--- title: Salora Fellow categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - Finland years: - '1984' cpus: - Zilog Z80 A params: name: Fellow image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_system_s1.jpg company: /companies/salora company_name: Salora specs: - label: NAME value: Fellow - label: MANUFACTURER value: Salora - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Finland - label: YEAR value: '1984' - label: END OF PRODUCTION value: '1985' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Microsoft Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: |- QWERTY, 45 rubber keys\ Basic instructions and graphic symbols - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80 A - label: SPEED value: 3.58 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: Motorola 6847 (video processor) - label: RAM value: 6 KB - Up to 64 KB with memory addons - label: VRAM value: 2 KB - label: ROM value: 16 KB - label: TEXT MODES value: 32 x 16, 8 colors (Mode 0) - label: GRAPHIC MODES value: 128 x 64, 4 colors (Mode 1) - label: COLORS value: '8' - label: SOUND value: 1 voice, 3 octaves - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 29 x 17 x 4 cm / 800 gr - label: I/O PORTS value: |- Tape-recorder (600 bauds)\ RF video out\ Composite video out (DIN)\ Memory upgrade port\ Expansion port - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 10-12v, 800ma - label: PRICE value: Unknown tabs: - photos - hardware - software - emulators - links - docs forum_thread: 1087 photos: - title: LARGE VIEW subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_system_s2.jpg - title: KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_keyboard_s1.jpg - title: UNDERSIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_underside_s1.jpg - title: REAR CONNECTORS subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right: • DC 9V jack, power is supplied by an external AC adaptor\ • Tape recorder jack\ • Composite video output\ • RAM expansion and printer slots\ • TV/RF video output. image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_rearconn_s1.jpg - title: INSIDE subtitle: '' text: |- In this version, the manufacturing "quality" is same as the Laser 200; that means, really dreadful, the worst ever seen in the computing industry.\ The orange add-on card is the Secam/TV video card. image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_inside_s1.jpg - title: THE BOX subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_box_s1.jpg - title: USER'S MANUALS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/salora_fellow_manuals_s1.jpg hardware: - title: LASER 16K RAM EXPANSION subtitle: '' text: This thing fits in the memory expansion port and adds 16k RAM. It cost 590fr in 1984. image: /media/museum/hardware/vtehc_laser200_16k_cart.jpg - title: LASER LIGHT PEN subtitle: '' text: Cool little light pen... But the only software using it was the on demo tape sold with it ! image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser200_lpen.jpg - title: LASER JOYSTICK subtitle: '' text: Nice shape. Two joysticks and their interface cost 320fr in 1984. image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser200_jstck.jpg - title: DR-10 / DR-20 subtitle: Tape-recorder text: |- A originally designed tape-recorder available for the whole Laser family.\ It cost 590fr in 1984.. The DR-10 and DR-20 tape-recorders seem identicals in all points. Apparently, the DR-20 was sold for Dick Smith models, and the DR-10 for Laser machines... image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_200_dr10.jpg - title: DR-30 subtitle: Tape-Recorder text: |- Another cool tape-recorder for the Laser serie.\ This one was also found for many other computers of that time. image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_200_dr30.jpg - title: DD-20 subtitle: 5''1/4 Disk-drive text: A small 5"1/4 floppy disk drive for the Laser computers. But its capacity is a bit short with only 78k per formated disk. One disk drive and its controller cost 2380fr in 1984. image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_dd20.jpg - title: DD-20 subtitle: The inside text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_dd20_2.jpg - title: PARALLEL PRINTER INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: This enables the Laser computers to use ''parallel'' printers. image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_vz300_printer-interface.jpg - title: TAPE RECORDER subtitle: '' text: All these Salora peripherals were rabadged versions of the original Video Technology's. image: /media/museum/hardware/salora_fellow_cassettedrive_s1.jpg - title: 16 KB RAM MODULE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/salora_fellow_16kmodule_s1.jpg - title: 64 KB RAM MODULE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/salora_fellow_64kmodule_s1.jpg - title: PRINTER INTERFACE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/salora_fellow_printerinterf_s1.jpg - title: PRINTER - PLOTTER subtitle: '' text: This printer uses the well known 4-colour / 4-pen mini printer-plotter mechanism one finds also in Sharp, Oric, Sega and numerous other brands. image: /media/museum/hardware/salora_fellow_printerplotter_s1.jpg screenshots: - title: CIRCUS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_circus.png - title: CRASH subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_crash.png - title: DAWN PATROL subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_dawn.png - title: DEFENCE PENETRATOR subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_defpen.png - title: DIGOUT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_digout.png - title: DRACULA'S CASTLE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_dracula.gif - title: DUEL subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_duel2.png - title: GALAXON subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_galaxon.png - title: GHOST HUNTER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_ghosth.gif - title: HAMBURGER SAM subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_hamsam.png - title: HOPPY subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_hoppy.gif - title: INVADERS subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_invaders.png - title: KAMIKAZE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_kamikaze.png - title: LADDER CHALLENGE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_ladder.png - title: LUNAR LANDER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_llander.png - title: MISSILE ATTACK subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_missile.png - title: PENGUIN subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_penguin.png - title: SPACE RAM subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_spaceram.png - title: STAR BLASTER subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_starblst.png - title: VZ PANIK subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_vzpanik.png emulators: - title: VZEM url: http://www.powerup.com.au/~intertek/VZ200/vz.htm platform: MS DOS text: The emulator is written in Borland C++. It emulates a VZ200/300 with 34k RAM - title: Emulator2001 url: http://www.gstsoftware.co.nz/ platform: Windows text: The VZ-200 has been added to this multi-emulator - title: James's VZ 200 emulator url: http://www.geocities.com/EMUCOMPBOY/ platform: Windows text: Emulator for the NTSC version of this computer - title: WinVZ url: http://vzalive.bangrocks.com/emulators/ platform: Windows text: Play your VZ games in Windows - title: MESS Project url: http://www.mess.org/ platform: Multiplatform text: Emulates a lot of systems for all platforms. links: - title: Planet VZ url: http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/laser/184/ text: Useful infos here... - title: Steve75 Laser 310 page url: http://utenti.lycos.it/STEVE75/laser.html text: Pictures, info, games, emulators and online manual. - title: The VZ200 url: http://vz200.tripod.com/ text: Growing website aimed at the new modern user. - title: Tricky's VZ200 page url: http://www.trickynz.com/VZ200.html text: Photos and downloadable docs - title: Video Technology official site url: http://www.vtech.com text: Nothing remains about the old computers... - title: VZ Alive url: http://vzalive.bangrocks.com/ text: Excellent site dedicated to the VZ computers - title: VZ Online url: http://www.vz200-online.de.vu/ text: a German VZ 200 homepage - title: VZ-200/VZ-300 url: http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Dunes/6771/vz/ text: Lots of information and links about the Dick Smith VZ series. - title: Yahoo Discussion Group - The VZ Color computer mailing list url: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/vzemu/ text: Quite active discussion group docs: - title: VZ-200 - GETTING STARTED MANUAL url: http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/ cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_getting-started_cover.jpg text: |- [**VZ-200 - GETTING STARTED MANUAL**](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/)written by Tim Hartnell/ Neville Predebon / Dick Smith  compiled/archived by VZ-Alive\  type of document : HTML\  size : 357 KB\  source : [VZ-Alive](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/) - title: VZ-200 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL url: http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/ cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_technical-ref-manual_cover.jpg text: |- [**VZ-200 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL**](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/)written by Jamieson Rowe / Dick Smith  compiled/archived by VZ-Alive\  type of document : ZIP\  size : 22.6 KB\  source : [VZ-Alive](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com) - title: VZ200/300 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING FOR BEGINNERS url: http://vz200.tripod.com/index.html cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200-300%20assembly%20language%20programming%20for%20beginners.jpg text: |- [**VZ200/300 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING FOR BEGINNERS**](http://vz200.tripod.com/index.html)written by Steve Olney  compiled/archived by The VZ200\  type of document : PDF\  size : 6 MB\  source : [The VZ200](http://vz200.tripod.com/id4.html) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** - title: USEFUL ROM SUBROUTINES FOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAMMING url: http://vz200.tripod.com cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/useful%20rom%20subroutines%20for%20assembly%20programming.jpg text: |- [**USEFUL ROM SUBROUTINES FOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAMMING**](http://vz200.tripod.com)written by Unknown  compiled/archived by The VZ200\  type of document : PDF\  size : 110 Ko\  source : [The VZ200](http://vz200.tripod.com) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** related: - /museum/dick-smith-vz200 - /museum/dick-smith-vz300 - /museum/texet-tx-8000 - /museum/video-technology-laser-200-210 - /museum/video-technology-laser-310 oc_id: 1117 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20190403183610/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1117 date: '2019-04-03' --- Salora Fellow was basically the same machine as the Video Technology [Laser 200/210](/museum/video-technology-laser-200-210/) just with a different case in colors that matches Salora's other electronics. Salora is a Finnish televison manufacturer and they mainly sold this machine in Scandinavia, mostly in Finland. Technically they are the same as the Vtech machines and the machine still says Vtech Laser 200 when booted. The machine sold reasonably well because of Salora's good reputation, but was soon crushed by bigger companies like Commodore and Spectravideo with their better machines. Lack of software was an important factor of course. The machine was also a bit out of date on arrival. The machine wasn't really localized as the Scandinavian Ä,Ö and Å letter were missing from the keyboard. Adding them to the rubber keys must have been too difficult or expensive. There were two known mainboard revisions:\ • The one shown on the more-pictures section is identical with the original Laser 200 and very badly made with lots of wires, hot glue and a small sister board.\ • The second one is of much better quality, as good as big company machines like Commodore, no sister board and only one long wire running through the whole board. There is also a switch on the underside of the machine to choose between color/black&white output. Maybe Salora got tired of fixing broken Fellow's and demanded better quality from Vtech? Salora also distributed the Laser 2001 as the **Manager**. It was meant to be the high-end computer of Salora's computer range. Thanks to **Taneli Lukka** from Finland for this information.