Tandy-specific features, such as enhanced graphics, sound, and a built-in joystick port, made the computers particularly attractive for home use.

Over its lifespan, the series included about a dozen models with various form factors, incorporating advancements in PC hardware technology and adopting more standardized components.

[10] It helped the company obtain a 9.5% share of the US home-computer market in 1986, a year in which Tandy stated that half of its compatibles were purchased for the home.

[16] Tandy 1000 computers were some of the first IBM PC clones to incorporate a complete set of basic peripherals on the motherboard using proprietary ASICs, the forerunner of the chipset.

This high level of integration made these machines a cost-effective alternative to larger and more complex IBM PC/XT and PC/AT-type systems, which require multiple add-in cards, often purchased separately, to implement a comparable feature-set to the Tandy 1000.

By 1993, changes in the market made it increasingly difficult for Tandy Corporation to make a profit on its computer line.

[18] In an article subtitled "Junior meets his match", John J. Anderson of Creative Computing called the original Tandy 1000 "the machine IBM was too inept, incapable, or afraid to manufacture.

He favorably mentioned its low price, good PC-software compatibility, and bundled DeskMate ("you might never need another software package for your computer").

[20] InfoWorld highlighted the Tandy 1000's affordability, noting that it was "fully one-third less than a comparably equipped IBM PC."

The review concluded that "by making the 1000 inexpensive and adaptable" and including DeskMate, "Tandy produced a real home computer.

[5] PC Magazine also noted the slots and criticized the Tandy 1000's fit and finish ("not even close to the IBM standard"), but acknowledged the computer's low price and bundled hardware features.

For the original Tandy 1000, the designers omitted a direct memory access (DMA) controller because the PCjr does not have one, and they believed that those who needed it would add it with additional memory for the computer; they omitted the RS-232 port because all Tandy printers use the parallel port and, they believed, most customers would use internal modems.

With the exception of the 1000 EX and HX, Tandy used industry standard 8-bit XT ISA slots in their desktop models, including the SX, TX, SL, and TL series, but the actual length is limited to 10.5 inches or shorter, rather than the industry standard XT length of 13 inches.

Most of the desktop-type Tandy 1000 units can accept regular 8-bit ISA bus MFM, RLL and SCSI controllers like typical XT-class machines; however, care has to be taken when configuring the cards so that they do not cause conflicts with the on-board Tandy-designed peripherals.

For most Tandy 1000 models (other than the compact EX and HX) that do not come equipped with a hard drive, Tandy offered hard disk options in the form of hardcards that are installed in one of the computer's expansion slots and consist of a controller and drive (typically a 3.5-inch MFM or RLL unit with a Western Digital controller) mounted together on a metal bracket.

In addition, the hardware detection routine for the installer of Microsoft MS-DOS 6 can corrupt the serial EEPROM of Tandy 1000 HX machines.

Many Tandy 1000s sold to schools came with the Diamond Trackstar 128 installed,[27] and home owners also purchased this for compatibility with both DOS and Apple II software.

[28] The original Tandy 1000 is a large computer almost the size of the IBM PC, though with a plastic case over an aluminium lower chassis to reduce weight.

This revision fixed bugs, scans expansion cards for bootable ROMs, and adds a socket for an Intel 8087 math coprocessor.

The Tandy 1000 TX is similar to the 1000 SX with its detached keyboard, unique parallel port edge connector, and XT-style architecture in a slightly modified case.

Other PLUS cards can be installed to add serial ports, a 1200-baud modem, a clock/calendar and bus mouse board, or a proprietary Tandy network interface.

Another improvement over the EX is the addition of a serial EEPROM to store configuration information, enabling similar functionality to later CMOS NVRAMs.

By comparison, earlier Tandy 1000 models, like IBM PC and PC/XT systems, use DIP switches and jumpers for startup configuration settings.

By putting the basic elements of DOS in ROM and eliminating the memory test on startup, the HX boots quickly compared to other contemporary MS-DOS machines, despite having no immediate provisions for a hard disk drive.

The SL and TL were shipped with MS-DOS 3.3 and DeskMate 3 in ROM, and feature a serial EEPROM memory chip to store BIOS settings.

[38] The SL series offers five 8-bit XT-compatible ISA slots, and does not come with pre-installed real-time clock chips, making them optional upgrades in the form of the plug-in Dallas DS1216E SmartWatch.

They have a much more compact case, with at least 512 KB of memory pre-installed, smaller PS/2-style keyboard and mouse ports, and at least one ISA expansion slot.

However, it is not a full AT-class machine, as it still has an 8-bit ISA bus (as with the RL, one half-size expansion slot) and only 8 IRQs and 4 DMA channels.

There are also games and educational software that supports second-generation Tandy 1000 graphics and sound, which offers 640 by 200 by 16 colors, and 8-bit DACs, found only on the 1000 SL/TL series.

Examples of such software include Mario Teaches Typing, Star Trek, Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, and Sargon.