The TRS-80 MC-10 Micro Color Computer was Radio Shack's compact, budget-friendly home computer of the early 1980s. It was a low-cost alternative to Tandy's own TRS-80 Color Computer to compete with entry-level machines such as the VIC-20 and Sinclair ZX81. This page serves as a central hub for MC-10 videos, hardware, software, accessories, documentation and upgrades, with more in the full archive.
"The biggest name in little computers." - Radio Shack (a division of the Tandy Corporation)
Explore the TRS-80 MC-10 Micro Color Computer, its accessories, software, programming environment, documentation, and related vintage computing projects featured in the Geek With Social Skills archive.
Last updated: August 6, 2026
This section features Geek With Social Skills videos covering the TRS-80 MC-10 Micro Color Computer, including hardware, software, upgrades, repairs, accessories, and related projects.
Upcoming videos in the pipeline:
This section will continue to grow as new videos and project pages are published.
The following external resources provide software, documentation, hardware projects, modern accessories, utilities, programming references, and other valuable information for the TRS-80 MC-10 Micro Color Computer.
The following external resources offer modern MC-10 hardware upgrades, accessories, and kits available for purchase.
The TRS-80 MC-10 uses the Motorola MC6847 Video Display Generator (VDG), providing a variety of text and graphics modes while supporting cassette storage, serial communication, television output, and memory expansion.
Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80 MC-10 Micro Color Computer in 1983 as a compact and affordable entry-level home computer.
The system included Micro Color BASIC in ROM and connected to a television for its display. Programs and data could be saved to cassette, while an optional 16K RAM Expansion Module increased the memory available for larger programs.
Although the MC-10 did not achieve the popularity of the TRS-80 Color Computer family, its small footprint, distinctive design, and approachable BASIC environment make it an interesting part of Radio Shack computer history.
The MC-10 represents the early-1980s effort to make home computing and programming accessible at a lower price.
Its limitations also give the system much of its personality. Working with a small amount of memory, cassette storage, and a compact keyboard encourages the kind of creative problem-solving that defined early home computing.
Today, the MC-10 has an active enthusiast community preserving software, creating new programs, developing modern accessories, and documenting hardware that was often overlooked when it was new.
Popular MC-10 topics include Micro Color BASIC, cassette storage, the 16K RAM Expansion Module, the CCR-81 cassette recorder, color graphics, sound programming, joystick support, composite video modifications, modern storage options, software preservation, and new homebrew releases.
Collectors and enthusiasts also explore the MC-10's relationship to the TRS-80 Color Computer family, Radio Shack catalogs and advertising, original manuals, boxed systems, programming books, and the wider Tandy and Radio Shack computer ecosystem.