Tandy 1000 EX Personal Computer (1986)

Tandy 1000 EX 

The Tandy 1000 EX, introduced by RadioShack in December 1986, was a clever "all-in-one" redesign of the popular Tandy 1000, specifically engineered to capture the home and educational markets. By integrating the keyboard and a side-loading 5.25-inch floppy drive into a single compact chassis, Tandy created a machine that directly challenged the Apple IIc and the IBM PCjr. Under the hood, it featured an Intel 8088 CPU running at a "Turbo" speed of 7.16 MHz—nearly 50% faster than the original IBM PC—while maintaining full compatibility with the enhanced "Tandy Graphics" (16 colors) and 3-voice sound that made the series a favorite for DOS gaming. However, its compact form factor meant it could not accept standard ISA expansion cards; instead, it utilized a proprietary "PLUS" bus, which required specialized, stackable expansion boards to reach its full 640 KB RAM potential. Despite this limitation and its notorious lack of a built-in DMA controller (which was often added via a memory upgrade), the 1000 EX was a massive success for RadioShack, praised for its affordability and its ability to turn any television or RGB monitor into a powerful 1980s multimedia workstation.

Donated by:  George F.