TRS-80 Model I

The TRS-80 Model I (1977) rounded out the “1977 trinity” alongside the Apple II and Commodore PET, and had a distribution advantage neither of the others did: it was sold through thousands of existing RadioShack stores across the US, which made it, by some counts, the best-selling of the three in its first year. Its famously poor RF shielding meant a running Model I could interfere with a nearby TV or radio — earning it the affectionate nickname “Trash-80” — but that didn’t stop it from becoming a genuine mass-market success.

Reference photo: Wikimedia Commons (“Radioshack TRS80-IMG 7206.jpg” by Rama & Musée Bolo), CC BY-SA 2.0 FR. Shown with the optional Expansion Interface, not included on the base Model I.