| Sharp PC-1500 Pocket Computer (TRS-80 PC-2) | |
| Written by AnubisTTP on 2026-05-13 |
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The PC-1500 is a small pocket computer that was first produced by Sharp in 1981. The PC-1500 is equipped with a 156x7 pixel LCD, a 65 key keyboard, and a 60 pin expansion port which allowed external upgrades to be attached to the device. This computer comes with two kilobytes of onboard memory, and an internal cartridge slot allows the installation of additional memory modules. The example shown here is docked to the optional CE-150 printer and cassette interface adapter, a necessary piece of equipment if the user wants to transfer programs to the device. The CE-150 contains a tiny 4 color printer module, which uses short ballpoint pens in a rotating carriage to draw text and graphics. These pens are inevitably dried out and worthless by the time a given PC-1500 reaches the hands of a collector. The PC-1500 was a popular device; it could run BASIC and was easy to program, and a rebadged variant known as the Tandy TRS-80 PC-2 was sold by Radio Shack as a mass market device. The device's main limiting factor is its screen, the PC-1500 contains no provision for video output, and the built in screen is too small for games or early productivity software. The output produced by the attached CE-150 color vector printer is frankly amazing for a handheld device made in 1982 however, and provides much opportunity for clever homebrew programs to the modern collector.
Sharp PC-1500 pocket computer, shown with attached CE-150 printer and tape interface.
Sharp PC-1500 pocket computer.
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