Competing machines such as the Apple II, Commodore VIC-20, the Commodore 64, the Atari 400, and the Atari 800 were designed around a combination of the much cheaper MOS 6502, itself essentially an enhanced clone of the Motorola 6800. The Motorola 6809E was a very advanced processor, but was correspondingly more expensive than other more popular microprocessors. While the model was eventually eclipsed by the onset of the IBM PC clones, enthusiasts have continued to affectionately tinker with the “CoCo” to the present day.ĭespite bearing the TRS-80 name, the “Color Computer” was a radical departure from earlier TRS-80 Models – in particular it had a Motorola 6809E processor, rather than the TRS-80’s Zilog Z80. It was one of the earliest of the first generation of computers marketed for home use in English-speaking markets.
The Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer (also marketed as the Tandy Color Computer and affectionately nicknamed CoCo) was a home computer launched in 1980.
