The next computer that I saw in the stores was the TRS-80 Model III. I wasn't really sure what happened to the Model II, but I didn't particularly care. I really liked the design of the Model III. The main reason was the built-in disk drives. Floppy drives, once an expensive luxury, were brought into the realm of standard equipment by the Model III. I also liked the fact that it was an integrated unit. The monitor, keyboard, disk drives, and CPU were all in one single case. This made logical sense to me. The Model I was a hodge-podge of components and cables, making it clumsy and cumbersome. From a technology standpoint, the Model III was not all that far beyond the Model I. But from an industrial design standpoint, it was miles ahead.

I began to see Model III's popping up in offices all over the place. The built-in disk drives made it useable, the simple design made it practical, and more software was available for it all the time. The Model I may have kicked off the micro computer revolution, but the Model III got the ball rolling.

At that time, the Model III was still way out of my price range, and I didn't really have anything to use it for, anyway, so I never bought one. I would, however, make frequent trips to the local Radio Shack to play with them.

The unit pictured above is something I picked up off eBay.