Hackaday · Creativity & design

1983 TRS-80 12 MB External Hard Drive Explored

A 12 MB external hard drive for the Radio Shack TRS-80, released in 1983, is examined, highlighting its cost and internal components.

The drive, costing $3,495 in 1983 (equivalent to $11,932 in 2026 USD), utilized a Tandon TM-603 full-height 5.25″ HDD.

Due to the lack of a functional TRS-80, the examination was limited to powering up and opening the unit. The drive is slated for donation to a computer museum.

It connects to the TRS-80 via a ribbon cable and features its own 60-watt power supply. A Signetics 8X300 microprocessor serves as the controller's central processing unit.

Despite its age, the drive's interior appears new. Powering it on produced a loud, rusty noise, suggesting potential issues with the power supply's Rifa capacitors.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.