Color Computer I

Pictures

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 2

Pictures

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

Pictures

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:

Please visit the Emulator page for up to date listings.

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 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: 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: 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: Color Computer Hardware Programming v0.8
  Date: 2006
  Author: Chris Lomont
  TOSEC: Color Computer Hardware Programming v0.8 (2006)(Chris Lomont)
  Size: 120,892
• 
  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: 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: 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
• 
  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: 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: Using AWK with OS-9
  Year: 1993
  Publisher/Author: ColorSystems
  TOSEC: Using AWK with OS-9 (1993)(ColorSystems)
  Size: 2,943,667

Sites of Interest / Links

• Bill Yakowenko’s Excellent Color Computer stuff page
• Color Computer History
• MC-10 Site