[3][1] The MAX-80 featured a Zilog Z80-B CPU which ran at 5.07 MHz, a very fast speed for its time.
The user could buy a complete system, or provide their own monitor and disk drives.
The special version of LDOS used was able to run most Model III programs with a patch disk available for those, such as VisiCalc, which it couldn't.
[3] A patched version of the TRS-80 Model 4's LS-DOS 6.x operating system was later made available for the MAX-80.
[3] Jerry Pournelle wrote in September 1983 that if the Max-80 came with more bundled software "it would be a strong contender for the best deal in microcomputerland.