website/content/museum/dick-smith-vz300.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Dick Smith VZ300	Computers	Home Computer	Hong Kong	1985	Zilog Z80 A	name image company company_name specs tabs photos hardware screenshots emulators links docs comments related oc_id source VZ300 /media/museum/photos/dicksmith_vz300_system_s1.jpg /companies/dick-smith Dick Smith label value NAME VZ300 label value MANUFACTURER Dick Smith label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Hong Kong label value YEAR 1985 label value END OF PRODUCTION 1987 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Microsoft Basic label value KEYBOARD QWERTY, 46 mechanical keys, Basic instructions and graphic symbols label value CPU Zilog Z80 A label value SPEED 3.54 MHz label value CO-PROCESSOR Video chip : Motorola 6807 label value RAM 16 kb (up to 64 kb) label value VRAM 2 kb label value ROM 16 kb label value TEXT MODES 32 columns x 16 lines, 8 colors (Mode 0) label value GRAPHIC MODES 128 x 64 dots, 4 colors (Mode 1) label value COLORS 8 label value SOUND built-in piezzo loudspeaker 1 voice, 2.5 octaves, 9 note lengths label value SIZE / WEIGHT 30,5 x 18,5 x 5,5 cm label value I/O PORTS Tape-recorder (600 bauds), TV (RF modulator), Composite video, Memory expansion port, general expansion port label value BUILT IN MEDIA None label value POWER SUPPLY External AC adaptor 10V DC 800 mA label value PERIPHERALS 16 and 64 KB RAM plug-in modules, tape recorder, FDD unit label value PRICE $99.00 AU Dollars (Australia, 1985) photos hardware software emulators links docs title subtitle text image LARGER VIEW /media/museum/photos/dicksmith_vz300_system_s2.jpg title subtitle text image LASER 16K RAM EXPANSION This thing fits in the memory expansion port and adds 16k RAM. It cost 590fr in 1984. /media/museum/hardware/vtehc_laser200_16k_cart.jpg title subtitle text image LASER LIGHT PEN Cool little light pen... But the only software using it was the on demo tape sold with it ! /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser200_lpen.jpg title subtitle text image LASER JOYSTICK Nice shape. Two joysticks and their interface cost 320fr in 1984. /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser200_jstck.jpg title subtitle text image DR-10 / DR-20 Tape-recorder 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... /media/museum/hardware/vtech_200_dr10.jpg title subtitle text image DR-30 Tape-Recorder Another cool tape-recorder for the Laser serie.\ This one was also found for many other computers of that time. /media/museum/hardware/vtech_200_dr30.jpg title subtitle text image DD-20 5''1/4 Disk-drive 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. /media/museum/hardware/vtech_dd20.jpg title subtitle text image DD-20 The inside /media/museum/hardware/vtech_dd20_2.jpg title subtitle text image PARALLEL PRINTER INTERFACE This enables the Laser computers to use ''parallel'' printers. /media/museum/hardware/vtech_vz300_printer-interface.jpg title subtitle text image CIRCUS /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_circus.png title subtitle text image CRASH /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_crash.png title subtitle text image DAWN PATROL /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_dawn.png title subtitle text image DEFENCE PENETRATOR /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_defpen.png title subtitle text image DIGOUT /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_digout.png title subtitle text image DRACULA'S CASTLE /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_dracula.gif title subtitle text image DUEL /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_duel2.png title subtitle text image GALAXON /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_galaxon.png title subtitle text image GHOST HUNTER /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_ghosth.gif title subtitle text image HAMBURGER SAM /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_hamsam.png title subtitle text image HOPPY /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_hoppy.gif title subtitle text image INVADERS /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_invaders.png title subtitle text image KAMIKAZE /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_kamikaze.png title subtitle text image LADDER CHALLENGE /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_ladder.png title subtitle text image LUNAR LANDER /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_llander.png title subtitle text image MISSILE ATTACK /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_missile.png title subtitle text image PENGUIN /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_penguin.png title subtitle text image SPACE RAM /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_spaceram.png title subtitle text image STAR BLASTER /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_starblst.png title subtitle text image VZ PANIK /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_vzpanik.png title url platform text VZEM http://www.powerup.com.au/~intertek/VZ200/vz.htm MS DOS The emulator is written in Borland C++. It emulates a VZ200/300 with 34k RAM title url platform text Emulator2001 http://www.gstsoftware.co.nz/ Windows The VZ-200 has been added to this multi-emulator title url platform text James's VZ 200 emulator http://www.geocities.com/EMUCOMPBOY/ Windows Emulator for the NTSC version of this computer title url platform text WinVZ http://vzalive.bangrocks.com/emulators/ Windows Play your VZ games in Windows title url platform text MESS Project http://www.mess.org/ Multiplatform Emulates a lot of systems for all platforms. title url text Planet VZ http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/laser/184/ Useful infos here... title url text Steve75 Laser 310 page http://utenti.lycos.it/STEVE75/laser.html Pictures, info, games, emulators and online manual. title url text The VZ200 http://vz200.tripod.com/ Growing website aimed at the new modern user. title url text Tricky's VZ200 page http://www.trickynz.com/VZ200.html Photos and downloadable docs title url text Video Technology official site http://www.vtech.com Nothing remains about the old computers... title url text VZ Alive http://vzalive.bangrocks.com/ Excellent site dedicated to the VZ computers title url text VZ Online http://www.vz200-online.de.vu/ a German VZ 200 homepage title url text VZ-200/VZ-300 http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Dunes/6771/vz/ Lots of information and links about the Dick Smith VZ series. title url text Yahoo Discussion Group - The VZ Color computer mailing list http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/vzemu/ Quite active discussion group title url cover text VZ-200 - GETTING STARTED MANUAL null /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_getting-started_cover.jpg **VZ-200 - GETTING STARTED MANUAL**\ written by Tim Hartnell/ Neville Predebon / Dick Smith  compiled/archived by Unknown\  type of document : PDF\  size : 325 KB\  source : [ManualZZ.com](https://manualzz.com/download/1086812) title url cover text DICK-SMITH VZ200 USER MANUAL https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5639672 /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_user-manual.jpg [**DICK-SMITH VZ200 USER MANUAL**](https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5639672)written by Video Technology  compiled/archived by Archive.org\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Achive.org](https://archive.org) title url cover text VZ-200 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL https://archive.org/details/VZ200-technical-reference-manual /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_technical-ref-manual_cover.jpg [**VZ-200 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL**](https://archive.org/details/VZ200-technical-reference-manual)written by Jamieson Rowe / Dick Smith  compiled/archived by Archive.org\  type of document : Online reader\  source : [Archive.org](https://archive.org/) title url cover text VZ-200 FIRST BOOK OF PROGRAMS https://archive.org/details/vz-200-first-book-of-programs /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_first-book-of-programs.jpg [**VZ-200 FIRST BOOK OF PROGRAMS**](https://archive.org/details/vz-200-first-book-of-programs)written by Dick Smith  compiled/archived by Archive.org\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Archive.org](https://archive.org/) title url cover text VZ-200 SECOND BOOK OF GAMES https://archive.org/details/VZ200-second-book-of-games /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_second-book-of-games.jpg [**VZ-200 SECOND BOOK OF GAMES**](https://archive.org/details/VZ200-second-book-of-games)written by Dick Smith  compiled/archived by Archive.org\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Archive.org](https://archive.org/) title url cover text VZ-200 FURTHER PROGRAMMING https://archive.org/details/vz200fp /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_further-programming.jpg [**VZ-200 FURTHER PROGRAMMING**](https://archive.org/details/vz200fp)written by Dick Smith / Tim Hartnell  compiled/archived by Archive.org\  type of document : PDF\  source : [Archive.org](https://archive.org/) title url cover text VZ200/300 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING FOR BEGINNERS http://vz200.tripod.com/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200-300_assembly-language-manual%5B1%5D.jpg [**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 : Old-Computers.com title url cover text USEFUL ROM SUBROUTINES FOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAMMING null /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_useful-lm-subroutines.jpg **USEFUL ROM SUBROUTINES FOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAMMING**\ written by Unknown  compiled/archived by The VZ200\  type of document : PDF\  size : 110 Ko\  source : [The VZ200](http://vz200.tripod.com) author date text Lisati (New Zealand) Thursday 12th June 2014 I had one 20-something years ago. It was a good little workhorse, until the conduit that carries the blue smoke it runs on sprung a leak. author date text dave (Australia ) Sunday 16th February 2014 just got one today, have spent the last few hours loading tapes and mucking around with it, for me it all started with the commodore 64, the collection just keeps growing, books, magazines, now a Tandy printer, it seems old computers are becoming a bit more of a active hobby for me author date text Juan Castro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Wednesday 9th January 2013 Typo: the video processor is teh 6847, not 6807. And I wouldn''t call it a "coprocessor." author date text Jeremy (Australia) Monday 16th January 2012 I still remember the different memory addresses, such as using "POKE 30744,1" to invert the colours in text mode. author date text Andrew Laird (Mlebourne, Australia) Friday 2nd November 2007 I started with a VZ200 and then eventually upgraded to a VZ300 complete with floppy disk drive. I had many hours of fun playing games, learning BASIC programming. Now I collect them and have a growing collection of computers, peripherals, books and electronics and computer magazines from the era. author date text James (Melbourne, Australia) Wednesday 30th November 2005 I have many fond memories of this machine. A friend owed one, while I opted for the Microbee. I spent many hours playing with the VZ300 as a kid and learned to like it greatly. I've just purchased one this evening and hope that it is in working order so I might make a further contribution your fine site. author date text Steve (Adelaide, Australia) Saturday 4th September 2004 Great to see that pretty much every old computer is covered on this site. My Dad bought a VZ300 in the mid 80's when I was a kid, without a tape drive though it's entertainment value was limited, programs had to be laboriously typed in each time. We even spent something like 2 or 3 hours typing in a game with colour graphics, only to have it wiped when switched off.\ The VZ300 gave me an appreciation for text-based adventures (I seem to recall now my father borrowing a tape drive off a workmate once, he still has an old VZ200 tape floating around as evidence of this).\ All in all, it was a pretty frustrating and forgettable experience, kind of a poor man's Commodore 64 although I'm sure it would have got a lot more use if my Dad hadn't skimped on buying a damn tape drive! /museum/dick-smith-vz200 /museum/salora-fellow /museum/texet-tx-8000 /museum/video-technology-laser-200-210 /museum/video-technology-laser-310 980 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230608091718/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=980 2023-06-08

Dick Smith released the VZ-300 (same model as the VTech Laser 310) in 1985. It was basically a VZ-200 with 16K RAM (the VZ-200 had 8K RAM), a slightly updated BASIC ROM and a better standard keyboard.

The 16K cartridge could be plugged into the VZ300, as well as a new 64K version, but it only gave a total of 34 KB. Only language machine programs could take advantage of the extra 32 KB thanks to the Z80 bank switching facility.