Re: Laser 3000

[Lonnie McClure <lmcclure@delphi.com>]

In a message dated 2-4-95, Douglas Spence said:
 
     "Well, you'd probably kill me if I told you where I found
      this, and how much I payed for it."
 
 
Uh-oh. Let me guess: Something like either a yard sale or a Salvation Army
thrift shop, and cost, around $10-$15. How close am I? If it was "worse"
than that (i.e., sitting with someone's trash for pickup, and therefore,
free), I don't even want to know. <grin>
 
     "How's the C65 doing? ;)"
 
Doing well. Too bad things have been so busy I have not even had time to
turn it on in the past couple of months. (In fact, about all I have had
time to do on any of my computers recently is to try an keep up with
messages on the nets. Frankly, I think anyone who comes up with a way of
selling "free time" will be a billionaire a day after they put it on the
market! <grin>
 
 
FOUND IT!
 
Against the odds, I was successful in finding an ad for the Laser 3000
in a quick search while still logged on. Specifically, on page 94 of the
December 1985 issue of COMPUTE!. The company selling it was Computer
Direct (aka Protecto). Price then was $499, but that included the disk
drive, and Magic Window, Memory and Calc programs (wordprocessor, database,
and spreadsheet).
 
The ad also shows a pic from the back, and lists the ports. You may find
this interesting.
 
Looking at the back of the computer, and starting on the left side:
 
 (1) Joystick port
 (2) CP/M cartridge port
 (3) Printer interface
 (4) Disk drive controller interface
 (5) RS-232 port
 (6) Sound volume
 (7) Cassette interface
 (8) composite video
 (9) RGB output
(10) Reset
(11) Power cord (unlabeled in the ad)
(12) Power switch
 
Features mentioned:
 
 192K RAM, 32KB enhanced Microsoft BASIC, 80 column text, 560 x 192 color
 graphics, 81 key sculptured keyboard, high efficiency switching power
 supply, Centronics bus printer interface, cassette interface, 4 channel
 sound generator. (Hmmm..I would swear it was only 3).
 
 It went on to list the graphics modes, but those appear to be Apple II
 standard.
 
The drive was listed as 160K capacity, but it is noted more than once that
the drive accepts Apple II software. I suspect this meant the Laser 3000's
native format was 40 tracks, vs. 35 for the Apple II series. That would
account for the increased storage.
 
I hope this has been of some additional help