The Tandy 1000 - The best MS-DOS computer in 1984.

Thank you for the trip down memory lane. I was the mechanical engineering manager/ head mechanical design engineer for Tandy Computers in Fort Worth, TX for 10 years (1983-93), from the Tandy 2000 until the division was sold to AST. The Tandy 1000 was my first design there and I am especially proud of the plastic case design that was one piece and attached by 2 FRONT screws. The injection mold for it was a work of art. The sprue was in the middle of the top. As time went on, EMI/RFI became more of an issue and we had to switch to metal cases but to eliminate paint cost and the risk of damage we pioneered the use of vinyl-metal laminates for computer cases. All our sheet metal parts were made in custom progressive dies, raw material off a roll in one end and finished parts out the other end. No secondary operations. This was the most satisfying job I had in my working life, high tech, cutting edge, fast paced, popular consumer products that I could see in any Radio Shack in the country. Not only that but I worked with some of the best people I've ever worked with. Hard to imagine that was 36 years ago near the beginning of my career.

I'm so lucky my dad bought a Tandy 1000 because it was cheap.... But a better kid's computer than the business alternatives. So fun!

These computers put me through college. At 6.25% commission, selling 5 or 6 of these a week with associated peripherals (that $1000 computer became $1600 pretty easily), and suddenly college was an option.

My first job was in the back room of a Radio Shack. I used to build up the 1000 systems when they were purchased. You had to add the hard drive and/or modem, format the hard drive, and install all the software. it was an interesting job.

Tandy was always a mystery to me as a kid. I would see Tandy options when you started a dos game but I had no idea what it was.

I actually paid my college tuition in 1985-89 with this computer typing papers for other students. It's amazing to consider this, but you could pay for your own college with a part-time job, summer job, or doing gigs as I did, typing papers back then.

I really love this video. It's eerie how the ads and catalog pages and shots of the Tandy 1000 you show take me back to that time, when my life was a lot more fun and exciting and filled with promise than it is today. I left a comment a year ago how the Tandy 1000 was the dream machine I never had, and each time I watch this I get the same bittersweet feeling about the one that got away. Boy, do I miss the days when computers were fun.

I remember looking for a dos game and then getting so excited when I would see "Tandy 16 color" support. SCORE! I wish I kept my tandy 1000.

When the 1000 was released, I was working at a Radio Shack Computer Center in Atlanta. I remember we would get truckloads of T1000's and they would sell out in a couple of days, and they would be sold out until the following week, or we could transfer one or two in from another store. There was hardly any selling involved; they flew out the door like popcorn. I worked in more of a technical capacity, doing hardware upgrades (installing modems, etc) and writing demonstration software for the floor models, etc. The first Hard Drive we sold for the 1000 was 5MB. (Five megabytes. Not a typo!). Is that wild? But we loved it! Those were the days. Great video!

The 1996 8-Bit Guy AST employee pics alone earn this video a like!

Recently began collecting vintage computers and the Tandy 1000 SX was my first big find! Got it at a recycling plant near my college. Coolest part was that there were still sleeved 5.25" floppy disks labeled for CS courses matching the CRN's of my school! Crazy to think I might own a computer that helped a student like me through his/her degree over 30 years down the line...

Our families first computer was a Tandy 1000. We used it all the way to 1995, when our neighbor built us a new “multi-media” PC with Windows 95. All of my elementary school and middle school papers were written on it and printed on the Tandy dot matrix printer. My brother still has that Tandy and still uses it for old DOS games.

I love that all the computers in your collection look brand new. It really helps bring me into the time period! :)

We’ve had tons of great 8 bit guy videos in 2018. Here’s to an even better 2019. Also super excited for planet x3.

The MC10 was my first computer. My uncle bought it for me and got me hooked. My uncle later went to work for Tandy and he sourced components to build me a Tandy 1000 when I was 8. We couldn't get a case so he made me one out of melamine. I loved that computer! Thanks for doing this documentary.

This was my 2nd computer. I had a Texas Instruments TI994a with a speech synthesizer. My Tandy had a cassette drive. I would program basic and even went online waaayy back then on channel one and another site I can't quite remember. But it was legit the first social media.m

Nice! Never even seen a Tandy machine. My only experience is with the Tandy sound option in DOSBox to get the richer 3 voices in Space Quest :D

Yours are among the best computer documentaries out there. Well done.

My first computer ever and the beginning of my fascination with computers was the Tandy 1000EX. Loved that computer and I, or should say my parents, bought me all the add ons that were available for it. Playing Space Quest on it was a blast, obviously nothing compared to today's games but back then it was great. Buying and using my first modem and finding out about pirate BBS boards was great but downloading something while someone picks up the phone wasn't a fun time. Loved this video as it brought back so many memories..

Although it was pretty quickly passed on the fast moving market of the 80s, the Tandy 1000 was exactly what the PC Jr should have been, in terms of capability, compatibility, and cost.