website/content/museum/video-technology-laser-310.md

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Video Technology LASER 310	Computers	Home Computer	Hong Kong	1984	Zilog Z80 A	name image logo company company_name specs tabs photos adverts hardware screenshots emulators links docs comments related oc_id source LASER 310 /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side_s.jpg /media/museum/logos/vtech_laser310_logo.gif /companies/video-technology Video Technology label value NAME LASER 310 label value MANUFACTURER Video Technology label value TYPE Home Computer label value ORIGIN Hong Kong label value YEAR 1984 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 x 16, 8 colors (Mode 0) label value GRAPHIC MODES 128 x 64, 4 colors (Mode 1) label value COLORS 8 label value SOUND Beeper, 1 voice, 3 octaves label value SIZE / WEIGHT 30,5 x 18,5 x 5,5 cm / 800g ? label value I/O PORTS Tape-recorder (600 bauds)\ RF tv out\ Composite video out\ Memory expansion port\ Expansion port label value POWER SUPPLY 10-12V 800MA dc label value PRICE 257 (France, february 85) photos adverts hardware software emulators links docs title subtitle text image THE LASER 310 /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side.jpg title subtitle text image SIDE /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_side2.jpg title subtitle text image FRONT /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_face.jpg title subtitle text image REAR From left to right: Power supply | Tape-recorder | Monitor | Memory expansion port | Peripheral port | TV output /media/museum/photos/vtech_laser310_rear.jpg title subtitle text image THE DICK SMITH ELECTR. VZ-300 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 /media/museum/photos/vtech_vz300.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT. "Your computing teacher at home !" /media/museum/pubs/vtech_laser310_pub1_bad.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT. "For 1690 FF, wire all your family to the Laser 310" /media/museum/pubs/vtech_laser310_pub2_bad.jpg title subtitle text image SOME EXTENSIONS... /media/museum/hardware/vtech_laser310_extensions.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 http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/ /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_getting-started_cover.jpg [**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 url cover text VZ-200 TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL http://vzalive.bluebilby.com/archive/ /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200_technical-ref-manual_cover.jpg [**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 url cover text VZ200/300 ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING FOR BEGINNERS http://vz200.tripod.com/index.html /media/museum/docs/couvs/vz200-300%20assembly%20language%20programming%20for%20beginners.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 : [The VZ200](http://vz200.tripod.com/id4.html) **... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :** title url cover text USEFUL ROM SUBROUTINES FOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAMMING http://vz200.tripod.com /media/museum/docs/couvs/useful%20rom%20subroutines%20for%20assembly%20programming.jpg [**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 :** author date text Legend Chen (China) Saturday 12th October 2019 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 date text Dave Sunday 2nd June 2019 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 date text MaGNeT (Netherlands) Wednesday 8th March 2017 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 date text Steve Van Nieuwenhoven (Belgium) Thursday 8th January 2015 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 date text Enrico Barbisan (Italy) Saturday 31st August 2002 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! /museum/dick-smith-vz200 /museum/dick-smith-vz300 /museum/salora-fellow /museum/texet-tx-8000 /museum/video-technology-laser-200-210 157 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230324114221/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=157 2023-03-24

The Laser 310 is an improved version of the 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.