After playing around with the Video Genie system which was a clone of the original TRS80, I decided it would be fun to explore the Tandy line of computers a bit more. So after looking around a bit I settled on the TRS-80 CoCo 2 (Color Computer 2).
This particular example had the benefit of coming with the CoCoSDC which allows you to load the entire TRS80 software inventory from an SD Card. It even has a nice menu system to make the loading process nice and simple.
I’ve always wanted to try on the game Dungeons of Daggorath which is part of the storyline for Ready Player One (The book version).
This one is something a bit different. The Video Genie EG3003 is a hong kong made clone of the Tandy TRS-80 computer. It was sold under several different names worldwide such as the TRZ-80 and the Dick Smith System 80. But for us UK folk it was the Video Genie.
Although it was a clone of the TRS-80, it did have a few differences which meant that compatibility wasn’t 100%. The Video Genie also went through a few hardware revisions to make it more compatible. But the version I have was the original version 1 machine, which was known for not loading cassettes very reliably from the internal tape drive, and also missing some fairly vital keys from the keyboard!
This computer had apparently been stored in the upstairs room of a 2nd hand shop until someone asked them if they had any old computers, they dug this thing out and it changed hands a couple of times before it found its way to me.
This has been an enjoyable project for me as the system had a few different faults going on so gave me the chance to do some diagnostics and repairs. I will be doing a full write-up on what went on shortly so be sure to subscribe to my newsletter if you are interested in that.
For now, I will finish with a photo of the machine as I received it. It’s a big computer!
