The Tandy CM-11 monitor, introduced in 1988, was the more expensive CGA-compatible monitor from the Tandy 1000’s heyday. It had a reputation for being reliable, but more importantly, it included a better picture tube than its entry-level counterpart, to provide a display more worthy of the Tandy tagline of “Clearly Superior.”
Tandy CM-11: Clearly Superior to the CM-5
Introduced in 1988, the CM-11 retailed for $399, replacing the pricier Tandy CM-10 display in the catalog. It was $60 cheaper than its predecessor, and $100 more than the retail price of the CM-5.
Between the CM-5 and the CM-11, the CM-11 was the pricier option of the two and Tandy didn’t tend to discount it as aggressively. But if you saw the two displays side by side in the store, it was probably pretty clear which one you really wanted.
Tandy’s CM-11 was a digital RGBI monitor, compatible with IBM’s CGA standard and, of course, the enhanced Tandy graphics of the Tandy 1000. It would also work with the 80-column output of a Commodore 128. It saw its most widespread use with the Tandy 1000 series, especially the desktop models like the 1000SX and 1000TX that weren’t targeting first-time computer buyers.
Seeing a Tandy 1000SX paired with a Tandy CM-11 next to a Tandy 1000EX paired with a CM-5 made the SX look even better by comparison.
Tandy CM-11 vs CM-5
The cheap CM-5 ruined the Tandy 1000 experience for some people, including reviewers. The CM-11 did a much better job of living up to the standards of the rest of the system. There was a good reason why.
Unlike the CM-5, which had a substandard .63mm dot pitch, the Tandy CM-11 had a more mainstream .42mm dot pitch, the same as a Commodore 1084 monitor and IBM 4863. Other common dot pitches in CGA monitors included .38mm and .43mm. So the CM-11 wasn’t a high-end CGA monitor, but more of a midrange choice. And that was OK. The dot pitch was fine enough to display text clearly, as well as 640×200 high resolution graphics. Additionally, it had an anti glare coating that didn’t reflect as much ambient room light back at you when you were trying to use it. Side by side with the CM-5, the CM-11 was, to steal Tandy’s tagline at the time, clearly superior.
A Tandy CM-11 is the monitor of choice for a Tandy 1000 if you want your monitor to match. But if a third party monitor is all you can find, don’t worry. Mixing and matching monitors wasn’t uncommon, especially as systems aged. Someone might buy a Tandy 1000 with a monochrome monitor to save money, then upgrade to a monitor from someone like Magnavox or Goldstar that gave comparable quality to a CM-11 at a price closer to a CM-5. The Tandy 1000’s heyday coincided with the rapid expansion of consumer electronics chain stores into new markets in the late 1980s. Even as late as 1991, inexpensive CGA monitors were readily available at these stores.
Today, CGA monitors aren’t easy to find and tend to be expensive, so hobbyists have to use what we can get.
Living up to the Clearly Superior tagline
In PC Magazine‘s 1990 service and reliability survey, they noted a high number of respondents saying they had a CM-11, indicating it sold well, though not as well as the CM-5. PC Magazine rated both monitors higher than average for CGA monitors at the time, in terms of reliability. If a lot of them survive today, the combination of the reliability and the large number Tandy sold is a big part of the reason why. The CM-11 did a better job of living up to Tandy’s Clearly Superior tagline than the notoriously fuzzy CM-5.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.