There are a number of company names, that immediately light up the inner retro-80s-goodnes-candle. RadioShack is definitely one of them for many who lived in the US, UK, Australia, Canada or Mexico back in the days. The electronics retailer was founded in the golden 20s of the last century, lasted for a very long time and eventually went bankrupt in 2015.

For someone interested in electronics, entering a RadioShack store was like Christmas and Easter happening the very same day. And in 1977 - only two years after the Altair 8800 - RadioShack sold a fully assembled 8-bit computer, when most microcomputers still had to be soldered together manually: the TRS-80.

In 1980 the TRS-80 Color Computer followed and even if the machines got nicknames like 'Trash-80' they were milestones, playing in the league of a Commodore VIC-20 or Sinclair ZX Spectrum.

Ned Utzig was around at the time. A few days ago he published an article regarding RadioShack, the TRS-80, overpriced 555-timers and the ingenious idea of a 'battery club' …

Ned’s substack is a goldmine. If you loved the RadioShack experience of the 80s, you will feel at home with his article. Enjoy.