| Sharp PC-1211 | |
| Manufacturer: | Sharp Corporation |
| Generation: | First |
| Power: | four MR44 1.35 V Mercury button cells |
| Cpu: | SC43177/SC43178 processors at 256 kHz |
| Memory: | three TC5514P 4 Kbit RAM modules |
| Display: | 24 digit dot matrix LCD |
| Input: | Full QWERTY-style keyboard |
| Successor: | Sharp PC-5000 |
| Related: | Sharp PC-1500 Sharp PC-1251 |
The Sharp PC-1211 is the first pocket computer ever released, marketed by Sharp Corporation in March 1980.[1] [2] The computer was powered by two 4-bit CPUs laid out in power-saving CMOS circuitry. One acted as the main CPU, the other dealt with the input/output and display interface. Users could write computer programs in BASIC.
A badge-engineered version of the PC-1211, the TRS-80 Pocket Computer (model PC-1), was marketed by Radio Shack in July 1980 as the first iteration of the TRS-80 Pocket Computer with just a marginally different look (outer plastic parts in black, not brown, gray display frame)
A badge-engineered version of the Sharp PC-1211 was marketed by Radio Shack as the original TRS-80 Pocket Computer. This was later referred to as the "PC-1" to differentiate it from subsequent entries (PC-2 onwards) in the TRS-80 Pocket Computer line.[3]
Introduced in July 1980, the "PC-1" measured 175 × 70 × 15 mm and weighed 170 g, and had a one-line, 24-character alphanumeric LCD.[4] [5]
The TRS-80 Pocket Computer was programmable in BASIC, with a capacity of 1424 "program steps". This memory was shared with variable storage of up to 178 locations, in addition to the 26 fixed locations named A through Z. The implementation was based on Palo Alto Tiny BASIC.
Programs and data could be stored on a Compact Cassette through an optional external cassette tape interface unit. A printer/cassette interface was available, which used an ink ribbon on plain paper.