Model T - Revision history

B9: Link to source of quote

2026-04-03T01:41:57Z

Link to source of quote

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:41, 2 April 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\| NEC \|\| PC-8300 \|\| nec, 8201, n82		\| NEC \|\| PC-8300 \|\| nec, 8201, n82
	\| 100% compatible with PC-8201~~. Runs N82 BASIC~~.		\| 100% compatible with PC-8201.
	\|-		\|-
	\| Olivetti \|\| M10 \|\| ?		\| Olivetti \|\| M10 \|\| ?
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	Since the 1980s, aficionados of the TRS-80 Model 100 typically used the number “100” to name themselves — "M100SIG", "Portable 100", "Club 100", "Web100", and of course, "Bitchin 100" — and the other, less popular computers got lumped in under the same term by default.		Since the 1980s, aficionados of the TRS-80 Model 100 typically used the number “100” to name themselves — "M100SIG", "Portable 100", "Club 100", "Web100", and of course, "Bitchin 100" — and the other, less popular computers got lumped in under the same term by default.

	In the early 1990s, people began using the phrase "Model T" computers, this time explicitly including the whole family. Here is what Gene Wilburn said ~~about~~ the ~~term in 1991~~:		In the early 1990s, people began using the phrase "Model T" computers, this time explicitly including the whole family. Here is what [https://archive.org/details/P100-Magazine/1991-04/page/33/mode/1up Gene Wilburn] said at the time:

	<blockquote cite="https://archive.org/details/P100-Magazine/1991-04/page/33/mode/1up">Michael Daigle has dubbed the M100 the “Model T," evoking images of that venerable earlier technology that likewise had a profound impact on our lives. Thanks, Michael. I’m going to borrow your delightful coinage to cover the Tandy 100/102, its younger, heftier brother, the Tandy 200, as well as its cousins, the NEC 8201/8300, Kyocera KC-85, and Olivetti M10.</blockquote>		<blockquote><font face="serif">
			<blockquote cite="https://archive.org/details/P100-Magazine/1991-04/page/33/mode/1up">''Michael Daigle has dubbed the M100 the “Model T,” evoking images of that venerable earlier technology that likewise had a profound impact on our lives. Thanks, Michael. I’m going to borrow your delightful coinage to cover the Tandy 100/102, its younger, heftier brother, the Tandy 200, as well as its cousins, the NEC 8201/8300, Kyocera KC-85, and Olivetti M10.''</blockquote>
	:::—Gene Wilburn in '''Model T Joyride'''		:::—Gene Wilburn in '''Model T Joyride'''
	:::''Portable 100 Magazine'', April 1991		:::''Portable 100 Magazine'', April 1991
			</font></blockquote>

	=== Ambiguities ===		=== Ambiguities ===

	Occasionally, people use ~~"Model T"~~ to mean only the TRS-80/Tandy computers. To emphasize that one is speaking about ~~''all''~~ of ~~the~~ closely related computers, not just the Radio Shack variants, one ~~can~~ refer to their common DNA with the Kyocera Kyotronic-85. (~~For example~~, ''“Few programs can run on all of the Kyotronic sisters, but this one does.”'')		Occasionally, people use “Model T” to mean only the TRS-80/Tandy portable computers. To emphasize that one is speaking about the family of closely related computers, not just the Radio Shack variants, one could instead refer to their common DNA with the Kyocera Kyotronic-85. (As in, ''“Few programs can run on all of the Kyotronic sisters, but this one does.”'')

	Less commonly, some people use the phrase "Model T" to include computers which filled a similar niche, being portable computers from around the same era. For example:		Less commonly, some people use the phrase "Model T" to include computers which filled a similar niche, being portable computers from around the same era. For example:
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	\| Cambridge \|\| Z88 \|\|		\| Cambridge \|\| Z88 \|\|
			\|
	\|-		\|-
	\| NEC \|\| PC-8500 \|\|		\| NEC \|\| PC-8500 \|\|
			\|
	\|}		\|}

B9 at 19:22, 2 April 2026

2026-04-02T19:22:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:22, 2 April 2026
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	\| Kyocera \|\| Kyotronic-85 \|\| k85, kyo85, KC-85		\| Kyocera \|\| Kyotronic-85 \|\| k85, kyo85, KC-85
	\| Possibly the first of the Model T's.		\| Possibly the first of the Model T computers.
	\|-		\|-
	\| NEC \|\| PC-8201 / PC-8201A \|\| nec, 8201, n82		\| NEC \|\| PC-8201 / PC-8201A \|\| nec, 8201, n82
	\| "A" version is ~~English variant~~. Runs N82 BASIC.		\| "A" version is for export (non-Japanese). Runs N82 BASIC.
	\|-		\|-
	\| NEC \|\| PC-8300 \|\| nec, 8201, n82		\| NEC \|\| PC-8300 \|\| nec, 8201, n82

B9 at 19:19, 2 April 2026

2026-04-02T19:19:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:19, 2 April 2026
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	= What's a “Model T” Computer? =		= What's a “Model T” Computer? =

	“Model T” is an umbrella term which refers to a set of closely related portable computers released by different companies in the early 1980s. While the TRS-80 [[Model 100]] (aka "m100") is the most well-known of the family, it had "sisters" which were designed from the same template ~~but~~ with variations that made them unique and (usually) incompatible.		“Model T” is an umbrella term which refers to a set of closely related portable computers released by different companies in the early 1980s. While the TRS-80 [[Model 100]] (aka "m100") is the most well-known of the family, it had "sisters" which were designed from the same template with variations that made them unique and (usually) incompatible.


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	Occasionally, people use "Model T" to mean only the TRS-80/Tandy computers. To emphasize that one is speaking about ''all'' of the closely related computers, not just the Radio Shack variants, one can refer to their common DNA with the Kyocera Kyotronic-85. (For example, ''“Few programs can run on all of the Kyotronic sisters, but this one does.”'')		Occasionally, people use "Model T" to mean only the TRS-80/Tandy computers. To emphasize that one is speaking about ''all'' of the closely related computers, not just the Radio Shack variants, one can refer to their common DNA with the Kyocera Kyotronic-85. (For example, ''“Few programs can run on all of the Kyotronic sisters, but this one does.”'')

	~~Even less~~ commonly, some people use the phrase "Model T" to ~~also refer to cousins~~ which filled a similar niche, being portable computers from around the same era:		Less commonly, some people use the phrase "Model T" to include computers which filled a similar niche, being portable computers from around the same era. For example:

B9: /* History of the phrase */

2026-04-02T19:17:04Z

History of the phrase

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:17, 2 April 2026
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	=== History of the phrase ===		=== History of the phrase ===

	Since the 1980s, aficionados of the TRS-80 Model 100 typically used the number “100” to name themselves ~~(e.g.,~~ "M100SIG", "Portable 100", "Club 100", "Web100", and of course, "Bitchin 100"~~). The~~ other computers got lumped in under the same term by default.		Since the 1980s, aficionados of the TRS-80 Model 100 typically used the number “100” to name themselves — "M100SIG", "Portable 100", "Club 100", "Web100", and of course, "Bitchin 100" — and the other, less popular computers got lumped in under the same term by default.

	In the early 1990s, people began using the phrase "Model T" computers, this time explicitly including the whole family. Here is what Gene Wilburn said about the term in 1991:		In the early 1990s, people began using the phrase "Model T" computers, this time explicitly including the whole family. Here is what Gene Wilburn said about the term in 1991:

B9: Define the term

2026-04-02T18:58:05Z

Define the term

New page

= What's a “Model T” Computer? =

“Model T” is an umbrella term which refers to a set of closely related portable computers released by different companies in the early 1980s. While the TRS-80 [[Model 100]] (aka "m100") is the most well-known of the family, it had "sisters" which were designed from the same template but with variations that made them unique and (usually) incompatible.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+ Model T Computers
|-
! Brand !! Model !! Nicknames !! Notes
|-
| TRS-80 || Model 100 || m100
| Sold by Radio Shack. Most well-known.
|-
| Tandy || 200 || t200, m200
| Larger screen, clamshell case.
|-
| Tandy || 102 || t102, m102, Model 100/102
| Nearly 100% compatible with m100.
|-
| Kyocera || Kyotronic-85 || k85, kyo85, KC-85
| Possibly the first of the Model T's.
|-
| NEC || PC-8201 / PC-8201A || nec, 8201, n82
| "A" version is English variant. Runs N82 BASIC.
|-
| NEC || PC-8300 || nec, 8201, n82
| 100% compatible with PC-8201. Runs N82 BASIC.
|-
| Olivetti || M10 || ?
| Stylish.
|}

=== History of the phrase ===

Since the 1980s, aficionados of the TRS-80 Model 100 typically used the number “100” to name themselves (e.g., "M100SIG", "Portable 100", "Club 100", "Web100", and of course, "Bitchin 100"). The other computers got lumped in under the same term by default.

In the early 1990s, people began using the phrase "Model T" computers, this time explicitly including the whole family. Here is what Gene Wilburn said about the term in 1991:

<blockquote cite="https://archive.org/details/P100-Magazine/1991-04/page/33/mode/1up">Michael Daigle has dubbed the M100 the “Model T," evoking images of that venerable earlier technology that likewise had a profound impact on our lives. Thanks, Michael. I’m going to borrow your delightful coinage to cover the Tandy 100/102, its younger, heftier brother, the Tandy 200, as well as its cousins, the NEC 8201/8300, Kyocera KC-85, and Olivetti M10.</blockquote>
:::—Gene Wilburn in '''Model T Joyride'''
:::''Portable 100 Magazine'', April 1991

=== Ambiguities ===

Occasionally, people use "Model T" to mean only the TRS-80/Tandy computers. To emphasize that one is speaking about ''all'' of the closely related computers, not just the Radio Shack variants, one can refer to their common DNA with the Kyocera Kyotronic-85. (For example, ''“Few programs can run on all of the Kyotronic sisters, but this one does.”'')

Even less commonly, some people use the phrase "Model T" to also refer to cousins which filled a similar niche, being portable computers from around the same era:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto"
|+ Cousins of the Model T
|-
! Brand !! Model !! Nicknames !! Notes
|-
| Tandy || 600 || T600
| Larger screen, clamshell case.
|-
| Tandy || WP-2 || WP2
| Portable word processor.
|-
| Cambridge || Z88 ||
|-
| NEC || PC-8500 ||
|}