CCR-81 (26-1208) - Revision history

Carney: /* Portable */

2025-08-23T02:27:52Z

Portable

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:27, 22 August 2025
Line 14:		Line 14:
	====Portable====		====Portable====
	As was also typical of the era's cassette recorders, the CCR-81 was additionally capable of portable use, having an internal bay for four "C"-sized batteries and a slide-out handle enabling it to be carried more easily. When Radio Shack introduced the Model 100 laptop, it intended owners to use the already-existing CCR-81 with it, showing the 100 and the CCR-81 together in advertisements and even releasing a briefcase specifically designed to have room for both the Model 100 and the CCR-81.		As was also typical of the era's cassette recorders, the CCR-81 was additionally capable of portable use, having an internal bay for four "C"-sized batteries and a slide-out handle enabling it to be carried more easily. When Radio Shack introduced the Model 100 laptop, it intended owners to use the already-existing CCR-81 with it, showing the 100 and the CCR-81 together in advertisements and even releasing a briefcase specifically designed to have room for both the Model 100 and the CCR-81.
	However, the CCR-81's size, and especially its weight when loaded with four size C batteries, likely caused complaints by Model 11 owners, because Tandy soon introduced the much smaller [[CCR-82]], which used much lighter AA batteries and, while having an AC adapter port, did not come bundled with an AC cable. However, the CCR-81 outlived the CCR-82, continuing in production after the CCR-82 was discontinued. Non-laptop users likely preferred the 81's bigger, easier-to-use buttons, and the 82 has acquired a reputation as less reliable, frequently needing a belt drive change.		However, the CCR-81's size, and especially its weight when loaded with four size C batteries, likely caused complaints by Model 100 owners, because Tandy soon introduced the much smaller [[CCR-82]], which used much lighter AA batteries and, while having an AC adapter port, did not come bundled with an AC cable. However, the CCR-81 outlived the CCR-82, continuing in production after the CCR-82 was discontinued. Non-laptop users likely preferred the 81's bigger, easier-to-use buttons, and the 82 has acquired a reputation as less reliable, frequently needing a belt drive change.

	==The Role of Tape Drive in the CoCo Market==		==The Role of Tape Drive in the CoCo Market==

Carney at 22:20, 22 September 2024

2024-09-22T22:20:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:20, 22 September 2024
Line 14:		Line 14:
	====Portable====		====Portable====
	As was also typical of the era's cassette recorders, the CCR-81 was additionally capable of portable use, having an internal bay for four "C"-sized batteries and a slide-out handle enabling it to be carried more easily. When Radio Shack introduced the Model 100 laptop, it intended owners to use the already-existing CCR-81 with it, showing the 100 and the CCR-81 together in advertisements and even releasing a briefcase specifically designed to have room for both the Model 100 and the CCR-81.		As was also typical of the era's cassette recorders, the CCR-81 was additionally capable of portable use, having an internal bay for four "C"-sized batteries and a slide-out handle enabling it to be carried more easily. When Radio Shack introduced the Model 100 laptop, it intended owners to use the already-existing CCR-81 with it, showing the 100 and the CCR-81 together in advertisements and even releasing a briefcase specifically designed to have room for both the Model 100 and the CCR-81.
	However, the CCR-81's size, and especially its weight when loaded with four size C batteries, likely caused complaints by Model 11 owners, because Tandy soon introduced the much smaller [[CCR-82]], which used much lighter AA batteries and, while having an AC adapter port, did not come bundled with an AC cable. However, the CCR-81 outlived the CCR-82, continuing in production after the CCR-82 was discontinued. Non-laptop users likely preferred the 81's bigger, easier-to-use buttons, and		However, the CCR-81's size, and especially its weight when loaded with four size C batteries, likely caused complaints by Model 11 owners, because Tandy soon introduced the much smaller [[CCR-82]], which used much lighter AA batteries and, while having an AC adapter port, did not come bundled with an AC cable. However, the CCR-81 outlived the CCR-82, continuing in production after the CCR-82 was discontinued. Non-laptop users likely preferred the 81's bigger, easier-to-use buttons, and the 82 has acquired a reputation as less reliable, frequently needing a belt drive change.

	==The Role of Tape Drive in the CoCo Market==		==The Role of Tape Drive in the CoCo Market==

	At first, Radio Shack preferred to release CoCo software in its proprietary [[Program Pak]] cartridge-based system, using the tape format only rarely by comparison, and even then often merely to enable cartridge programs to load and save data. But third-party developers embraced tape as a standard software format from the start, only rarely using cartridges and usually only as hardware expansions or ~~drivers~~ for disk drives.		At first, Radio Shack preferred to release CoCo software in its proprietary [[Program Pak]] cartridge-based system, using the tape format only rarely by comparison, and even then often merely to enable cartridge programs to load and save data. But third-party developers embraced tape as a standard software format from the start, only rarely using cartridges and usually only as hardware expansions or controllers for disk drives.

	Later, Radio Shack released CoCo programs on tape more often, especially educational titles, ports of TRS-80 text adventures that were only on tape. In fact, sometimes TRS-80 games that were available on both tape and disk (such as the authorized ports of the games [[Zaxxon]] and [[Pooyan]]) were only given tape versions when ported to the CoCo.		Later, Radio Shack released CoCo programs on tape more often, especially educational titles [[20,000 Leagues Under the Sea]], and ports of TRS-80 text adventures that were only on tape ([[Pyramid]], [[Bedlam]], etc.) In fact, sometimes TRS-80 games that were available on both tape and disk (such as the authorized ports of the games [[Zaxxon]] and [[Pooyan]]) were only given tape versions when ported to the CoCo.

	~~and with~~ the introduction of disk drives, Radio Shack would release more sophisticated versions of standard Radio Shack software titles such as [[SCRIPSIT]] ~~and~~ [[Spectaculator]] ''only'' on disk, bypassing tape altogether~~. By contrast, sometimes Radio Shack only released a CoCo title on tape, rather than on both tape and disk as it did for the Model I/III/4,~~		With the introduction of disk drives, Radio Shack would release more sophisticated versions of standard Radio Shack software titles such as [[SCRIPSIT]], [[Spectaculator]], or [[Color LOGO]] ''only'' on disk, bypassing tape altogether.
	~~Usually the price for a program was the same whether on tape or disk, but the cost of the drive hardware was much higher for a disk drive~~.

			Usually, for ''programs'' released on both tape and disk, the price was the same whether on tape or disk, or at most only a little higher for the disk version, but the cost of the ''drive hardware'' was much higher for a disk drive. In the European market which had less discretionary income per capita, CoCo users stuck overwhelmingly with tape drive, while use of the disk drive was much more prevalent in the US. This situation also occured on competing platforms such as the Atari 8-bit line and the Commodore 64.

	==External Links==		==External Links==
	*From the [[Color Computer Archive]]: [https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Manuals/Hardware/CCR-81%20Manual%20(Tandy).pdf User Manual]		*From the [[Color Computer Archive]]: [https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Manuals/Hardware/CCR-81%20Manual%20(Tandy).pdf User Manual]
	*From the [[Color Computer Archive]]: [https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Manuals/Hardware/CCR-81%20Service%20Manual%20(Tandy).pdf Service Manual]		*From the [[Color Computer Archive]]: [https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Documents/Manuals/Hardware/CCR-81%20Service%20Manual%20(Tandy).pdf Service Manual]

Carney at 22:05, 22 September 2024

2024-09-22T22:05:48Z

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 The '''TRS-80 CCR-81''' was a cassette player and recorder from Radio Shack.  The "CCR" in the name stood for Computer Cassette Recorder.  While a fully functioning audiocassette player and recorder, the CCR-81 was also a computer data input/output device.
-Radio Shack produced few software titles on tape, preferring its proprietary [[Program Pak]] cartridge-based system, but a wide variety of third-party developers released software on tape as a standard format.  Usually the price for a program was the same whether on tape or disk, but the cost of the drive hardware was much higher for a disk drive.
+==Design==
-Like many tape recorders of the day, the CCR-81 was a full-sized desktop model, with a large speaker, intended to permit multiple users around a table, such as participants in a business meeting, to hear the sound.  It was followed up by the much smaller [[CCR-82]].
+===Color Scheme and Branding===

Luis46coco: moved CCR-81 to CCR-81 (26-1208): More details

2012-09-10T08:58:38Z

moved CCR-81 to CCR-81 (26-1208): More details

← Older revision	Revision as of 04:58, 10 September 2012
(No difference)

Luis46coco at 08:58, 10 September 2012

2012-09-10T08:58:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:58, 10 September 2012
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{NavHardware}}		{{NavHardware}}
			[[File:Radio Shack TRS-80 Cassette Recorder CCR-81 (26-1208).jpg\|thumb\|Radio Shack TRS-80 Cassette Recorder CCR-81 (26-1208)]]
	The '''TRS-80 CCR-81''' was a cassette player and recorder from Radio Shack. The "CCR" in the name stood for Computer Cassette Recorder. While a fully functioning audiocassette player and recorder, the CCR-81 was also a computer data input/output device.		The '''TRS-80 CCR-81''' was a cassette player and recorder from Radio Shack. The "CCR" in the name stood for Computer Cassette Recorder. While a fully functioning audiocassette player and recorder, the CCR-81 was also a computer data input/output device.

AllenHuffman at 04:56, 7 February 2007

2007-02-07T04:56:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:56, 7 February 2007
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{NavHardware}}
	The '''TRS-80 CCR-81''' was a cassette player and recorder from Radio Shack. The "CCR" in the name stood for Computer Cassette Recorder. While a fully functioning audiocassette player and recorder, the CCR-81 was also a computer data input/output device.		The '''TRS-80 CCR-81''' was a cassette player and recorder from Radio Shack. The "CCR" in the name stood for Computer Cassette Recorder. While a fully functioning audiocassette player and recorder, the CCR-81 was also a computer data input/output device.

LeoO at 17:26, 26 June 2006

2006-06-26T17:26:12Z

New page

The '''TRS-80 CCR-81''' was a cassette player and recorder from Radio Shack. The "CCR" in the name stood for Computer Cassette Recorder. While a fully functioning audiocassette player and recorder, the CCR-81 was also a computer data input/output device.

Radio Shack produced few software titles on tape, preferring its proprietary [[Program Pak]] cartridge-based system, but a wide variety of third-party developers released software on tape as a standard format. Usually the price for a program was the same whether on tape or disk, but the cost of the drive hardware was much higher for a disk drive.

Like many tape recorders of the day, the CCR-81 was a full-sized desktop model, with a large speaker, intended to permit multiple users around a table, such as participants in a business meeting, to hear the sound. It was followed up by the much smaller [[CCR-82]].