[Coco] Did you know that...

[Frank Swygert]

I remember drooling over the RS catalogs, but not quite that far back! IIRC the CoCo was out when I started, so it was at least 203 years later. The first computer I really drooled over was the $49.95 Sinclair ZX-80 kit. That was even out of reach for me, but I do recall trying to talk my dad into getting me one! 

I had a couple old computer "buyers guide" type books, but could only scare up one, and it is from 1985. I also have a copy of "Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer" which should be required reading for anyone really interested in the history of computers. The book has an ad from Veit's computer store for the SWTPC 6800 with a price of $395 with 2K RAM, $125 for each additional 4K. That would be just over the $495 price that the 78 RS catalog has for a 4K machine. I'd think a 4K board in place of a 2K would be about 2/3 the price of a 4K board (not half), so that puts RS at $15-20 over Veit's price, which isn't bad (roughly 5% higher at RS). The other pages are too small to read the prices and text (except for complete systems), or not covered in Veit's book. 

Interestingly, Stan Veit was consulted by Charles Tandy himself on selling personal computers. Veit's store was the first successful computer store in NYC, and Tandy wanted to visit a successful computer store. Ben Rosen from Morgan Stanley Investments called Veit and arranged the meeting. Tandy invited Veit to come back to Texas with him for the weekend, and they went on the Tandy corporate jet. This was in the spring of 1977 (no other date mentioned). Tandy showed Veit the TRS-80 Model I prototype in the company of some of the other executives. Veit was impressed -- it was the first computer in a compact keyboard cabinet. The closest things to it at that time was the Sol and Apple II. The only downside was there was no room for expansion, and anyone who used a Model I much knows the ribbon cable to the expansion chassis was a problem area, but I digress. 

Well, Veit was even more impressed after hearing the details of the computer. Tandy asked him how much it would sell for in his store. Well, the Sol sold for $1400 with a video monitor. The TRS-80 was a lot simpler, and RS should be a bit cheaper due to volume, so he told Tandy is should sell for $900 retail. One of the Tandy execs told him they planned to sell it for $600, monitor included (was with all Model Is). Veit told them they'd better be ready to build "a hell of a lot of them" at that price. One of the Tandy execs asked him how many he thought would be enough. Veit told them about 50,000, and they told him he was "out of his mind", that no one had built more than 5,000 of any one model, and they were thinking 12,000. He told them they had 7,000 stores, and the wouldn't even provide each with one to show and one to sell. The Tandy execs didn't think all RS stores could sell computers. Veit told them that might be true, but this computer could change all that... and it did! The TRS-80 developers agreed with Stan, but the older RS execs were being way to conservative. When asked how many he thought he could sell from his store, he told them he'd start with 10 a week and build up to 40-50 a week. They didn't believe him. 

Tandy offered to buy Veit's store and hire him to train computer store managers. They couldn't agree on a price, so he turned it down. Tandy died a year later, and most of the people he brought in to develop the TRS-80 were gone shortly after. Tandy's assistant told Veit he'd have never made it in the new corporate environment, and left himself shortly after. Without Charles Tandy there was no room for anyone who didn't toe the corporate line, apparently. 

So the TRS-80 had just come out when that catalog was printed, and Tandy obviously started selling computers before the TRS-80 was developed. From the story Tandy didn't think much of the computer makers at the time, saying they were disorganized and not very professional -- mostly hobbyists (which was true). So he obviously had dealings with them, most likely in getting equipment to sell through RS early on. Once the TRS-80 took off RS didn't need the others. 

This is just ONE of the more interesting stories in that book. I may have got rid of those older computer buyer guides, but I'd never part with my copy of this book! Lucky for you guys, much of the text of the book is on-line at http://www.pc-history.org/ (includes the Tandy section). Don't look for it on Amazon. Apparently my paperback copy is worth close to $200 used, and would be worth $1000 if hard cover. Only one copy available at those prices!! The cover price is $19.95 plus shipping... and I think I got a slight discount when I ordered shortly after it came out. 

Stan Veit himself is on the computer history forum at Computer Shopper. Looks interesting! http://forums.computershopper.com/forumdisplay.php?f=31.

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Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:27:14 -0500
From: Christian Lesage <hyperfrog at gmail.com>

Long before the PC era, Tandy once sold computers made by other 
manufacturers, like the IMSAI 8080, the Vector-1, the SWTPC 6800, and 
the Sol-20.

If you doubt it, take a look at this 1978 catalog : 
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/Tandy_TOC_Frames_Page.htm

This is a strange catalog, indeed. I never heard of it before. Note that 
most of the third-party computers cost quite a bit more than Tandy's own 
TRS-80 Model I, which was featured on the very last page and the back 
cover. Marketing strategy? Were they really interested in selling those 
third-party computers?

Did you buy any of these from Tandy? Tell us about your memories!

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)