I have the main unit.
type portable computer
country USA
year 1983
os Microsoft basic
cpu Intel 80c85
speed 3 MHz
ram 8 KB
rom 32 KB
graphic 240×64 full-Dot matrix
colors mono
sound beeper
ports Centronics, tape, bar code, RS232, phone, system bus
The TRS-80 Model 100 — Bill Gates’s Last Personal Code
Released in 1983, the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100 was one of the most beloved portable computers ever made — a genuine laptop with a full-size keyboard, built-in LCD display, and 20-hour battery life from four AA batteries that made it the tool of choice for journalists, writers, and field professionals throughout the 1980s. The Model 100 holds a unique place in computing history as the last computer for which Bill Gates personally wrote significant code — the built-in Microsoft BASIC and text editor were programmed by Gates himself, and he has described it as one of his favourite personal projects.
Bill Gates’s Personal Project
Microsoft wrote the Model 100’s ROM-based software — including BASIC, a text editor, a terminal program, and an address book — and Gates personally coded significant portions of it. In interviews, Gates has recalled the Model 100 with particular fondness, describing it as one of the last projects where he was directly involved in writing production code rather than managing others who wrote it. The software was so efficiently written that it fit in 32 KB of ROM while providing a genuinely useful suite of applications.
The Journalist’s Computer
The Model 100 became the standard tool for field journalists throughout the 1980s. Its combination of a full-size keyboard (unusual for a portable of its size), instant-on capability (no boot time — press a key and it was ready), 20-hour battery life, and built-in modem for filing stories made it the ideal companion for reporters covering events in the field. The Associated Press, Reuters, and most major news organisations’ field reporters used Model 100s throughout the decade. The machine is still used by some journalists today, decades after its discontinuation.