The LNW-80, released in 1982, is the first computer built by LNW Research. The computer is 100% compatible with the Tandy TRS-80

TRS-80

TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...

 Model 1, but has some hardware enhancements. Most notable are the high-resolution color graphics, which could also be used for a 80×24 screen, with a special software driver (TRS-80 is 64×16, while 80×24 is the screen size most CP/M software needed). Other enhancements were high processor speed (4 MHz), color support, and optionally, CP/M

CP/M

CP/M was a mass-market operating system created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc...

 support. The LNW-80 was also sold as a kit

Electronic kits

An electronic kit is a package of electrical components used to build an electronic device. Generally, kits are composed of electronic components, a circuit diagram , assembly instructions and often a printed circuit board or another type of prototyping board.There are 2 distinct types of kit,...

.

The LNW supported four screen modes:

• Mode 0 is the default TRS-80 screen with 64×16 characters, and 128×48 semi graphics.
• Mode 1 is 480×192 monochrome.
• Mode 2 uses high res graphics memory to colorize the mode 0 graphics. This results in 128×48 dots with 8 colors per dot. This mode could be used to 'colorize' the standard TRS-80 games when loaded with special software.
• Mode 3 uses low res character memory to colorize the high res pixels. This results in 384×192 pixels on 128×48 color fields. Per color field a foreground and background color is selected from the basic 8 colors. The colors are white, green, yellow, red, magenta, blue, blue-green and black.

Company history

LNW started by making third party extensions for the Tandy TRS-80 model 1 market. They started in 1979 or 1980 with a System Extension, a D.I.Y. kit replacement of the Tandy Expansion Interface. The LNW80 appeared at the end of 1980. Later came the LNDoubler, a high quality double density adapter in 1981. 1983 saw the LNW II, an upgrade of the LNW80 capable of running CP/M and the LNW Team, which included an Intel 8088 board for MS-DOS compatibility. The company folded due to bankruptcy in 1984.

External links

• LNW80 Main Page, Galaxy of Features