Tandy MMPC Model 20: Exploring the Microsoft Wine Guide

Let's pair tannins and Tandys! I use my Tandy MMPC Model 20 to explore 1994's Microsoft Wine Guide for an unforgettable multimedia wine-tasting experience with Oz Clarke. I explore the multimedia features, search for wines, compare notes, and share whimsical pairing suggestions. All with my own brand of humor. Note that this video uses some adult language and themes, and features moderate alcohol consumption.
Music/SFX (in order):
SFX: Scrabble Letter Drop
Music: None
Intro (0:00)
Getting In The Mood (2:22)
Loading Microsoft Wine Guide (3:29)
Never A Better Time To Enjoy Wine (4:19)
Wine: The Basics (5:02)
Opening Sparkling Wine (8:28)
How To Taste Wine (11:17)
Appearance of Wine (15:36)
Elements of Wine (17:54)
Finding and Tasting Robert Mondavi Chardonnay (20:28)
Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc (23:52)
Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon (30:48)
Chateau St. Michelle Merlot (36:27)
Top-Tier Gems (41:58)
Sounding Smart For Friends & More Features (43:57)
Outro (49:18)
I do these videos unscripted, so I apologize if the in-the-moment descriptions of things are a bit scattered. If you have any questions/comments about this video, you can find me in any of these fine locations:
The Tandy Discord Server
The CoCo Nation Discord Server
The TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo) group on Facebook
The CoCo Crew Podcast group on Facebook
On the Vintage Computer Forums (vcfed.org)
The TRS-80 Models I-4/4P Group on Facebook
Tandy / Radio Shack Model II /12 / 16 / 16B / 6000 Owner's Group on Facebook
X (I'm TJBChris there...)
Mastadon: [e-mail]
The Level29 BBS (I'm TJBChris there, too.)
Particles BBS (Guess who I am here? Yeah, TJBChris.)
Thanks for watching!

[@BollingHolt]

Hell yeah! Finding this just in time for my lunch break! Let the picture begin. 😎

[@ohioterran7374]

Absolutely loved this overview of the "Encarta of Wines" on the Tandy!

[@TJBChris]

I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!

[@BollingHolt]

Now that I have watched the whole thing. Bravo, sir, bravo! You put a very unique and fun touch to so many of your videos. Most enjoyable!

[@TJBChris]

Thanks! I have a…unique…brand of humor. It’s fun to share once in a while and do something a little off-script for the channel. 😁

[@danielktdoranie]

Oh shiiiiiiittttt we getting FANCY! Gonna pause this video and raid my humidor 😂

[@charlesdorval394]

Awe... :( I was looking forward to part 2 of "Wine with Chris" :P

[@TJBChris]

If I ever have a good reason, I'll have to revisit the subject. Thanks for watching!

[@BeerAndWarcraft]

I like this channel! Thanks Chris.

[@TJBChris]

Thanks for the compliment! I have a lot of fun making these videos.

[@albertackjay3462]

Looking Snazzy TJB Chris ! Love your comedic take on wine tasting! 🍷 Enjoy !

[@TJBChris]

Thank you! I’m glad you like it, and thanks for watching the channel!

[@AureliusR]

Herb Alpert!!! Awesome shirt.

[@TJBChris]

I saw him live a couple of months ago. It was a great show...a mix of music and discussion about his career in music (and other areas in the arts). He shared stories as an artist and as a record exec. It was like a relaxing jam session with a jazz great.

[@charlesdorval394]

So that would be Chardonn-eh in Canada lol And if you wanna show off at a wine tasting, you don't pronounce the 'C' in blanc. And you didn't butcher that french name at all, you got it pretty spot on! I actually had to rewind to see what you meant hehehe The "blank" wine bothered me more lol

[@TJBChris]

Hah - I didn't even think to make a -eh joke. Hrm, I've been slacking! Glad to know I was close on the pronunciation of the french wine. As to "blanc" - I guess I learn something every day! Where I am, we all say it incorrectly. :)

[@BollingHolt]

Oh goodness! Oz looks JUST like someone who would have hung out with Frasier and Niles Crane in the mid-90s... even if he WASN'T a wine connoisseur LOL. Edit - as you mention the Cranes later in the video haha

[@TJBChris]

I agree, I can see the Drs. Crane hanging out with Oz for sure…until they decide he’s beneath them and snubs him. Probably only to find out Oz has some social connection they covet. 🤣

[@BollingHolt]

@@TJBChris YES!!!!! 😂

[@charlesdorval394]

Another average Joe here and I have to agree, pretty good wine for not too much around here as well. Only bad wine I ever got was where I used to work, christmas "present" from a supplier. I was wondering why nobody wanted it ... until I poured it. I don't know much about wine, but I could tell wine shouldn't be that colour lol Damn that was bad

[@Lee_Adamson_OCF]

Very fancy! But I am very saddened that my $16 bottom-shelf boxed wine is not mentioned. :( :( :(

[@TJBChris]

Thanks! I didn't find any boxed wine we usually drink on the list, but I didn't look too hard either. I guess this was a time when wine with screw tops was still looked down upon, so maybe boxed wine was well below Oz Clarke?

[@RetroGamingNook]

Hand to god, my wife is sitting next to me watching every second and hanging on every word… You clever-clever sob. 😃

[@TJBChris]

:D Hah! I couldn't even get my wife to watch it...and she likes wine! :) Of course, she did watch me laughing at myself while I was editing it (and overheard my pairing recommendations...like Steak-Ums and Stoffer's Frozen Lasagna), so I guess she got the gist.

[@RetroGamingNook]

@@TJBChris Great content! My wife really loved it too. You brought your Chardonn-Ay game with those gags. Those Steak-Ums and Stoffer's bits had me tearing up. You got good instincts. Thanks for the entertainment.

[@southerninterloper4107]

Fun video! Are the classics like Mad Dog 20/20 & Boone's Farm in the index? Inquiring minds want to know.

[@TJBChris]

Sadly, no…no Mad Dog or Boone’s Farm that I could find. I guess they had to draw the line somewhere? 😂

[@erroneus00]

Love your content and your smarts! I have a question you might be able to figure out or already know. I have acquired a Tandy 1000 external 5.25" floppy drive and intended to remove the drive to install into a CoCo floppy case. But now I'm re-thinking this approach and maybe come up with a way to use this drive AS-IS with some adapter cables/devices. Already I have found the external drive connectors on the Tandy 1000 ex/hx are really different from standard. For starters, they are 30 pin rather than 34 and instead of the odd numbered pins being ground, some are 5V, ground and 12V. SO! That would require some special things to make work. I have been able to find the pinouts for the INTERNAL drives in the 1000 ex/hx (they are 34 pin) and the standard 34 pin card edge connector on the internet. But I haven't found the specific pinout mappings for the 30 pin external drive connectors. Could you help? I'd like to be able to create a board to install into the CoCo floppy drive case where the molex 4 pin power connector can connect to the board. The power lines would map to the appropriate pins for a 30 pin card edge cable which would then connect to the Tandy 1000 external floppy case. In my head it is "simple" but I don't know how to KiCAD at all.

[@TJBChris]

Thanks for the compliments on the channel! It’s fun to do these videos…even more fun when people like them. As to your external drive, I haven’t come across any service doc for them in my travels. I do see them mentioned in Tandy’s Notes and Jumpers (you can find these on the TRS-80 Model II Archie on GitHub repository in the Hardware/Notes and Jumpers folder). I don’t think you’ll find pinouts there, but you might get some clues. Good luck! github.com/pski/model2archive

[@erroneus00]

@@TJBChris I took good quality images of both sides of the Tandy30pin to standard 34 pin floppy card edge adapter board within the external drive enclosure. Using a reference describing the 34 pin standard (one side is ground the other side is all signals) I was able to visually trace back each pin from the 34 pins to the Tandy30pin arrangement which integrates 12V, 5V, Ground and signals. I'd be happy to share the results with you if you like? I did it all in Inkscape as that tool suits my experience level best for now. I suppose I could compile a table simply breaking out the connection pin translations but that doesn't tell the whole story.

[@erroneus00]

"Standard 34 pin card edge connector for 5.25"" floppy drive (odd numbered pins are all ground)", Pin,Function 2,Connector Clamp 4,(Spare) 6,Select 3 (NDS3) 8,Index 10,Select 0 (NDS0) 12,Select 1 (NDS1) 14,Select 2 (NDS2) 16,Drive Motor Enable (NMOTORON) 18,Direction 20,Step (NSTEP) 22,Write Data (NWRITEDATA) 24,Write Gate (NWRITEGATE) 26,Track 00 (NTRK00) 28,Write Protect (NWRITEPROTECT) 30,Read Data (NREADDATA) 32,Side Select (NSIDESELECT) 34,Connector Clamp

[@erroneus00]

Tandy 1000ex External floppy drive pins, , Odd side card edge connector, Pin,Function 1,12V 3,12V 5,Ground 7,Ground 9,Ground 11,Ground 13,Ground 15,Side Select (NSIDESELECT) 17,Direction 19,Write Protect (NWRITEPROTECT) 21,Read Data (NREADDATA) 23,Write Data (NWRITEDATA) 25,Write Gate (NWRITEGATE) 27,Select 0 (NDS0) 29,Select 1 (NDS1) , Even side card edge connector, Pin,Function 2,5V 4,5V 6,5V 8,5V 10,Index (NINDEX/SECTOR) 12,Track 00 (NTRK00) 14,Step (NSTEP) 16,Drive Motor Enable (NMOTORON) 18,Ground 20,Ground 22,Ground 24,Ground 26,Ground 28,12V 30,12V

[@danielktdoranie]

I don’t see a decanter Chris and it’s giving me anxiety 😂😂😂

[@TJBChris]

I had to limit the fancy-ness...otherwise I have to start using real candles and recommending foods that aren't frozen lasagnas and prepackaged chicken bakes. :) Thanks for watching!

[@jdmcs]

I think “drink with two years age” means that you should be drinking a 2022 vintage (being 2024 when I left this comment).

[@TJBChris]

Ah, makes sense. Being an amateur (and being too lazy to Google it), I stuck with trying to puzzle out for the audience. Thanks for watching!