Last Updated on February 3, 2025 by Dave Farquhar
The Tandy 1000 wasn’t Tandy’s first foray into the IBM PC compatible market. That was the Tandy 2000, released in November 1983. But in late 1983, Tandy started preparing the Tandy 1000, a home and education-oriented PC aimed at the lower end of the market, to compete with the IBM PCjr. It became a bestseller and spawned three generations of Tandy 1000 models, surviving on the market until 1992.
Tandy 1000 models overview
I was able to track down 17 different Tandy 1000 models, released between 1984 and 1992, in several waves. There may be a few minor variants of some of these models that I missed.
First generation
- Tandy 1000 (model 25-1000): Intel 8088 4.77 MHz, 128KB RAM, single 5.25″ floppy drive – $1,199, 1984
- Tandy 1000A (model 25-1000A): a slight improvement on the 1000 with a co-processor socket and bug fixes – $1,199, 1985
Second generation
- Tandy 1000 EX (model 25-1050): Intel 8088 7.16 MHz, single 5.25″ 360 KB floppy drive – $799, 1986
- Tandy 1000 SX (model 25-1051): Intel 8088 7.16 MHz, 384 KB RAM, two 5.25″ 360 KB floppy drives – $1,199, 1986
- Tandy 1000 HX (model 25:1043): Intel 8088 7.16 MHz, single 3.5″ 720 KB floppy drive – $699, 1987
- Tandy 1000 TX (model 25-1600): Intel 80286 8 MHz, 640K RAM, 3.5″ 720K floppy drive – $1,199, 1987
Third generation
- Tandy 1000 SL (model 25-1401): Intel 8086 8 MHz, 512KB RAM, single 5.25″ 360KB floppy drive – $899, 1988
- Tandy 1000 TL (model 25-1601): Intel 80286 8 MHz, 640K RAM, single 3.5″ 720KB floppy drive – $1299, 1988
- Tandy 1000 TL/2 (model 25-1602): Intel 80286 8 MHz, 640K RAM, single 3.5″ 720KB floppy drive – $999, 1991
- Tandy 1000 SL/2 (model 25-1402): Intel 8086 9.54 MHz, 640K RAM, single 3.5″ 720KB floppy drive – $999, 1991
- Tandy 1000 RL (model 25-1450): Intel 8086 9.54 MHz, 512KB RAM, single 3.5″ 720KB floppy drive – $599.95, 1991
- Tandy 1000 RL (model 25-1451): Intel 8086 9.54 MHz, 512KB RAM, 3.5″ 720KB floppy, 20MB hard disk – $999.95, 1991
- Tandy 1000 RLX (model 25-1451): Intel 80286 10 MHz, 512KB RAM, 3.5″ 1.44MB floppy, VGA – $799.95, 1991
- Tandy 1000 RLX (model 25-1451): Intel 80286 10 MHz, 1MB RAM, 3.5″ 1.44MB floppy, 40MB hard disk, VGA – $1,199.95, 1991
- Tandy 1000 RSX (model 25-1454): Intel 80386SX 25 MHz, 1MB RAM, 3.5″ 1.44MB floppy, 52MB hard disk, VGA – $999.95, 1992
- Tandy 1000 RSX (model 25-1455): Intel 80386SX 25 MHz, 1MB RAM, 3.5″ 1.44MB floppy, no HDD, VGA – $799.95, 1992
- Tandy 2500XL (model 25-4074): Intel 80286 10 MHz, 1MB RAM, 3.5″ 1.44MB floppy, 52MB hard disk, VGA – $1499, 1991
- Tandy 2500 RSX (model 25-: Intel 80386SX 25 MHz, 1MB RAM, 3.5″ 1.44MB floppy, 60MB HDD, VGA, 1992
First generation models
The Tandy 1000 was highly compatible with the PCjr. But as it became clear the IBM PCjr was going to fail in the marketplace due to its compatibility and expandability issues, Tandy downplayed the connection. Tandy marketed the Tandy 1000 as “PC compatible,” and when asked about the enhanced sound and graphics, said that it tried to be compatible with both, but when they had to make a choice, they chose PC compatibility over PCjr compatibility. Tandy sold the 1000 through its network of Radio Shack stores. Tandy’s decision to enter a crowded PC market dominated by upstarts like Compaq and Eagle Computer drew some criticism but Tandy didn’t care because the Tandy 1000 sold so well, even from the very beginning. IBM PC compatibles sold about 60 million units in the 1980s, and Tandy PCs became a large contributor to that number.
Original Tandy 1000
The initial Tandy 1000 from 1984 used an Intel 8088 CPU running at 4.77 MHz, often from a second source such as AMD, with no socket for a math coprocessor. It came with 128K of RAM, enhanced CGA graphics that could display all 16 colors at a time in bitmap mode, and 3-voice sound. It came standard with a single 5.25″ 360K floppy drive. All of this matched the PCjr. But unlike the PCjr, it contained ISA slots and it had a bay for a second floppy drive, so it could inexpensively be upgraded to a dual-drive setup and to 512K or 640K of RAM.
And unlike the IBM PC, Tandy integrated common interfaces on the motherboard. This included the floppy disk controller, video controller, audio, parallel, and joystick ports. It was very nearly as expandable as an IBM PC 5150 even though at 14 inches wide and 11.5 inches deep, it only occupied 51% as much desk space as a 5150.
The Tandy 1000 included MS-DOS 2.1 and DeskMate, an easy to use home productivity package.
Success and acclaim
Unlike the PCjr, the Tandy 1000 proved immediately successful, with Radio Shack stores selling them as quickly as Tandy’s factories could produce them. Tandy built on that success by expanding and refreshing the product line throughout the decade, though one could argue Tandy made a mistake trying to push the line into the early 1990s.
From a usability standpoint today, a Tandy 1000 or Tandy 1000A is less expandable than some of the later models, but equipped with a memory board, an XT-IDE for storage, and a network card, it’s a fun retro machine.
The original BIOS, version 01.00.00, can sometimes cause data corruption with some types of hard disk controllers. Version 01.01.00 fixed this and a few other bugs. You can burn a replacement BIOS on two 28C256 EPROMs.
Tandy 1000A and Tandy 1000HD
Released in 1985, the Tandy 1000A is very similar to the original 1000, adding a socket for an 8087 math coprocessor, taking another step away from the PCjr and toward the IBM PC, helping Tandy to further position the machine as one that could both work hard and play hard. It also included a revised version 01.01.00 BIOS that fixed some bugs, including a hard drive corruption bug. Outwardly, the machines look identical. The best way to tell a 1000 from a 1000A is to look at the label, carries the Tandy 1000A designation and a model number model 25-1000A. You can also open the case and look at the motherboard. If it has a coprocessor socket next to the 8088, then it’s a 1000A.
There was also a Tandy 1000HD, which used the same motherboard and case as a 1000A but it shipped with a factory-installed MFM hard drive and controller.
Second generation models
The Tandy 1000 series falls into approximately three generations. The second generation, which followed the original model starting in 1986, divided the line into inexpensive all-in-ones and desktops. This proved very successful, adding capability to the line while driving prices down. Unlike IBM, Tandy was fine with the idea of the 1000 as low-end business PCs, and the strategy worked well in the late 1980s. It was this generation of Tandy 1000s that outsold the Commodore 64 for several years.
Tandy 1000 EX
In late 1986, Tandy replaced the 1000A with two models, the low-cost EX and the SX. The SX was the more direct replacement while the EX’s job was to grow the market.
The Tandy 1000 EX was an all-in-one unit targeting use in the home or in schools, aggressively priced at $799. It ran its 8088 CPU at 7.16 MHz, with the ability to step down to 4.77 MHz for enhanced compatibility. The EX did not have a socket for an 8087 math coprocessor. It came as standard with 256 KB of RAM (expandable to 640 KB) and a single 5.25″ 360 KB floppy disk drive mounted on the side of the unit. Its design took some inspiration from the Apple IIc, though it had better expansion capabilities than the IIc.
Tandy opted not to put traditional ISA slots in the 1000 EX, likely to keep the cost of the system unit down. Instead, Tandy produced special expansion boards called Tandy PLUS expansion boards that used the same pinout as the ISA bus but used pin headers instead of edge connectors. Tandy offered a memory expansion board, internal modems, and a serial interface in the PLUS format.
The Tandy 1000 EX shipped with a special version of DeskMate, called Personal DeskMate. This incorporated a word processor, spreadsheet, electronic filer, paint, calendar, and communication applications, as well as desktop accessories like a calculator, notepad and phone directory. Tandy also bundled MS-DOS 2.11 with GW-BASIC.
Like the Tandy 1000, the 1000EX has a composite video port on the back as well as an RGBI port for connection to a color monitor. The composite output was more suitable for monochrome than color, though it could output either. Cheap composite monochrome monitors were plentiful in the 1980s. Tandy often bundled the 1000EX with the Tandy CM-5 monitor at a steep discount, or even throwing it in for free.
Critical reception of the Tandy 1000 EX
Reviewers in the media generally disliked the Tandy 1000 EX because of its more limited expansion capabilities. In the November 1986 issue of Family Computing, Nick Sullivan summarized the EX by writing, “it seems that Tandy has taken a good thing (the 1000) and truncated it for the home market. The machine suffers from the changes.”
Sullivan and other reviewers noted that by the time you purchased the memory expansion card and an external floppy drive, it cost just as much as a similarly equipped 1000 SX and still lacked the ability to add an internal hard drive. Today, the 3-in-1 expansion addresses these concerns, making it useful as a space-saving hobby machine. At about 16.75 inches wide and 14.5 inches deep, it takes up less space than just the main system unit of an IBM PC or PC/XT.
Despite the poor reviews, the Tandy 1000 EX sold well. Tandy didn’t release official sales figures but I’ve seen estimates of 3 million units, which would mean it kept pace with or outsold the Commodore 64 during the time both machines were on the market. Radio Shack advertised it heavily in local newspapers and frequently discounted the price, sometimes bundling a monitor. By targeting a demographic that didn’t read computer magazines with a starter PC priced in between Commodore and Apple, available at a store with 4,000 locations, the formula worked.
Tandy 1000 SX
Released in late 1986 alongside the EX, the Tandy 1000 SX was the more capable and expandable of the two machines. The SX had a form factor more like the original model Tandy 1000 or 1000A with a separate system unit and keyboard. It had five 8-bit ISA expansion slots, room for one or two internal floppy drives, ran at 7.16 MHz or 4.77 MHz, accepted an 8087 math coprocessor, and had a DMA controller. Memory was just 384K, but the motherboard contained empty sockets to expand to 640K without taking an ISA slot.
To expand the memory on the SX, install eight 41256 RAM chips rated at 150ns or faster. You will also need to remove jumper E1-E2.
Tandy bundled the 1000 SX with DeskMate and MS-DOS 3.2.
Critical reception
Critics who panned the 1000 EX generally liked the SX much more because of its upgrade options. Unlike the EX, it was an upgrade from the earlier model in every way. It added better speed, more RAM, DMA, and more ISA slots for expansion. Yet it retained the same 14-inch width and 11.5-inch depth as the original.
In the article “Taking Back the Desk” in the March 31, 1986 issue of PC Magazine, Winn Rosch had nothing good to say about the 1000 EX, criticizing the keyboard as a nightmare. But he liked the 1000 SX enough that he didn’t notice the SX had the same keyboard layout.
The Tandy 1000 AX
There was a variant of the 1000 SX called the Tandy 1000 AX. This was apparently test marketed in a limited number of Wal-Mart stores. It is much less common than the regular 1000SX.
Tandy 1000 HX
In 1987, released the Tandy 1000 HX as a mildly improved version of the 1000 EX. The HX replaced the single 5.25″ floppy with a 3.5″ floppy and a second 3.5″ bay and had DOS 2.11 in ROM, giving it the ability to boot in seconds and keeping the floppy drive free for software. Speaking of software, it was bundled with DeskMate II on floppy disk.
But aside from those two enhancements, the Tandy 1000 HX is nearly identical to the EX. Like the EX, it uses the 62-pin PLUS interface instead of standard ISA. Also like the EX, the HX uses an 8088 CPU running at 7.16 MHz and doesn’t have a socket for a math coprocessor. The HX initially retailed for $699, and Tandy lowered the price on the 1000 EX to $599 before discontinuing it.
Like the Tandy 1000, and the EX, the 1000HX has a composite video port on the back as well as an RGBI port for connection to a color monitor. The composite output was more suitable for monochrome than color, though it could output either. Cheap composite monochrome monitors were plentiful in the 1980s. Tandy often bundled the CM-5 RGBI monitor for free or at a very steep discount, making it a popular choice.
Like the EX, the HX sold well and was more popular with consumers than it was with magazine reviewers at the time. But equipped with a Tandy 3-in-1 expansion, it makes a very good retro PC for hobbyists today. It’s also possible to install a second floppy drive or a Gotek in the empty bay.
Tandy 1000 TX
Also in 1987, Tandy released the Tandy 1000 TX. The form factor remained similar to the earlier desktop models, but the 5.25″ floppy gave way to a 3.5″ model, in keeping with the industry’s migration toward 3.5-inch drives. Internally, it sported an 80286 CPU running at 8 MHz. It also had a socket for a 287 math coprocessor,. This made it the fastest Tandy 1000 yet, but with a caveat.
The Tandy 1000TX only had an 8-bit bus, so it was not a true AT-class machine like most other 286-based systems on the market, including even the IBM PC/XT-286. The 8-bit bus meant it wasn’t as fast and couldn’t take as much memory as a true AT or compatible. Checkit, the popular PC diagnostic and benchmark utility, rates the Tandy 1000 TX at 3.9x the speed of an original PC/XT. By contrast, an IBM PC/AT running at the same 8 MHz clock speed rates 4.34x the speed of an original PC/XT, about 11 percent faster. Its disk controller also didn’t support high density disk drives.
Pricing and what was included
The TX’s debut price was $1,199, the same as the SX had been, and Tandy lowered the price of the SX to $849.
The Tandy 1000 TX included DeskMate II and MS-DOS 3.2. It had 512K of RAM, expandable to 640K. To expand a TX to 640K, install four 4464 DRAM chips rated at 120ns or faster in the sockets labelled U54-57. Remove the jumper labelled E9-E10.
Advantages of a 286 processor
If you want a Tandy 1000, a TX is a good machine to look for. It has five expansion slots, so you can add just about anything you want to it rather easily. It has two drive bays, so you can easily add a 5.25″ drive or a Gotek if you want. And it sold in good enough numbers that a TX isn’t hard to find either. If you look at it as a fast Tandy 1000, you’ll like it. If you try to turn it into a PC/AT, you’ll be a lot less happy with it.
286-based Tandy 1000 systems like the TX and later TL systems can run later Tandy titles at a more acceptable pace, but at the expense of potentially losing some compatibility with very early games. But the 8 MHz 286 is about 3.9 times faster than the 4.77 MHz 8088 in the original 1000 or the IBM PC and PC/XT, so late 80s titles like Sierra’s Codename: Iceman run fine on the 286-based 1000s but poorly on the 8088 or 8086-based models. Railroad Tycoon is another example of a game with Tandy graphics and sound support that gives a much better experience on a 286, though to be honest, I really prefer to play that game on a faster 286 or a 386.
The TX foreshadows what was in store for Tandy and the 1000 line. It was the fastest Tandy 1000 yet, but it couldn’t keep pace with other 286 systems on the market.
Third Generation
This generation of Tandy 1000 models saw the line become more closely aligned with the PC standards of the rest of the industry, dispensing with the proprietary Tandy keyboard, joystick/mouse, and printer ports, replacing them with standard PS/2 ports and a DB-25 printer port. On the downside from today’s perspective, they also lost their composite outputs, meaning you can’t use a TV as a monitor in a pinch.
This was also where the line started to show its age. Tandy needed to step forward from the TX, and it didn’t happen.
Two things happened in the industry around this time. The introduction of the Ad Lib sound card in 1987, paired up with the introduction of VGA graphics, meant any PC could have better sound and graphics capability than the Tandy 1000. And in 1990, Microsoft released Windows 3.0, the first commercially successful version of Windows. Tandy’s response was too little, too late. A 386 with VGA, sound, and Windows was expensive at first, but the prices came down much faster than Tandy reacted.
These models, especially the models from 1991 and 92, are scarcer than the earlier models because Tandy’s advantage was slipping away at this point.
Tandy 1000 SL
For 1988, Tandy released the Tandy 1000 SL as a more direct replacement for the 1000 SX. The form factor remained similar to the earlier desktop models, but adopted the PS/2 standard for the keyboard and mouse and a standard Centronics port for the printer rather than Tandy’s edge connector that needed a proprietary cable. This means if you find a 1000 SL in the wild today and it’s missing the keyboard, you can use an inexpensive PS/2 keyboard with it, with the caveat that it may miss the first key you press. After the initial keystroke, a regular PS/2 keyboard will work.
Internally, the Tandy 1000 SL had an 8086 CPU running at 8 MHz, a socket for an optional 8087 math coprocessor, and 512KB of RAM. It also includes MS-DOS and DeskMate built into ROM, meaning it can boot almost instantly, going from power-on to a DOS prompt in just over 2 seconds. This model also included Tandy Enhanced Graphics, which adds the ability to display 16 colors in 640×200 resolution.
The SL/2 just refers to essentially the same machine but with different memory and drive configurations.
From a pop culture standpoint, the Tandy 1000 SL was the computer Sheldon Cooper used in the Young Sheldon TV series.
Expanding the memory of the Tandy 1000 SL and SL/2 to 640K
To expand to 640K, the Tandy 1000 SL needs eight 4464 DRAM chips rated for 120ns or faster. They go in the sockets next to the other chips and there is no jumper to set. The SL/2 uses 4 4464 DRAMs rated for 120ns or faster. They go next to the other chips and there is no jumper to set.
Compatibility
A handful of early games that expect the Tandy keyboard won’t run on an SL, TL, or later machine due to differences in the keyboard. This is offset by some DOS titles that don’t like the Tandy keyboard. But overall, an SL isn’t a bad choice as a hobby machine, as its 8086 is still an XT-class CPU but slightly faster than the EX/HX/SX, it still has Tandy graphics and sound, and has expansion slots.
Enhanced TGA graphics
Tandy’s RL, SL and TL models include an upgrade called ETGA or Tandy Video II, compatible with Hercules or earlier TGA graphics. Pressing Ctrl-Alt-Shift-V reboots the system and switches monitor types, storing the setting on an EPROM so that it persists between boots. When a CGA monitor is used, the video is compatible with CGA and PCjr. Tandy Video II has all the graphics modes of Tandy Video I, but adds 640 x 200 x 16 similar to Plantronics graphics. The BIOS does not support this mode, but programs that directly talk to the video circuitry via its registers will work.
There are 8 known titles that support ETGA graphics:
- Deskmate 3
- Mario Teaches Typing
- Math Rabbit Deluxe
- Sargon V
- Star Trek 25th Anniversary
- Time Riders in American History
- Treasure Cove
- Treasure MathStorm
Tandy 1000 TL
The Tandy 1000 TL replaced the 1000 TX. Much like the SL, it uses the PS/2 standard for the keyboard and mouse. This means if you find a 1000 SL in the wild today and it’s missing the keyboard, you can use an inexpensive PS/2 keyboard with it.
Internally, the Tandy 1000 TL had an 80286 CPU running at 8 MHz, a socket for a 287 math coprocessor, and 640KB of RAM but retained an 8-bit bus like the TX did, so it still wasn’t an AT-class system. It also includes MS-DOS and DeskMate built into ROM, and boots from power-on to a DOS prompt in just over 2 seconds. This model also included Tandy Enhanced Graphics, which adds the ability to display 16 colors in 640×200 resolution.
The TL/2 and TL/3
The TL/2 is essentially the same machine as a TL but with an 8-bit IDE controller added in place of one of the ISA expansion slots. Tandy called this a SmartDrive.
The TL/3 boosted the CPU speed to a 10 MHz 286 and also had a built-in 8-bit IDE controller. Note the 8-bit IDE standard is incompatible with the more common 16-bit IDE drives.
Expanding the memory of the TL series
To expand the memory to 640K, the TL needs four 4464 RAM chips rated at 120ns or faster. The chips go in the sockets labelled U36-39. There is no jumper to move.
A Tandy 1000 TL/2 uses four 4464 RAM chips rated at 120ns or faster. The chips go in the sockets next to the other RAM chips, in front of the expansion slots. There is no jumper.
The TL/3 uses four 4464 RAM chips rated at 100ns or faster. The chips go in the sockets labelled U4-7. There is no jumper.
Tandy 1000 RL
The Tandy 1000 RL, launched in 1991, was a low profile pizza box-style Tandy 1000 SL that lacked a drive bay for a 5.25″ disk drive and only had a single ISA expansion slot. Otherwise it was functionally identical to the SL, with the same 9.54MHz 8086 processor, 512K of RAM, ETGA graphics, and DOS and DeskMate built into ROM.
Tandy sold it in two configurations, with a single floppy drive, or with a floppy drive and a hard drive. With the hard drive installed, the system boots from the hard drive rather than ROM.
To expand an RL to 640K, install a pair of 44256 DRAM chips rated at 100ns into the sockets labelled U19 and U23. There is no jumper.
Tandy 1000 RLX
Much like the Tandy 1000 RL, the Tandy 1000 RLX was a low profile Tandy 1000 TL that lacked a drive bay for a 5.25″ disk drive and only had a single ISA expansion slot, and the notable difference of having VGA rather than Tandy graphics. Otherwise it was functionally identical to the TL, with the same 10 MHz 80286 processor, 512K of RAM, and DOS and DeskMate built into ROM. The VGA graphics made it incompatible with earlier Tandy graphics. Tandy used off-the-shelf VGA chips, not implementing compatibility with its earlier graphics standard. It did have Tandy sound, but some titles expected both Tandy graphics and sound, so it’s not fully compatible with titles for earlier models.
Tandy sold it in two configurations, with a single floppy drive, or with a floppy drive and a hard drive. With the hard drive installed, the system boots from the hard drive rather than ROM.
Expanding a Tandy 1000 RLX to 640K
There are two models of RLX motherboard, both of which use a scarce type of memory chip, Samsung chip #KM44C256AZ-8, also known as a ZIP DRAM.
The RLX uses four KM44C256AZ-8 chips in the sockets labelled U23-26. There is no jumper.
The RLX-B uses four KM44C256AZ-8 chips in the sockets labelled U2, U4, U5, and U9. There is no jumper.
Tandy 1000 RSX
The Tandy 1000 RSX was the swan song for the Tandy 1000 line. It is a 386sx-based Tandy 1000 in a low profile case like the RL with a pair of 16-bit expansion slots and VGA. Realistically it was more of an AT than a Tandy 1000. The Tandy 1000 RSX had 1 MB of RAM on the board and a pair of 30-pin SIMM sockets, allowing you to expand to 3 or 9 MB. In keeping with the times, it also sported a 52-megabyte IDE hard drive.
Caveats with the RSX’s sound
The Tandy 1000 RSX still had Tandy sound but not at memory location 0c0h to avoid conflicting with the AT’s second DMA controller. Unfortunately, it’s also not in the same location as the IBM Options PS/1 Audio Card, which lives at 0200h instead of 01e0h.
This means not all software with Tandy sound can run on the RSX and use its sound. Also, some titles expect both Tandy sound and graphics, so they won’t use Tandy sound if they don’t see Tandy graphics, and then they also have to know to look at the different address. Patched versions of some games exist, and you can use a TSR to intercept and redirect calls to 01e0h. The TSR is available on Github.
At 25 MHz with a full 16-bit bus, it’s the fastest Tandy 1000 ever made, and the only one capable of running Windows in 386 Enhanced mode. But it’s also the least Tandy 1000-like of all the models. Installing a TNDY sound card or TNDLPT into any 386-class machine with VGA replicates the experience.
Tandy 2500 XL
The Tandy 2500XL was another Tandy oddball, with a 10 MHz 286 with a 16-bit bus like a real AT and VGA, but the Tandy sound chip bolted on in the same memory location as the RSX. It even sported three available 16-bit ISA slots. It’s fair to say the 2500 XL isn’t really a Tandy 1000, but the same could be said for the Tandy 1000 RSX. The Tandy 1000 RSX is more like a 386SX-ified 2500 XL than it is a Tandy 1000. Maybe the 2500 XL isn’t so much a 1000 as the missing link in the 1000’s evolution.
A handful of other post-Tandy 1000 machines supported Tandy 3-voice sound: the 2500 SX, 2500 RSX, and the Sensation.
Whatever your opinion of its relation to the 1000 line, the 2500 XL and its descendants represent a missed opportunity. Tandy had a full line of more conventional PCs it sold alongside the Tandy 1000 line, but it didn’t promote those machines as much. If Tandy had recognized the industry shift and phased out the Tandy 1000 series a year or two earlier, or at least pulled the plug on the underpowered 8086-based models earlier, its fate in the PC industry might have turned out differently.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.