Inside a Classic: The TRS-80 Model 100

Instant-on, with a comfortable keyboard and 20 hours of battery life: Little wonder this Radio Shack model is one of the most popular portables of all time. We offer a look at the guts of this featherweight champion.

Benj Edwards, PC World

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Released in 1983, the TRS-80 Model 100 quickly became a favorite of journalists who enjoyed its long battery life (20 hours on four alkaline AAs), its excellent full-stroke keyboard, and its internal 300 baud modem, which allowed them to send in reports from the field.

Notice the keyboard wear from years of a user's thumb hitting the space bar. Most Model 100's you'll encounter sport this kind of wear -- they were so useful that people didn't want to let them go.