EdgeStar SW5L 70D User Manual download pdf (Page 6)

Tandy's Little Wonder page 5

Alfredo Santos, December 1990

While skimming through the pages of a popular Color Computer magazine recently, my thoughts traveled back through

the 12 years of Color Computer history. Back to a time when there was NOTHING. I recalled the events leading

up to my introduction to this wonderful machine. It seems like only yesterday...

Christmas morning 1980: Pam, my wife, must have known that I was very interested in getting a computer because,

there, under the tree was the new Mattell Intellevision!? Pam bought that machine due, in part, to the computer

capabilities the unit would have with a keyboard console, scheduled for release in the spring. After several days of

gunning down waves of aliens, we both suffered from blurred eye sight, blistered fingers, lack of sleep, and video

game burn out. Spring seemed so far away.

A couple weeks after Christmas, I came across an ad in the New York Daily News for a new Radio Shack computer

which, like the Intellevision, had game cartridge capabilities, an important feature because, if I didn’t like computing,

I could always go back to cleaning up the galaxy. For the refund price of the Intellevision (sorry Pam) plus another

$150, I had enough money to purchase the new TRS-80 Color Computer. I celebrated the arrival of an early "spring".

It was January 9th, 1981. It seems like only yesterday.......

This project was, to say the least, a labor of love. Every attempt was made to ensure an accurate account of the Color

Computer’s evolution. Extensive use of various computer magazine articles and ads were used as the basis for "dating"

events. This "dating" method was used because most of us probably heard about various developments through these

sources. Keep in mind, however, that sometimes ads can precede product availability by as much as a month or more.

Those of you who ordered the very first "Super 'Color' Writer" program from Nelson Software know what I mean.

Other information sources included printouts and files from old bulletin board sessions, telephone interviews, and

correspondence with various users.

Before starting, let me just say that, while looking through the numerous back issues for Color Computer information,

a strange thing started happening. Remember that frustrated feeling, of the early years, when YOU looked for Color

Computer information and none could be found? It all started coming back to me.......

Francis G. Swygert, March 1993

Al graciously allowed me to use his existing text which was written for submission to The Rainbow Magazine. Rainbow

decided not to print it, so Al released it to the public over Delphi (a major computer database). Als’ format and style

were used pretty much intact for the history portion of this book, though heavily edited and added to in places by

myself. The original text only went up to June of 1986. All history text after that date and all additional information

was written by myself (except where noted). Many thanks goes to Al and the other contributors! I can also echo Als’

opening statement: this project was definitely borne out of a love for the little computer we affectionately call CoCo..

It is also important to remember just how this text is written. This was not intended to be a definitive history. Indeed,

it is the authors’ belief that the CoCo is far from being relegated to history as of yet. Instead, the history portion is

more of an overview of what has happened in the life of the CoCo over the years, almost a "time line" type of

chronology. The entire book itself is a complete CoCo reference book... the "CoCo bible", so to speak..

Don’t let the past tense used in the text fool you. It was deemed the best way to present the majority of the history

and was used throughout for uniformity. Many of the later products were still available and supported by the authors

and distributors at the time this was written. They simply don’t get enough response to maintain advertising costs.

So go ahead and write- ask for information! The only cost will be a stamp- is that to much for your CoCo?

Introduction...

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EdgeStar SW5L 70D User Manual Page 6