Launched in 1977 by Radio Shack, the TRS-80 had difficulty keeping up with Apple and IBM who were building ecosystems. Radio Shack sales staff were trained to sell batteries and CB radios, not complex business systems, while corporate buyers preferred IBM dealers who could provide serious support, networking, and service contracts. When the IBM PC launched in 1981, it quickly became the safe choice. Software companies prioritized IBM compatability, while TRS-80 business machines weren’t IBM compatible and had limited third-party software. Meanwhile, the TRS-80 color computer was not quite a serious computer like the IBM PC or Apple II, nor was it as good as the Commodore 64 for games. By the mid-80s Radio Shack decided it should focus on being a consumer electronics stores instead of a computer company.
