MCLZ8 fun with NABU

[Mr.Amiga500]

I liked the TRS-80 from the start, because it had a much nicer keyboard than the Commodore PET, which appeared at around the same time, and roughly the same level of graphics.

The earliest TRS-80 Model I had somewhat crap Hi-Tek switches. Those were definitely better than the earliest PET chicklet keys, but not much better than the later PET Mitsumi switches. Maybe you're thinking of the later TRS-80 Model I (or Model III) with Alps SKCC switches, the same switches as in the NABU. (...what is my point? I have no point.)

I saw both at the same time, but I preferred the PET - mostly because it had full-screen editing and graphics characters on the keys.

This was typed using a 1983 keyboard with Alps SKCC switches and TRS-80 keycaps.

 

[Eudimorphodon]

The earliest TRS-80 Model I had somewhat crap Hi-Tek switches

Personally I like the Hi-Tek switches fine, and it’s useful that they expose the metallic wipers so they can be easily cleaned after popping the keycap off; cleaning an oxidized PET keyboard is a huge PITA. (Downside is at this point their plungers are all splitting down the corners. Both my Model Is have this issue; the keys all still work “acceptably” despite the spits but it doesn’t bode well.) But I think the point was that regardless of the switches the TRS-80’s keyboard was worlds better than the calculator style original PET.

Commodore‘s BASIC was way ahead of its time with the full screen editing, however, hard to argue with that.