors / 256 x 192 with 2 Colors / 128 x 96 at 8 Colors / 128 x 192 with 4 Colors)
   
8 Colors (selectable from 2 preset 4 color palettes)
   
RGB Modulator (to connect to color TV)
   
RS-232 Interface (Serial Port)
   
1500 Baud Cassette Interface
   
Two (2) Joystick Connectors
   
Optional: ROM-PAK Cartrdige (Chess, Checkers, Quasar Commander, Personal Finance, CoCo Diagnostics)
   
Optional (12/1980): 16K RAM Upgrade
   
Optional: 32K RAM Upgrade
   
Optional: 64K RAM Upgrade
   
Optional (12/1980): 16K RAM Upgrade
   
Optional (07/1981): Extended Color Basic Upgrade

Color Computer II

Pictures
CoCo 2

Features
   
Same as the Color Computer I except
   
16-64K RAM
   
8K BASIC ROM or 16K EXTENDED BASIC ROM
   
Smaller Case
   
53 Key QWERTY Keyboard (First COCO appearance of a BREAK Key)
   
Lowercase Letters
   
6-Bit DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), allowing for 64 different volume levels
   
Could be POKEd to 1.78Mhz, which had been enabled to allow for DMA access by external peripherals. The CPU was halted during these periods, as it could not handle this speed and would overheat if not halted.
   
OS-9 Level II multi-tasking operating system
   
Optional Equipment: MultiPak Interface

Color Computer III

Picture
CoCo 3

Features
   
Introduced on July 30th, 1986 for $219.95
   
Motorola MC68b09 8-bit CPU running at 1.788MHz
   
128K RAM (Upgradable to 512K)
   
640 X 192 (BASIC) and 640 x 225 (Other)
   
Colors: 4 at 640 x 192/225, 16 at 320 x 192, and 64 at 160 x 192.
   
80 Column Display Ability
   
4 analog inputs and 1 analog output
   
Digital Input and Output
   
OS-9 Level II multi-tasking operating system
   
Optional Equipment: MultiPak Interface
   
Optional Equipment: 5.25″ floppy drive

Emulators
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
Windows 98/Direct X 1.42 August 13, 2010 Joseph Forgione Site
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
DOS 1.29 Jan. 6th, 2008 MESS Development Team Home Site
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
Windows ‘9x MC-10 Emulator 0.73c May, 2008 Emucompboy
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
Windows ‘9x 1.6B Nov. 6, 2001 Jeff Vavasour Home Site
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
DOS 1.6 Jan. 15, 2001 Jeff Vavasour Home Site
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
DOS Dragon/CoCo Emulator 0.10 Nov. 22, 1997 Email Home Site
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
Amiga DREaM v1.02 Jul. 16, 1997 Sean Siford Unknown
Platform   Description   Version   Date   Author Home Site  
DOS PC-Dragon II Unknown Unknown Jun. 8, 1997 Unknown

Books

Title: 500 Pokes Peeks N’ Execs for the Color Computer
Year: 1986
Author: Kishore M Santwani
TOSEC: 500 Pokes Peeks N Execs for the TRS-80 Color Computer (1986)(Kishore M Santwani)
Size: 3,816,402
Title: 500 Pokes Peeks N’ Execs for the Color Computer: Supplement
Year: 1986
Author: Kishore M Santwani
TOSEC: 500 Pokes Peeks N Execs for the TRS-80 Color Computer Supplement (1986)(Kishore M Santwani)
Size: 4,341,870
Title: Assembly Language Programming for the Color Computer
Year: 1985
Author: Laurence A Tepolt
Publisher: Tepco
Pages: 304
TOSEC: Assembly Language Programming for the Color Computer (1985)(Laurence A Tepolt)
Size: 14,038,806

Title: Assembly Language Programming for the CoCo3
Year: 1987
Author: Laurence A Tepolt
Publisher: Tepco
Pages: 70
TOSEC: Assembly Language Programming for the CoCo 3 (1987)(Laurence A Tepolt)
Size: 2,526,286
Title: Color Basic Unravelled II
Year: 1999
Publisher/Author: Spectral Associates
TOSEC: Color Basic Unravelled II (1999)(Spectral Associates)
Size: 707,674
Title: Color Computer Assembly Language Programming
Year: 1983
Publisher/Author: William Barden Jr
TOSEC: Color Computer Assembly Language Programming (1983)(William Barden Jr)
Size: 20,975,071

Title: Disk Basic Unravelled II
Year: 1999
Publisher/Author: Spectral Associates
TOSEC: Disk Basic Unravelled II (1999)(Spectral Associates)
Size: 1,231,648
Title: Extended Basic Unravelled II
Year: 1999
Publisher/Author: Spectral Associates
TOSEC: Extended Basic Unravelled II (1999)(Spectral Associates)
Size: 1,050,358
Title: Full Turn of the Screw
Year: 1989
TOSEC: Full Turn of the Screw (1989)(Rainbow Magazine)
Size: 26,500,447

Title: Getting Started with Extended Color BASIC
Year: 1984
Publisher: Tandy
Pages: 280
TOSEC: Getting Started with Extended Color BASIC (1984)(Tandy)
Size: 6,647,141
Title: Inside OS-9 Level II
Year: 1987
Publisher/Author: Kevin Darling
TOSEC: Inside OS-9 Level II (1987)(Kevin Darling)
Size: 13,918,632
Title: Mastering OS-9 on the Tandy Color Computer
Year: 1995
Publisher/Author: Farna Systems
TOSEC: Mastering OS-9 on the Tandy Color Computer (1995)(Farna Systems)
Size: 700,952

Title: OS-9 Level II and the Tandy Color Computer 3
Year: 1994
Publisher/Author: Rodger Alexander
TOSEC: OS-9 Level II and the Tandy Color Computer 3 (1994)(Rodger Alexander)
Size: 8,721,697
Title: OS-9 Quick Reference 1st
Year: 1994
Publisher/Author: Farna Systems
TOSEC: OS-9 Quick Reference 1st Edition (1994)(Farna Systems)
Size: 275,824
Title: OS-9 Quick Reference 2nd
Year: 1994
Publisher/Author: Farna Systems
TOSEC: OS-9 Quick Reference 2nd Edition (1994)(Farna Systems)
Size: 254,482

Title: OS-9 User Notes I
Year: 1985
Publisher/Author: Computer Publishing Center
TOSEC: OS-9 User Notes I (1985)(Computer Publishing Center)
Size: 15,454,387
Title: Super Extended Basic Unravelled II
Year: 1999
Publisher/Author: Spectral Associates
TOSEC: Super Extended Basic Unravelled II (1999)(Spectral Associates)
Size: 879,876
Title: Tandy’s Little Wonder
Year: 1993
Publisher/Author: Farna Systems
TOSEC: Tandys Little Wonder (1993)(Farna Systems)
Size: 5,184,124

Title: Using AWK with OS-9
Year: 1993
Publisher/Author: ColorSystems
TOSEC: Using AWK with OS-9 (1993)(ColorSystems)
Size: 2,943,667
Title: TRS-80 Color Computer & MC-10 Programs
Year: 1983
Author: William Barden, Jr.
Publisher: Radio Shack
Cat No: 26-3195
Pages: 194
TOSEC: TRS-80 Color Computer & MC-10 Programs (1983)(Radio Shack)
Size: 6,855,780
Title: Color Computer Playground, The
Year: 1984
Author: Fred D’Ignazio
Cat No: 26-3196
Pages: 240
TOSEC: Color Computer Playground (1984)(Fred D’Ignazio)
Size: 10,133,060

Title: Color Logo
Year: 1982
Authors: Larry Kheriaty and George Gerhold
Publisher: Micropi
Cat. No. 26-2722
Pages: 136
TOSEC: Color Logo (1982)(Micropi)
Size: 10,954,690
Title: Color Computer Hardware Programming v0.8
Date: 2006
Author: Chris LomontTOSEC: Color Computer Hardware Programming v0.8 (2006)(Chris Lomont)
Size: 120,892
Title: Kids to Kids on the Color Computer
Year: 1983
Author: Billy Sanders and Sam Edge
Publisher: Datamost Inc
Pages: 164
TOSEC: Kids to Kids on the Color Computer (1983)(Datamost Inc)
Size: 12,457,342

Sites of Interest / Links
Bill Yakowenko’s Excellent Color Computer stuff page
Color Computer History
 Dragon & Tandy CoCo Resources
 MC-10 Site
 Neil Morrison’s COCO Documentation Page