Tandy™ Colour Computer 3

The Color Computer 3 (CC3) came with 128K RAM, an analog RGB video port, enhanced 640x192 graphics capability, a 64-color palette and much more. (All ports contained on the CoCo 1 and 2 models were also available on the CoCo3, e.g. RS-232 serial, cassette, right and left joystick and a 40-pin expansion slot.)

The CoCo3 was upgradeable to 512 KB RAM. (After-market RAM upgrades have gone as high as 8MB, with rumors that 16MB and 32MB RAM upgrades may also be possible). A Multi-Pak (a 4-port bus expander) plugged into the Expansion Slot allowed use of controllers for floppy disk drives, hard drives (MFM, RLL, SCSI and now even IDE), multi-port true RS-232 devices, MIDI units and much much more.

As its microprocessor was still an 8 bit (strange choice when Atari and Commodore were using a 68000), it couldn't access simultaneously to the 128k (or 512k), and thus used several RAM banks which could be switched (as the Thomson TO8, or MSX 2 computers).
Unlike the CoCo and CoCo II the 3 had an interrupt controller. This did away with a lot of the timing loops used in its predecessors, and actually took some of the fun out of programming in Machine Language.

Here is a sample of the programming language used on the Colour Computer 3

             <br>

            10 REM This program says DFW Computers Repairs Ipswich is a local Ipswich mobile computer business in TANDY Extended color Basic<br>

            11 A$= "DFW Computers Repairs Ipswich is a local Ipswich mobile computer business"<br>

            12 B$= "Are You Sure You Want To Quit (1=yes/ 2=no)?"<br>

            20 On BRK goto 4000<br>

            30 CLS80<br>

            40 goto 50<br>

            50 REM Hi Again from DFW Computer repairs Ipswich<br>

            60 gosub 3000: goto100<br>

            100 ford=1 to 100: Next D<br>

            110 For a = 1 to 1000000<br>

            200 print A$<br>

            210 next A<br>

            2000 goto 4000<br>

            3000 return<br>

            4000 Print B$: Input c<br>

            4010 If C=1 then 4020 else 100<br>

            4020 ENDd             <br>

Tandy™ Colour Computer 3 Specifications:

NAME	Color Computer 3
MANUFACTURER&nbsp;	Tandy Radio Shack
TYPE	Home Computer
ORIGIN	U.S.A.
YEAR	1986
END OF PRODUCTION	1992
BUILT IN LANGUAGE	Tandy Extended Color Basic
KEYBOARD	Full-stroke keyboard
CPU	Motorola 68b09e (uses an external clock generator)
SPEED	2 MHz (0.89mhz under RS-DOS for compatability with FD expansion unit)
RAM	128 KB (up to 512 KB. There were 1MB and 2MB upgrade boards as well)
ROM	32 KB
TEXT MODES	32x16, 40x25, 80x25
GRAPHIC MODES	Several graphic modes, the most interesting were: 320x200 (16 col.), 640x200 (4 col.), 640x400 (4 col. if 512 KB RAM)
COLORS	64
SOUND	See comment below
SIZE / WEIGHT	Unknown
I/O PORTS	Tape, Composite Video, analog RGB connector for use with Tandy CM-8 monitor, 2 joystick ports, cartridge slot, RS232
OS	with optional disk drive : RS-DOS, OS-9 Level 2 was also popular
POWER SUPPLY	Built-in PSU
PRICE	Unknown

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