--- title: Video Technology LASER 310 categories: - Computers types: - Home Computer origins: - Hong Kong years: - '1984' cpus: - Zilog Z80 A params: name: LASER 310 image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side_s.jpg logo: /media/museum/logos/vtech_laser310_logo.gif company: /companies/video-technology company_name: Video Technology specs: - label: NAME value: LASER 310 - label: MANUFACTURER value: Video Technology - label: TYPE value: Home Computer - label: ORIGIN value: Hong Kong - label: YEAR value: '1984' - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE value: Microsoft Basic - label: KEYBOARD value: |- QWERTY, 46 mechanical keys\ Basic instructions and graphic symbols - label: CPU value: Zilog Z80 A - label: SPEED value: 3.54 MHz - label: CO-PROCESSOR value: 'Video chip : Motorola 6807' - label: RAM value: 16 kb (up to 64 kb) - 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: Beeper, 1 voice, 3 octaves - label: SIZE / WEIGHT value: 30,5 x 18,5 x 5,5 cm / 800g ? - label: I/O PORTS value: |- Tape-recorder (600 bauds)\ RF tv out\ Composite video out\ Memory expansion port\ Expansion port - label: POWER SUPPLY value: 10-12V 800MA dc - label: PRICE value: 257 (France, february 85) tabs: - photos - adverts - hardware - software - emulators - links - docs photos: - title: THE LASER 310 subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side.jpg - title: SIDE subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side2.jpg - title: FRONT subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_face.jpg - title: REAR subtitle: '' text: |- From left to right: Power supply | Tape-recorder | Monitor | Memory expansion port | Peripheral port | TV output image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_rear.jpg - title: THE DICK SMITH ELECTR. VZ-300 subtitle: '' text: |- Same case as the Laser 310, but sometimes the colours change (here the keyboard is not black...) and the sticker is different...of course. Thanks to Stephan Walgenbach image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_vz300.jpg adverts: - title: FRENCH ADVERT. subtitle: '' text: '"Your computing teacher at home !"' image: /media/museum/pubs/vtech_laser310_pub1_bad.jpg - title: FRENCH ADVERT. subtitle: '' text: '"For 1690 FF, wire all your family to the Laser 310"' image: /media/museum/pubs/vtech_laser310_pub2_bad.jpg hardware: - title: SOME EXTENSIONS... subtitle: '' text: '' image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser310_extensions.jpg - 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 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 :** comments: - author: Legend Chen (China) date: Saturday 12th October 2019 text: Same as MagNet. I was about 10 in 1988 when my father, chief engineer of a local computer factory, brought me a LASER 310 from Hong Kong. That was one of my best childhood memories ever since. The BASIC language, the official demo cassette including a very attractive game, and the whole configuration that needs several minutes to set up. - author: Dave date: Sunday 2nd June 2019 text: |- The intro-to-computing courses with the Laser 310 / VZ300 must nearly have been worldwide, as these were also advertised in various magazines in Australia between 1985 to \~1988. For any VZ fans, come on over to our ''VZ / Laser'' Facebook page. - author: MaGNeT (Netherlands) date: Wednesday 8th March 2017 text: Back in 1988, when I was 12, my parents put me on a "BASIC programming for the youth" course by the Scheidegger Institute. The Laser 310 came in a small suitcase, together with a course folder. Back then it was my first experience with a computer and got totally hooked. - author: Steve Van Nieuwenhoven (Belgium) date: Thursday 8th January 2015 text: Same story as Enrico. My dad went on a computer course at Sheidegger Industries to learn "computer" and afterwards he could purchase the machine in 1984 for 27000 BEF $ a half months wages back then. - author: Enrico Barbisan (Italy) date: Saturday 31st August 2002 text: |- So, finally I've found a Laser 310 Clor Computer! I have to say that, on the back, production year is 1983, not 1984!\ And this computer was not sold only in Australia and NZ: in Italy there was computer courses to learn computer science with this computer, and at the end of the course people could buy Laser 310! related: - /museum/dick-smith-vz200 - /museum/dick-smith-vz300 - /museum/salora-fellow - /museum/texet-tx-8000 - /museum/video-technology-laser-200-210 oc_id: 157 source: url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230324114221/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=157 date: '2023-03-24' --- The Laser 310 is an improved version of the [Laser 200/210](/museum/video-technology-laser-200-210/). Both computers are compatible with each other, for both software and hardware. Basically, it has an enhanced keyboard and more memory. This model was also sold worldwide, the most popular version being the VZ-300 from Dick Smith Electronics.
We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.