website/content/museum/video-technology-laser-128-128ex-128ex2.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Video Technology LASER 128 / 128EX / 128EX2	Computers	Home Computer	Hong Kong	1988	65C02	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos hardware docs oc_id source LASER 128 / 128EX / 128EX2 /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_system_1.jpg /companies/video-technology Video Technology label value NAME LASER 128 / 128EX / 128EX2 label value MANUFACTURER Video Technology label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Hong Kong label value YEAR 1988 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE V.T. version of AppleSoft BASIC label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke 91 keys with numeric keypad and arrow keys label value CPU 65C02 label value SPEED 3.6 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR 3 x V.T. custom chips label value RAM 128 KB (up to 1MB) label value VRAM 64 KB label value ROM 192 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 / 80 x 24 (monochrom) label value GRAPHIC MODES All the Apple IIc modes, with an extra set for RGB: 40 x 48 / 80 x 48 / 280 x 192 / 560 x 192. 4 lines of text mode can be mixed with a truncated the 40 x 48 and 280 x 192 modes. label value COLORS 16 (40 - 80 x 48) / 6 (280 x 192) / 16 (560 x 192) label value SOUND Built-in speaker label value SIZE / WEIGHT 38 (W) x 32.5 (D) x 7.7 (H) cm. label value I/O PORTS RS232 (2), MIDI, Centronics, Tape, Composite, LCD output (for flat panel display), RGB, External Drive label value BUILT IN MEDIA Built-in 5.25 floppy disc drive label value OS DOS 3.3 label value POWER SUPPLY External power supply (15V dc, 12A, 18w) label value PRICE About $700 photos hardware docs 34 title subtitle text image SYSTEM Notice the three switches above the keyboard.\ From left to right:\ - 40 or 80 columns video mode\ - Parellel or Serial printer\ - Mono or Color monitor. /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_system_2.jpg title subtitle text image LEFT SIDE Notice the Laser expansion box connector allowing additional Apple compatible expansion slots to be added. /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_leftside_1.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT SIDE 5.25" floppy disc drive also made by V.Tech, volume knob and external speaker jack. /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_rightside_1.jpg title subtitle text image KEYBOARD CLOSE-UP /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_keyboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOTTOM SIDE The trap door allows the user to update the Laser BASIC ROM version, and enable slots 5 and 7 as built-in or external devices (2 switches). /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_bottom_1.jpg title subtitle text image REAR CONNECTORS **(1)** Joystick or mouse DB9 connector\ **(2)** Parallel printer DB15 connector\ **(3)** RGB video DB15 connector\ **(4)** Composite video RCA jack\ **(5)** External drive unit connector (5.25" or 3.5")\ **(6)** First Serial DIN plug, mainly intended for a modem\ **(7)** Second Serial DIN plug, mainly intended for a serial printer\ **(8)** External power supply DIN plug\ **(9)** Power switch\ **(10)** Laser BASIC ROM trap door /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_back_1.jpg title subtitle text image INSIDE In order to meet U.S. radio frequencies limitation rules, all of the internal components, including the floppy drive, are surrounded with a metallic shield /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_inside_1.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD The manufacturing quality of the Laser main board is not as good as that of the original APPLE IIc. **(1)** 2 x ACIA 6551 chips used for external asynchronous communications\ **(2)** Internal floppy drive connector\ **(3)** Custom Video Technology chip in charge of floppy drives management\ **(4)** Power regulators chips with a common cooler\ **(5)** 128 KB basic RAM chips - 4 x 41464 (64K x 4 bits)\ **(6)** Keyboard cables\ **(7)** Intel 8048 microcontroller used to manage the keyboard\ **(8)** 65C02 processor\ **(9)** Connector for the 1 MB RAM expansion board\ **(10)** Volume ajustment and external speaker jack\ **(11)** Custom V-Tech chip in charge of memory management\ **(12)** BIOS and BASIC ROM location. The ROM chip is soldered on the bottom side of the board\ **(13)** Custom V-Tech chip in charge of various video mode management\ **(14)** 64 KB video RAM chips - 2 x 41464 /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_mboard_1.jpg title subtitle text image MOTHERBOARD CLOSE-UP Foreground: 65C02 processor and 8048 chip\ Background: V.Tech memory and video custom chips. /media/museum/photos/videotech_laser128ex_mbcloseup_1.jpg title subtitle text image FD-100 5.25'' external disk drive /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser128_fd100_1.jpg title subtitle text image RAM EXPANSION 128 KB non-volatile RAM expansion box with its battery charger. /media/museum/hardware/videotech_laser128ex_ramexp_s1.jpg title url cover text USER'S GUIDE / BASIC MANUAL http://www.apple-iigs.info/doc/home.htm /media/museum/docs/couvs/vtech_laser128_doc.jpg [**USER'S GUIDE / BASIC MANUAL**](http://www.apple-iigs.info/doc/home.htm)written by Vtech  type of document : PDF\  size : 10,7 MB\  source : [www.apple-iigs.info](http://www.apple-iigs.info/) title url cover text FD100C FLOPPY DISK DRIVE - USER'S MANUAL null /media/museum/docs/couvs/vtech_laser128_fd100c_user-manual.jpg **FD100C FLOPPY DISK DRIVE - USER'S MANUAL**\ written by Video Technology  compiled/archived by Mark Frischknecht\  type of document : PDF\  source : [www.old-computers.com](http://jef.raskincenter.org/) 13 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230403152315/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=13 2023-04-03

The Laser 128 EX is the successor of the Laser 3000. Like the 3000, it is fully compatible with the Apple II computer, but has enhanced features.

Video Technology designed its own Apple II compatible ROM (Apple lost a lawsuit challenging it), this ROM holds an Applesoft compatible version of the BASIC.
The "Open Apple" and "Closed Apple" keys have been replaced with "Open Triangle" and "Closed Triangle" keys.

The 128EX/2's Video Display Generator chip also provided both analog RGB video (for connecting an Apple IIGS, Amiga, or Atari ST monitor) and digital RGB video (for connecting a CGA monitor). In RGB mode, the Video Display Generator (VDG) chip generates a text character set identical to an IBM PC (with the addition of the Open and Closed Triangle characters)

The drive and the external daisy-chainable SmartPort floppy drive is driven by Video Technologies custom "Universal Disk Controller" (UDC) disk array chip. The SmartPort supports Apple IIe/IIc UniDisks (3.5" and 5.25" models), Macintosh 3.5" drives (the ones without the buttons), Apple IIGS daisy-chainable 3.5" drives and Apple 5.25" disks. It is also designed to support the Chinook CT-series 20 MB to 100 MB SmartPort hard drives. The SmartPort can support two 800K 3.5" drives, two 140K 5.25" drives, and one 100 MB CT100 hard drive simultaneously daisy-chained to each other.

The Apple bus compatible expansion slot can hold an Apple High Speed (DMA) SCSI controller for running additional SCSI based storage devices.

This unit was so successful that Apple Computers was prompted to upgrade the IIc to counter it. The result was the Apple IIc Plus, also released in 1988. The IIc Plus had a 4 Mhz Western Design Center 65C02 processor, an 800K 3.5" drive built-in, and an External Drive "SmartPort" capable of the same tricks as the Laser's.
Although the two units were similarly matched, Video Technology actively advertised the Laser 128EX/2 while Apple had moved on to promoting the Macintosh.

The Laser became the most successful Apple II clone ever and this model was 99.8% IIc Plus compatible. The only two pieces of software the Apple magazines reported as incompatible were The New Print Shop (Brøderbund Software) and HomeWord (Sierra).

In North America, the Laser was aggressively marketed in Sears department stores, where it eroded its niche rival's sales, the Commodore 128.

This Laser unit's case was also used to make a Turbo XT PC clone. The PC clone and the Laser 128EX/2 shared the same case. They looked identical except for the label. Instead of "Laser 128EX/2," the XT had "Laser XT10"

Later, Video Technology also had a line of PC machines ranging from an XT 10 MHz, three 80286 versions, a failed 386 and a very robust but expensive 486 before they stopped making them and went back to electronic toys.