TRS-80 & Compatibles Tandy
TRS-80 Model 4P
trs_model4

TRS-80 Model 4

The TRS-80 Model 4 is the last z80-based home computer produced by Radio Shack. It was sold from 1984 through 1991.

The Model 4 was introduced as the successor to Model III. It came with a Z80A, running at 4 MHz, had a larger video display of 80 columns by 24 rows, and the memory could be upgraded to 128KByte. Model 4 was compatible with the Model 3 and could run Model III software as well as all CP/M software.

The TRS-80 Model 4 came in a few configurations:

  • Diskless, 16KB RAM for $999
  • Single sided 180K Disk Drive, 64KB RAM for $1699
  • Two 180K Disk Drives and 64KB RAM for $1999
Tandy also sold an upgrade package for Model III owners for $799. This provided a new motherboard and a new keyboard.

Model 4 shipped with TRSDOS 6, which is identical to Logical Systems LDOS 6.00. When the machine boots into TRSDOS, the video display switches to 80x24 mode and the entire 64KByte address space is mapped as RAM. Model 4 can run CP/M without any modification. Digital Research produced a version of CP/M 3.0 for the Model 4.

Displayed above is the TRS-80 Model 4P, this was a luggable version of the Model 4.

CPU - The Zilog Z80

The Z80 quickly became popular in the personal computer market, with many early personal computers, such as the TRS-80 and Sinclair ZX80, using the Z80 as their central processing unit (CPU). It was also widely used in home computers, such as the MSX range, SORD, and the Amstrad CPC, as well as in many arcade games. Additionally, it was also used in other applications such as industrial control systems, and embedded systems. The Z80 was widely used until the mid-1980s, when it was gradually replaced by newer microprocessors such as the Intel 80286 and the Motorola 68000.

The Z80 microprocessor was developed by Zilog, a company founded by Federico Faggin in 1974. The Z80 was released in July 1976, as a successor to the Intel 8080. It was designed to be fully compatible with the 8080, but also included new features such as an improved instruction set, more powerful interrupts, and a more sophisticated memory management system.

Originally the Z80 was intended for use in embedded systems, just as the 8080 CPU. But the combination of compatibility, superior performance to other CPUs of the era, and the affordability led to a widespread use in arcade video game systems, and later in home computers such as the Osborne 1, TRS-80, ColecoVision, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Sega's Master System and many more. The Z-80 ran the original Pac-Man arcade cabinet. The Z-80 was used even in the Game Gear (1990s), and the TI-81 and succeeding graphic calculators.

The Z-80 remained in production until June of 2024, 48 years after its original release. Zilog replaced the processor with its successor the eZ80, an 8-bit microprocessor that features expanded memory addressing up to 16 megabytes, and running up to 50MHz, comparable to a Z80 clocked at 150MHz.

Technical Details
Released 1983
Country United States
Brand Tandy Radio Shack
Type TRS-80 & Compatibles Tandy
Name TRS-80 Model 4P
CPU Class Z80
CPU Zilog Z80A @3.58MHz OR, Zilog Z80B/H @6MHz
Memory RAM: 64kB
RAM max: 640kB
Sound Chip none
Sound Beeper
Display 40x24, 80x24 text, 640x240 optional graphics
Best Text 80x24
Best Color none
Graphics 640x240 (optional)
Sprites none
System OS TRS-DOS
Original Price $1999
External Links 🌐
TRS-80 Model 4
Wikipage for the TRS-80 Model 4
TRS-80 Model 4
Wikipedia page for the TRS-80 Model 4, 4P and 4D
Wikipedia: TRS-DOS
TRSDOS stands for Tandy Radio Shack Disk Operating System, the OS for teh Tandy TRS-80 line of 8-bit Z80 based computers
Z80 CPU
Wikipedia page on the very popular Z80 8-bit CPU used in many computers of the 1980's era.