Back to index

Info for mc10


====== Tandy Radio Shack MC-10 (1983) ======




===== Features =====

* CPU: Motorola 6803 (6800 compatible) 0.89 MHz
* Co-Processor: MC-6847 Video Generator
* RAM: 4 kb (up to 20 kb), 3142 bytes left for user
* ROM: 8 kb (Microcolor Basic)
* Text Modes: 32 x 16
* Graphic Modes: With Basic : 64 x 32, 8 colors; With machine-code : up to 128 x 192, 2 colors; With machine-code and 16k expansion RAM : 256 x 192, 2 colors
* Colors: 9
* Sound: Beeper with variable pitch and duration
* I/O Ports: RGB DIN8 or RF jack (USA) video out, Expansion port, Tape (DIN6), Serial (DIN5), power IN
* Keyboard: QWERTY / AZERTY, Calculator style keyboard, 48 keys, Basic statements written above keys, SHIFT, CONTROL, ENTER, BREAK
* Peripherals: 16k RAM expansion, Printer
* Built In Language: Microcolor Basic 1.0 (Microsoft)



===== History and Trivia =====

The Tandy MC 10 (MC means Micro Color) was designed as an "initiation" computer to compete with the Timex Sinclair 1000, the american version of the Sinclair ZX-81. It was more expensive than the Sinclair machine, but outpassed it in every category. It had sound, color, more memory and even a better keyboard.

In fact, the MC-10 is basically a cut down version of the Tandy "Coco" computers, but didn't have as much success as its big brothers.

It is fully compatible with the first version of the Matra Alice (a French computer). Actually both are the same computer (except for the case color, the Alice is red and the Tandy is white).

== Additional Info ==

(Info from Richard Vermeulen): The Tandy MC-10 micro color computer was not a commercial success. Tandy did not support this machine. In Basic you could only use 8 color and a graphic resolution of 64 x 32 dots. However, the MC-10 had much more capabilities: 2 color 256x192 graphics, 4 color 128 x 192 graphics and the sound-chip had synthesizer posibilities. If all these extra functions were mentioned in the manual, I bet that these machine would have sold much more.

//(info from old-computers.com)//



===== Links =====

* Inside MC-10 -- http://www.slowcomputing.org/ssouth/mc10/
* Mr. Wizard's MC-10 Page -- http://mymc10.tripod.com/
* The MC10 Archive -- http://users.bigpond.net.au/jagf/mc10.html
* MC-10 at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=163



===== Other Emulators =====

* Virtual MC-10 -- http://www.geocities.com/emucompboy/




Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009