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CoCo Printers
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Home / Hardware - CoCo Printers
CoCo printers came in essentially two types. Ones that were specifically designed, made, and advertised with the CoCo in mind (either exclusively, or with other computers as well), and those that were not and which the CoCo had to use adapters for.
The vast majority of computer printers in the 8-bit era used parallel ports, which the CoCo does not have. Printers made with the CoCo in mind use the CoCo's serial port. Another layer of distinctiveness to CoCo printing is that the CoCo's serial port was not the larger D-shaped connector with 9 or 25 pins that were standard elsewhere, but rather was a round, 4-pin DIN connector, perhaps to cut costs. Radio Shack sold a six-foot male-to-male 4 pin to 4 pin cable for CoCo printing, separately from their CoCos and printers, as Catalog Number 26-3020 for $4.95 starting in 1982's RSC-07, going all the way to RSC-21 in 1990 for $5.95.
| Name | Cat. No. | Type | Case | Branding | RSC Debut | Year | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line Printer VII | 26-1167 | Dot Matrix | Silver/Gray | Radio Shack | RSC-06, p.20 | 1982 | 399.00 | |
| Line Printer VIII | 26-1168 | Dot Matrix | Silver/Gray | Radio Shack | RSC-06, p.20 | 1982 | 799.00 | |
| FP-215 | 26-1193 | Color Plotter | Silver/Gray | Radio Shack | RSC-08, p.24 | 1983 | 995.00 | |
| CGP-115 | 26-1192 | Color Plotter | Silver/Gray | Radio Shack | RSC-08, p.24 | 1983 | 249.95 | Narrow (4½" wide) roll paper; $199.99 RSC-12 |
| DMP-100 | 26-1253 | Dot Matrix | Silver/Gray | Radio Shack | RSC-08, p.20 | 1983 | 399.00 | |
| DMP-200 | 26-1254 | Dot Matrix | Silver/Gray | Radio Shack | RSC-08, p.20 | 1983 | 799.00 | |
| DMP-400 | 26-1251 | Dot Matrix | Silver/Gray | Radio Shack | RSC-08, p.21 | 1983 | 1,195.00 | |
| CGP-220 | 26-1268 | Color Inkjet | White | Radio Shack | RSC-10, p.31 | 1984 | 699.00 | $599 RSC-15 p. 60 |
| DMP-120 | 26-1255 | Dot Matrix | White | Radio Shack | RSC-10, p.32 | 1984 | 499.95 | |
| DMP-420 | 26-1267 | Dot Matrix | White | Radio Shack | RSC-10, p.33 | 1984 | 999.00 | |
| DWP-210 | 26-1257 | Daisy Wheel | White | Radio Shack | RSC-10, p.34 | 1984 | 799.00 | $599 SF-379; Discontinued March 86 |
| TP-10 | 26-1261 | Thermal | White | Radio Shack | RSC-10, p.55 | 1984 | 99.95 | Narrow 4⅛" Paper; For CoCo & MC-10 only - no parallel port |
| DMP-110 | 26-1271 | Dot Matrix | White | Radio Shack | RSC-11, p.36 | 1984 | 399.00 | |
| TRP-100 | 26-1275 | Thermal | White | Radio Shack | RSC-12, p.37 | 1985 | 299.95 | Battery capable, meant especially for Model 100 laptop |
| DMP-105 | 26-1276 | Dot Matrix | White | Radio Shack | RSC-12, p.37 | 1985 | 199.95 | Tandy-branded by RSC-15, p.63 |
| DMP-430 | 26-1277 | Dot Matrix | White | Radio Shack | RSC-12, p.36 | 1985 | 899.00 | |
| DWP-220 | 26-1278 | Daisy Wheel | White | Tandy | RSC-15, p.61 | 1985 | 599.00 | |
| DMP-130 | 26-1280 | Dot Matrix | White | Tandy | RSC-16, p.63 | 1986 | 349.95 | |
| DWP-230 | 26-2812 | Daisy Wheel | White | Tandy | RSC-17, p.54 | 1987 | 399.95 | $459.95 RSC-21 p.39; $299.95 SF-4 87; $199.95 SF-454 |
| DMP-106 | 26-2802 | Dot Matrix | White | Tandy | RSC-19, p.33 | 1988 | 219.95 | |
| DMP-440 | 26-2808 | Dot Matrix | White | Tandy | RSC-19, p.32 | 1988 | 699.00 | |
| DMP-132 | 26-1814 | Dot Matrix | White | Tandy | RSC-20, p.38 | 1989 | 379.95 | $219.95 SF-442 |
| DMP-133 | 26-1815 | Dot Matrix | White | Tandy | RSC-21, p.39 | 1990 | 379.95 | $269.95 SF-449 , $219.95 SF-460 |
| DMP-107 | 26-2821 | Dot Matrix | White | Tandy | RSC-21, p.39 | 1990 | 279.95 |
Tandy also sold two of its CoCo printers under Tandy Data Products branding. Both came out in 1982 and had white cases. The TDP-branded version of Radio Shack's CoCo serial cable (Cat. No. 26-3020) was Stock Number 10-1270, also sold for $4.95. One authorized seller was Spectrum Projects.
| Name | Model/Stock No. | Type | Radio Shack Equivalent | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line Printer I | 10-1130 | Dot Matrix | Line Printer VII? DMP-100? | 399.00 |
| Color Graphics Printer | 10-1100 | Color Plotter | CGP-115 | 249.00 |
But before all this was the sole exception to Tandy-supported printers for the CoCo having a 4-pin DIN serial port. The very first printer Tandy marketed as being CoCo-compatible had a 5-pin DIN connector. To connect to a CoCo, it needed the Cat. No. 26-3009, a cable with the 5-pin DIN on one end and the CoCo's standard 4-pin DIN serial connector on the other. The cable was originally intended for the TRS-80 Model I and was called the Model I cassette special serial interface. The printer was soon dropped from Radio Shack's product lineup as soon as other, more practical CoCo printers became available.
| Name | Cat. No. | Type | Case | Branding | RSC Year | RSC Debut | Debut Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Printer II | 26-1115 | Thermal | Silver | Radio Shack | 1979 (1981 for CoCo) | RSC-04, p. 30 | 219.00 | Ultra-narrow (2⅜") and expensive aluminum-coated paper |