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

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Dick Smith Cat	Computers	Professional Computer	Australia	1984	6502A	name company company_name specs tabs adverts comments oc_id source Cat /companies/dick-smith Dick Smith label value NAME Cat label value MANUFACTURER Dick Smith label value TYPE Professional Computer label value ORIGIN Australia label value YEAR 1984 label value END OF PRODUCTION Unknown label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE Basic interpreter label value KEYBOARD Full stroke 81 keys with numeric keypad and 8 function keys label value CPU 6502A label value SPEED 2 MHz label value RAM 64 KB up to 192 KB label value VRAM Unknown label value ROM 32 KB label value TEXT MODES 40 or 80 columns x 24 lines label value GRAPHIC MODES 280 x 192 (8 colours), 560 x 192 (6 colours) label value COLORS 8 label value SOUND Four voices (AY-8912 sound chip) label value SIZE / WEIGHT Unknown label value I/O PORTS Tape recorder, Bus expansion, TV aerial, composite video, joystick, Parallel, Serial label value BUILT IN MEDIA None label value OS DOS 3.3, CP/M 2.2 label value POWER SUPPLY Built-in power supply unit label value PERIPHERALS 5.25 floppy disk drives, Apple II emulator cartridge label value PRICE A$1195 (see price list in adverts section) adverts title subtitle text image DICK SMITH ADVERT Price list close-up in Australian$:\ Basic CAT computer X-7500 **$1195.00**\ Disk Drive X-7505 **$1495.00**\ Disk Controller X-7510 **$149.95**\ Emulator Cartridge X-7530 **$149.95**\ Dual Joysticks X-7520 **$49.95**\ RF Modulator X-7550 **$49.95**\ RS-232C Serial Adaptor X-7515 **$149.95**\ Printer Cable (Centronics) X-7540 **$844.95**\ Filer Utilities Disk with DOS & Manual X-7512 **$59.95**\ High resolution RVB monitor X-1193 **$995.00**\ RGB Cable X-7560 **$44.95**\ High Res. Green Monitor X-1220 **$395.00** null author date text TB99 (Asia) Wednesday 10th August 2022 I had the vtech 3000 version sold in the USA. It didn''t support Low-Res Apple II mode$this would show garble on the screen..Lots of freeware/Public domain software used this mode. Also, some of the ads in computer shopper implied it had 192k of RAM, when in reality, it only had 64k, so any 128K //c-//e software was out too. The Up arrow key didn''t work in Apple II software, although it did seem to work in the enclosed "Magic //e" word processor. It also came with MagicMemory Database and MagicCalc spreadsheet. I couldn''t get Ultima V to load on it, even though the box said 64k. I''d say most high-res 64k games did work though. author date text Andrew. Saturday 18th July 2020 It was not fully compatible with the Apple 2. I had this computer and there were games that it would not play. author date text Martin (Brisbane - Australia) Wednesday 2nd July 2014 This was the first computer I owned - was an amazing experience being able to play the original Sub Logic Flight Simulator despite being limited to a black and white monitor with almost no graphic capability 974 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230214150159/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=974 2023-02-14

The Cat was a rebadged version of the Laser 3000, made in Hong-Kong.

It was partially compatible with the Apple II computer in its basic version, but quite fully compatible when the Apple II emulator cartridge was inserted.

It ran Apple DOS 3.3 operating system or CP/M 2.2 with an optional Z80 card.

Thanks to Murray Moffatt for information and pictures.