Tandy 102

The Tandy 102, released in 1983, was one of the first truly portable computers, weighing around 4 pounds and running on four AA batteries. It was a slimmer, lighter version of the Tandy 100, featuring a crisp LCD screen and built-in software for word processing, modem communications, and BASIC programming. Manufactured by Kyocera, the Tandy 102 shared its architecture with the Olivetti M10 and NEC PC-8201, making it part of a broader family of early portable computers. It was widely used by journalists and field professionals due to its long battery life and reliable performance.

The Tandy 102 was powered by an 80C85 CMOS processor, offering efficient performance with minimal power consumption, allowing for up to 20 hours of operation on four AA batteries. It featured 24KB of RAM, expandable via external modules, and included a 300 baud modem, enabling basic telecommunications functions. The system also supported RS-232 serial communication, making it compatible with external peripherals and printers. The programs for the Tandy 102 were developed by Microsoft.