[Coco] Old Coco Info

[KnudsenMJ at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/5/04 10:36:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
smostrom at mn.rr.com writes:

> "LATEST RUMORS: Designers of Radio Shack's successor to the TRS-80 Model 
>  I have changed their minds and will employ Microsoft for writing the 
>  BASIC interpreter and operating system.  Motorola also made a bid to do 
>  this development; however, Microsoft ended up with the contract.  Radio 
>  Shack had been planning to call the unit the "TRS-90", but the firm is 
>  now leaning toward "TRS-80/Color".  -- March 1980, pg. 108, BYTE

Sorry if it's common knowledge, but who/what did write the BASIC for the B&W 
TRS-80?  Wasn't that Microsoft too?

FWIW, much as I love Motorola, I think Microsoft was the better contractor to 
write a BASIC.  OTOH, neither would I want a car radio or walkie-talkie built 
by Microsoft :-)

I'd also heard that the Coco was almost called the TRS-90, but Tandy was 
afraid it would sound like  a "better" model and hurt TRS-80 sales.  And the 
"Trash-80" really was better for text apps.  --Mike K.