yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
3eeabe9649
6,654 pages: 1,289 machines, 702 software, 460 companies, 64 history, 17 articles, 59 fun. 4,336 media files so far; references to files not downloaded yet are left out. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
159 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
159 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Video Technology Laser 50 / One
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Home Computer
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origins:
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- Hong Kong
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years:
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- '1985'
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cpus:
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- Z80A
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params:
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name: Laser 50 / One
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company: /companies/video-technology
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company_name: Video Technology
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Laser 50 / One
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Video Technology
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- label: TYPE
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value: Home Computer
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: Hong Kong
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1985'
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: Basic
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: |-
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QWERTY, 46 typewriter keys + 4 function keys\
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CTRL, SHIFT, SPACE, RETURN and ACC (Accent) key with Led built-in
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- label: CPU
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value: Z80A
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- label: SPEED
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value: 3,58 Mhz
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- label: RAM
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value: 2192 bytes (expandable to 18 kb )
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- label: ROM
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value: 12 kb
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 1 line x 16 chars.
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: 80 x 7 dots
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- label: COLORS
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value: Monochrome
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- label: SOUND
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value: Beeper (1 voice, 3 octaves)
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: 27.5 (W) x 16.3 (D) x 4.2 (H) cm / 700g
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: Tape-recorder jack, Memory expansion ports, Parallel printer port
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: |-
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4 x UM3 (''AA'') batteries\
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or 6v DC, 15mA, 22mW with external PSU
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- label: PERIPHERALS
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value: |-
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4 colors plotter PP-40I\
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Thermic printer TP-20\
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16 kb RAM expansion\
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Tape recorder
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- label: PRICE
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value: Unknown
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tabs:
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- photos
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- hardware
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photos:
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- title: LARGER VIEW
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: SIDE VIEWS
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subtitle: ''
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text: The Laser 50 is the size of a "big" pocket computer.
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image: null
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- title: DISPLAY CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: 'CLOSE-UP #2'
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: BOTTOM SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: Two trap doors allow to insert batteries and memory expansion module.
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image: null
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- title: REAR SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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From left to right:\
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• Parallel printer flat connector\
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• external supply and tape recorder jacks.
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image: null
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- title: OPENED
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subtitle: ''
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text: The build is of poor quality. Single sided printed circuits with lots of straps, no connectors but only soldered and glued leads and flat cables.
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image: null
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- title: THE ELECTRONICS
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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The electronics is composed of only 3 ICs. Two Toshiba chipsets (T7812 & T7813) hold the Z80 CPU, the BASIC interpreter and manage the keyboard, display and printer interface. Strangely, each chipset manages half of the LCD display. The third IC is a 4 KB RAM 5116.
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**(1)** The twin Toshiba chipsets\
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**(2)** LCD display connector\
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**(3)** Printer and external supply jacks\
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**(4)** 5116 RAM chip, here a Sharp version\
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**(5)** Keyboard's rubber sheet. Each "bubble" corresponds to a key.
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image: null
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- title: USER MANUAL
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subtitle: ''
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text: The manual provides clear and detailed information about the built-in Basic.
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image: null
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- title: THE BOX
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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hardware:
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- title: MOST OF THE EXTENSIONS
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subtitle: ''
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text: The tape-recorder + thermic printer + RAM extension
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image: null
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- title: LASER 4 COLOURS PRINTER PP40I
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subtitle: ''
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text: A nice little 4 colours plotter using a very common mechanism at that time. It's the same printer used for the Laser 200 family.
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image: null
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comments:
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- author: Marty McFly
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date: Sunday 2nd June 2019
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text: Could someone please send me a PDF of the Basic instruction Manual that came with the Laser 50? Just bought this computer used over e-bay, and I want to get into Basic programming, but I can''t find that booklet anywhere online.
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- author: Brian (America)
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date: Wednesday 16th November 2011
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text: I owned one when I was 6! This baby set me on the path of the programmer! Amazing!
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- author: Talib (Seattle, WA)
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date: Tuesday 10th August 2010
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text: I would love to own it, i will buy it from you. Anybody willing to sell it?
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- author: cyberfritz (Germany)
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date: Monday 17th March 2008
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text: |-
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Hello, can someone send me a copy of the manual?
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Thanks & Regards,\
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cyberfritz
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- author: Josh (Indiana, United States)
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date: Tuesday 13rd May 2003
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text: This weekend, I purchased a Laser 50 at a local thrift store. I'm still trying to think of some useful application for it. Any ideas?
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- author: Ralf (Germany)
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date: Monday 6th May 2002
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text: Nobody here to remember? Damn. It's a very rare machine ..
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oc_id: 447
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230601000917/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=447
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date: '2023-06-01'
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---
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The Laser 50 was a small and cheap computer, nearly pocket sized. It was sold as an educational computer (it's written on it), and in France it was sold in a suitcase along with an introductory cartoon-book....
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