<Well, as it happens I don't know whether Radio Shack ever took to
<manufacturing all Model 1 TRS-80s with numeric keypads after some
<date, or whether the numeric keypad was included with the Level II
<BASIC upgrade (don't think so, at least not always), or whether it was
<available without a Level II BASIC upgrade. So I'd have been
<surprised by that keypad too, but for all I know it could have come
<from the factory like that or been upgraded by its original owner, who
<wanted to do lots of numeric data entry on a Level I BASIC system.
Trs-80s early were level-1 basic and 4k ram. Later the ram, LII basic,
and even the numeric keypad were offered as options or as factory models
(often upgraded in the store!). Later ones had the keypad as standard
and 16k as well becuase the 4k rams were actually getting scarce and the
demand was for 16k. At any given point in the model one life where are
variations in configurations such as three different circuit cards,
at least three different keyboards and 5 different rom combinations!
Also LII basic was not required to use either the keypad nor the 16k ram.
For example L1 basic was either a two rom(or eprom) set or a single
rom(eprom). The LII basic was initally a three roms set (eprom) on a
seperate pigtail card but later ones used a two rom set that plugged into
the base board with out the pigtail set. Also both basics were released
using different vendors roms(erproms) that in some cases required a
different dip header config or wire jumpers to use them.
Even I who worked for tandy on the program was surpriced when I got a
LII machine with a single peice extended keyboard (keyboard and numeric
in one unit) that was apparently of late manufacture. It was however
legit factory. Actually a rather pleasent surprize!
Allison
Received on Sat Apr 11 1998 - 17:59:23 BST