Re: Laser 128 info needed

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

1. Make and Model:
     Video Technology Laser 128EX/2 (refined and extremely
     popular Apple IIc Plus clone)

2. Released:
     1988

3. Follows:
     Video Technology Laser 3000

4. Followed by:
     N/A

5. CPU:
     Western Design Center (not to be confused with Western
     Digital, the hard drive maker) 65C02 running at 3.6Mhz

6. ROM:
     64K -- This includes the only legal Apple compatible
     ROM by 1988 (Apple lost a lawsuit challenging it) and
     Microsoft BASIC (the Applesoft compatible version)
     licensed from Microsoft.

7. RAM:
     128K standard with built in sockets for expansion to
     1MB using 41256 chips of 120ns or faster (the motherboard
     is designed to do bank switching, like the IIc Plus).
     Memory support is controlled by a custom Memory
     Management Unit (MMU) array...memory size is
     automatically detected when new chips are put in.

8. Case:
     Attractive light beige ABS impact resistant plastic.
     Case has handle that doubles as a prop to raise the
     rear of the computer for easy typing.

9. Keyboard:
     Full layout keyboard with numeric keypad and function
     keys.  The copyrighted Open Apple and Closed Apple
     have been replaced with Open Laser and Closed Laser
     symbols.  The keys have rollover and full travel and
     a very nice feel.

10. Display:
     The Laser 128EX/2 has all the graphics modes found on
     the Apple IIc, with an extra character set for RGB.
        --Text mode: 40x24 and 80x24.  Characters are formed
          by a 7x8 pixel matrix ON THE COMPOSITE OUTPUT. The
          128EX/2's Video Display Generator chip also provided
          both analog RGB video (for connecting an Apple IIGS,
          Amiga, or Atari ST monitor) and digital RGB video
          (for connecting a CGA monitor).  In RGB mode, the
          Video Display Generator (VDG) chip generates a text
          character set identical to an IBM PC (with the
          addition of the Open and Closed Triangle characters
          and MouseText).  Text mode is monochrome.
        --Low Resolution: 40x48 pixels in 16 colors.
        --Double Low Resolution: 80x48 pixels in 16 colors.
        --High Resolution: 280x192 pixels in 6 colors
        --Double High Resolution: 560x192 pixels in 16 colors.
        --Combinations/Variations: 4 lines of text mode can
          be mixed with a truncated Low Resolution or High
          Resolution mode graphic.  The text in mixed mode can
          be either 40 column or 80 column.

11. Audio:
     Simple beeper driven by the CPU.  Because the Laser's
     motherboard operates at 3.6Mhz (notice that it requires
     120ns or faster RAM), sound in programs designed for
     earlier Apple IIs is often distorted.

12. Media:
     The Laser 128EX/2 has a built in 3.5" double-sided,
     double-density floppy drive with a storage space of 800K.
     The drive and the external daisy-chain floppy "SmartPort"
     is driven by Video Technology's custom "Universal Disk
     Controller" (UDC) disk array chip.  The SmartPort supports
     Apple IIe/IIc UniDisks (3.5" and 5.25" models), Macintosh
     3.5" drives (the ones without the buttons), Apple IIGS
     daisy-chain 3.5" drives and Apple 5.25" drives.  It is
     also designed to support the Chinook CT-series 20MB to
     100MB SmartPort hard drives.

     The SmartPort can support two 800K 3.5" drives, two
     140K 5.25" drives, and one 100MB CT100 hard drive
     simultaneously daisy-chained to each other.

     The Laser 128EX/2 has one Apple bus compatible expansion
     slot on the side opposite the 3.5" disk drive.  This bus
     can hold an Apple High Speed (DMA) SCSI controller for
     running additional SCSI based storage devices.

13. Input/Output:
     Two RS-232C ports
     One MIDI port (setting Port 2 to MIDI deactivates one
                    serial port)
     One Centronics parallel port (setting Port 1 to parallel
                    deactivates one serial port)
     Composite display output (NTSC or PAL depending on the
                               country)
     LCD output (for flat panel display)
     RGB monitor output (both analog and digital monitors
                         supported by the Video Display
                         Generator chip with its 64K of VRAM)
     External Drive "SmartPort" (supports Mac, IIGS, or
                         UniDisks 3.5" drives, Apple 5.25"
                         drives, and CT-series 20MB to 100MB
                         hard drives)
     Joystick/Mouse port (connecting one precludes connecting
                         the other...mouse is the same mouse
                         used in original Mac to Mac Plus)
     Headphone connector
     Speaker volume control
     One Apple bus (same as Apple IIe) expansion slot


14. Trivia:
     This unit was so good that Apple Computers was prompted
     to upgrade the IIc to counter it.  The result was the
     Apple IIc Plus, also released in 1988.  The IIc Plus had
     a 4Mhz Western Design Center 65C02 processor, an 800K
     3.5" drive built-in, and an External Drive "SmartPort"
     capable of the same tricks as the Laser's.  Although the
     two units were similarly matched, Video Technology
     actively advertised the Laser 128EX/2 while Apple had
     moved on to advocating Macintosh.  The Laser became the
     most successful Apple II clone ever and this model was
     99.8% IIc Plus compatible.  The only two software the
     Apple magazines reported incompatible were The New Print
     Shop (Borderbund) and HomeWord (Sierra).

     In North America, the Laser was aggressively marketed
     in Sears department stores, where it erroded its niche
     rival's sales, the Commodore 128.

     This Laser unit's case was also used to make a Turbo XT
     PC clone.  The PC clone and the Laser 128EX/2 shared the
     same case.  They looked identical except for the label.
     Instead of "Laser 128EX/2," the XT had "Laser XT10"

15. Emphasis:
     Small business, Home, Education, Gaming, Programming

16. Net Resources:
     http://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/ (1.7GB A2 knowledge and
                                    software repository)
     http://www.sequential.con/ (Video cards and storage)
     http://www.allelec.com/ (Various hardware and software)

17. Picture (see http://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/ the ground ftp server)