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
371 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
371 lines
13 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Video Technology LASER 310
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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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- '1984'
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cpus:
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- Zilog Z80 A
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params:
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name: LASER 310
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image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side_s.jpg
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logo: /media/museum/logos/vtech_laser310_logo.gif
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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 310
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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: '1984'
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: Microsoft Basic
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: |-
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QWERTY, 46 mechanical keys\
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Basic instructions and graphic symbols
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- label: CPU
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value: Zilog Z80 A
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- label: SPEED
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value: 3.54 MHz
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- label: CO-PROCESSOR
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value: 'Video chip : Motorola 6807'
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- label: RAM
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value: 16 kb (up to 64 kb)
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- label: VRAM
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value: 2 kb
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- label: ROM
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value: 16 kb
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 32 x 16, 8 colors (Mode 0)
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: 128 x 64, 4 colors (Mode 1)
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- label: COLORS
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value: '8'
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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: 30,5 x 18,5 x 5,5 cm / 800g ?
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: |-
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Tape-recorder (600 bauds)\
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RF tv out\
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Composite video out\
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Memory expansion port\
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Expansion port
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: 10-12V 800MA dc
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- label: PRICE
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value: 257 (France, february 85)
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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- hardware
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- software
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- emulators
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- links
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- docs
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photos:
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- title: THE LASER 310
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side.jpg
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- title: SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side2.jpg
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- title: FRONT
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_face.jpg
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- title: REAR
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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From left to right:
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Power supply | Tape-recorder | Monitor | Memory expansion port | Peripheral port | TV output
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image: /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_rear.jpg
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- title: THE DICK SMITH ELECTR. VZ-300
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Same case as the Laser 310, but sometimes the colours change (here the keyboard is not black...) and the sticker is different...of course.
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Thanks to Stephan Walgenbach
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image: null
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adverts:
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- title: FRENCH ADVERT.
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subtitle: ''
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text: '"Your computing teacher at home !"'
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image: null
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- title: FRENCH ADVERT.
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subtitle: ''
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text: '"For 1690 FF, wire all your family to the Laser 310"'
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image: null
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hardware:
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- title: SOME EXTENSIONS...
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: null
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- title: LASER 16K RAM EXPANSION
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subtitle: ''
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text: This thing fits in the memory expansion port and adds 16k RAM. It cost 590fr in 1984.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtehc_laser200_16k_cart.jpg
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- title: LASER LIGHT PEN
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subtitle: ''
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text: Cool little light pen... But the only software using it was the on demo tape sold with it !
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser200_lpen.jpg
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- title: LASER JOYSTICK
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subtitle: ''
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text: Nice shape. Two joysticks and their interface cost 320fr in 1984.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser200_jstck.jpg
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- title: DR-10 / DR-20
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subtitle: Tape-recorder
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text: |-
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A originally designed tape-recorder available for the whole Laser family.\
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It cost 590fr in 1984..
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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...
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_200_dr10.jpg
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- title: DR-30
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subtitle: Tape-Recorder
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text: |-
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Another cool tape-recorder for the Laser serie.\
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This one was also found for many other computers of that time.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_200_dr30.jpg
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- title: DD-20
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subtitle: 5''1/4 Disk-drive
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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.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_dd20.jpg
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- title: DD-20
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subtitle: The inside
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_dd20_2.jpg
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- title: PARALLEL PRINTER INTERFACE
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subtitle: ''
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text: This enables the Laser computers to use ''parallel'' printers.
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image: /media/museum/hardware/vtech_vz300_printer-interface.jpg
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screenshots:
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- title: CIRCUS
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_circus.png
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- title: CRASH
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_crash.png
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- title: DAWN PATROL
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_dawn.png
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- title: DEFENCE PENETRATOR
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_defpen.png
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- title: DIGOUT
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_digout.png
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- title: DRACULA'S CASTLE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_dracula.gif
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- title: DUEL
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_duel2.png
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- title: GALAXON
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_galaxon.png
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- title: GHOST HUNTER
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_ghosth.gif
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- title: HAMBURGER SAM
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_hamsam.png
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- title: HOPPY
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_hoppy.gif
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- title: INVADERS
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_invaders.png
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- title: KAMIKAZE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_kamikaze.png
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- title: LADDER CHALLENGE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_ladder.png
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- title: LUNAR LANDER
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_llander.png
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- title: MISSILE ATTACK
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_missile.png
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- title: PENGUIN
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_penguin.png
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- title: SPACE RAM
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_spaceram.png
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- title: STAR BLASTER
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_starblst.png
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- title: VZ PANIK
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/software/vtech_ss_vzpanik.png
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emulators:
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- title: VZEM
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url: http://www.powerup.com.au/~intertek/VZ200/vz.htm
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platform: MS DOS
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text: The emulator is written in Borland C++. It emulates a VZ200/300 with 34k RAM
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- title: Emulator2001
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url: http://www.gstsoftware.co.nz/
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platform: Windows
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text: The VZ-200 has been added to this multi-emulator
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- title: James's VZ 200 emulator
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url: http://www.geocities.com/EMUCOMPBOY/
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platform: Windows
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text: Emulator for the NTSC version of this computer
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- title: WinVZ
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url: http://vzalive.bangrocks.com/emulators/
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platform: Windows
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text: Play your VZ games in Windows
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- title: MESS Project
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url: http://www.mess.org/
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platform: Multiplatform
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text: Emulates a lot of systems for all platforms.
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links:
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- title: Planet VZ
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url: http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/laser/184/
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text: Useful infos here...
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- title: Steve75 Laser 310 page
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url: http://utenti.lycos.it/STEVE75/laser.html
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text: Pictures, info, games, emulators and online manual.
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- title: The VZ200
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url: http://vz200.tripod.com/
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text: Growing website aimed at the new modern user.
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- title: Tricky's VZ200 page
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url: http://www.trickynz.com/VZ200.html
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text: Photos and downloadable docs
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- title: Video Technology official site
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url: http://www.vtech.com
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text: Nothing remains about the old computers...
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- title: VZ Alive
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url: http://vzalive.bangrocks.com/
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text: Excellent site dedicated to the VZ computers
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- title: VZ Online
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url: http://www.vz200-online.de.vu/
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text: a German VZ 200 homepage
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- title: VZ-200/VZ-300
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url: http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Dunes/6771/vz/
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text: Lots of information and links about the Dick Smith VZ series.
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- title: Yahoo Discussion Group - The VZ Color computer mailing list
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url: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/vzemu/
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text: Quite active discussion group
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docs:
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- title: VZ-200 - GETTING STARTED MANUAL
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url: http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_getting-started_cover.jpg
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text: |-
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[**VZ-200 - GETTING STARTED MANUAL**](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/)written by Tim Hartnell/ Neville Predebon / Dick Smith
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compiled/archived by VZ-Alive\
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type of document : HTML\
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size : 357 KB\
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source : [VZ-Alive](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/)
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- title: VZ-200 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL
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url: http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_technical-ref-manual_cover.jpg
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text: |-
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[**VZ-200 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL**](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/)written by Jamieson Rowe / Dick Smith
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compiled/archived by VZ-Alive\
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type of document : ZIP\
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size : 22.6 KB\
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source : [VZ-Alive](http://vzalive.bluebilby.com)
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- title: VZ200/300 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING FOR BEGINNERS
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url: http://vz200.tripod.com/index.html
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200-300%20assembly%20language%20programming%20for%20beginners.jpg
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text: |-
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[**VZ200/300 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING FOR BEGINNERS**](http://vz200.tripod.com/index.html)written by Steve Olney
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compiled/archived by The VZ200\
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type of document : PDF\
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size : 6 MB\
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source : [The VZ200](http://vz200.tripod.com/id4.html)
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**... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :**
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- title: USEFUL ROM SUBROUTINES FOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAMMING
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url: http://vz200.tripod.com
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/useful%20rom%20subroutines%20for%20assembly%20programming.jpg
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text: |-
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[**USEFUL ROM SUBROUTINES FOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAMMING**](http://vz200.tripod.com)written by Unknown
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compiled/archived by The VZ200\
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type of document : PDF\
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size : 110 Ko\
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source : [The VZ200](http://vz200.tripod.com)
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**... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :**
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comments:
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- author: Legend Chen (China)
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date: Saturday 12th October 2019
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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.
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- author: Dave
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date: Sunday 2nd June 2019
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text: |-
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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.
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For any VZ fans, come on over to our ''VZ / Laser'' Facebook page.
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- author: MaGNeT (Netherlands)
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date: Wednesday 8th March 2017
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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.
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- author: Steve Van Nieuwenhoven (Belgium)
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date: Thursday 8th January 2015
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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.
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- author: Enrico Barbisan (Italy)
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date: Saturday 31st August 2002
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text: |-
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So, finally I've found a Laser 310 Clor Computer! I have to say that, on the back, production year is 1983, not 1984!\
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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!
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related:
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- /museum/dick-smith-vz200
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- /museum/dick-smith-vz300
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- /museum/salora-fellow
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- /museum/texet-tx-8000
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- /museum/video-technology-laser-200-210
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oc_id: 157
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230324114221/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=157
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date: '2023-03-24'
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---
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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.
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Basically, it has an enhanced keyboard and more memory.
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This model was also sold worldwide, the most popular version being the VZ-300 from Dick Smith Electronics.
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<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>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.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>
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