The Laser 128 is an
Apple II clone, released by
VTech in 1986 and comparable to the
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe (styled as Apple //e) is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Inc., Apple Computer. It was released in January 1983 as the successor to the Apple II Plus. The ''e'' in the name stands for ...
and
Apple IIc
The Apple IIc is a personal computer introduced by Apple Inc. shortly after the launch of the Macintosh 128K, original Macintosh in 1984. It is essentially a compact and portable version of the Apple IIe. The IIc has a built-in floppy disk driv ...
.
Description
VTech Laser 128 has 128
KB of
RAM
Ram, ram, or RAM most commonly refers to:
* A male sheep
* Random-access memory, computer memory
* Ram Trucks, US, since 2009
** List of vehicles named Dodge Ram, trucks and vans
** Ram Pickup, produced by Ram Trucks
Ram, ram, or RAM may also ref ...
. Like the
Apple IIc
The Apple IIc is a personal computer introduced by Apple Inc. shortly after the launch of the Macintosh 128K, original Macintosh in 1984. It is essentially a compact and portable version of the Apple IIe. The IIc has a built-in floppy disk driv ...
, it is a one-piece semi-portable design with a carrying handle and built-in 5¼-inch
floppy disk
A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, a diskette, or a disk) is a type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined with a ...
drive, that uses the
65C02 microprocessor, and supports
Apple II graphics. Unlike the Apple IIc, it has a
numeric keypad
A numeric keypad, number pad, numpad, or ten key,
is the calculator-style group of ten numeric keys accompanied by other keys, usually on the far right side of computer keyboard. This grouping allows quick number entry with right hand, ...
,
Centronics printer port, and 128 KB of dedicated
video RAM
Video random-access memory (VRAM) is dedicated computer memory used to store the pixels and other graphics data as a framebuffer to be rendered on a computer monitor. It often uses a different technology than other computer memory, in order to b ...
. The 15-pin D-sub digital video port is compatible with Apple's IIc flat panel display, but unlike the IIc, Laser 128's port is also
RGBI interface compatible with an adapter cable. The first 128 model has a proprietary 560x384 video mode removed in later units.
[ See description for update by author.]
Laser 128 has a single
expansion slot
Expansion may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine
* Expansion (album), ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004
* Expansions (McCoy Tyner album), ''Ex ...
for
Apple II peripheral cards, which gives it better expansion capabilities than a IIc, but cards remain exposed; the slot is intended for an $80 expansion chassis with two slots compatible with the
Apple IIe
The Apple IIe (styled as Apple //e) is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Inc., Apple Computer. It was released in January 1983 as the successor to the Apple II Plus. The ''e'' in the name stands for ...
's Slot 5 and Slot 7. The computer also has an internal memory-expansion slot, requiring a card that allows up to 1 MB of additional RAM that can be used as a
RAM disk
A RAM drive (also called a RAM disk) is a block of random-access memory ( primary storage or volatile memory) that a computer's software is treating as if the memory were a disk drive (secondary storage). RAM drives provide high-performance te ...
. Laser 128EX and 128EX/2, also expandable by 1 MB, come with the memory expansion card.
Models
History
Franklin's Ace computers were the only
Apple II clones with substantial sales in the US. Unlike IBM, which usually did not attack makers of
IBM PC compatibles
An IBM PC compatible is any personal computer that is hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) and its subsequent models. Like the original IBM PC, an IBM PC–compatible computer uses an x86-based central pro ...
,
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley. It is best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services. Founded in 1976 as Apple Computer Co ...
aggressively sued clonemakers, such as
Apple Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp. (1983).
Announced in early 1986, VTech sold the Laser 128 in the US at a suggested retail price of $479, while
Central Point Software sold it by mail for $395; by comparison, the Apple IIe sold for $945 in April 1986. Apple—already suing VTech regarding the also Apple-compatible Laser 3000—filed a lawsuit to stop distribution of the 128,
but VTech obtained
United States Customs approval to export the Laser 128 to the United States in 1986,
and the lawsuit reportedly had no effect on demand for the computer. Central Point—the most prominent dealer—sold the Laser 128 and accessories with full-page magazine advertisements, saying that "a computer without expansion slots is a dead-end that stays behind as technology advances".
It advertised the Laser 128 in
Commodore computer magazine
Computer magazines are about computers and related subjects, such as networking and the Internet. Most computer magazines offer (or offered) advice, some offer programming tutorials, reviews of the latest technologies, and advertisements.
...
s; the name was, Central Point president Mike Brown said, "chosen to sound like the
Commodore 128", and the company intended to appeal to those who wanted to use the large Apple software library with a computer that cost the same as the comparable Commodore.
By late 1986, other mail-order firms also sold the Laser 128, and at least one peripheral maker advertised its product's compatibility with the clone.
By 1988, VTech had purchased a majority share in Central Point Software and formed Laser Computer, Inc., as a division of the company. It ended Central Point's mail order sales of the 128, only selling through dealers such as
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
. ''inCider'' magazine wrote that year that "Laser will never sell as many computers or have as big a distribution network as Apple, but there's no doubt that the 128
aswon a place in the Apple market, and irritated Apple in the process". VTech subsequently released the Laser 128EX (1987), with a 3.6 MHz CPU, and the $549 Laser 128EX/2 (mid-1988), with a 3.5-inch disk drive and
MIDI port. (A $499 version of the 128EX/2 with a 5.25-inch drive was available.) Apple soon released the
Apple IIc Plus.
Compatibility
While the Franklin clones were discontinued after the company lost Apple's lawsuit,
Impact of Apple vs. Franklin Decision
/ref> VTech reverse-engineered
Reverse engineering (also known as backwards engineering or back engineering) is a process or method through which one attempts to understand through deductive reasoning how a previously made device, process, system, or piece of software accompl ...
the Apple Monitor ROM
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* ...
using a clean room design rather than copying it, and licensed an Applesoft BASIC-compatible version of Microsoft BASIC
Microsoft BASIC is the foundation software product of the Microsoft company and evolved into a line of BASIC interpreters and compiler(s) adapted for many different microcomputers. It first appeared in 1975 as Altair BASIC, which was the first v ...
. Apple carefully studied the Laser 128 but was unable to force the clone off the market.
Despite its physical resemblance to the IIc, software sees the Laser 128 as an enhanced IIe with 128 KB RAM and Extended 80-Column Text Card. Apple said in 1984 that the IIc was compatible with 90% of all Apple II software. Central Point said in 1986 that testing had found that only '' Choplifter'', '' David's Midnight Magic'', and '' Serpentine'' did not run on the clone, because of Broderbund
Broderbund Software, Inc. (stylized as Brøderbund) was an American maker of video games, educational software, and productivity tools. Broderbund is best known for the 8-bit video game hits '' Choplifter'', '' Lode Runner'', '' Karateka'', and ...
's copy protection
Copy protection, also known as content protection, copy prevention and copy restriction, is any measure to enforce copyright by preventing the reproduction of software, films, music, and other media.
Copy protection is most commonly found on vid ...
. "We think it safe to surmise that the latest and best software is 90 percent likely to run on the Laser 128", ''InfoWorld
''InfoWorld'' (''IW'') is an American information technology media business. Founded in 1978, it began as a monthly magazine. In 2007, it transitioned to a Web-only publication. Its parent company is International Data Group, and its sister pu ...
'' wrote in 1986. Compatible software included AppleWorks, Quicken, Apple Writer, VisiCalc
VisiCalc ("visible calculator") is the first spreadsheet computer program for personal computers, originally released for the Apple II by VisiCorp on October 17, 1979. It is considered the killer application for the Apple II, turning the microco ...
, '' Flight Simulator II'', The Print Shop, and '' Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?'', sometimes with slightly different colors. 12% of 129 tested software packages were incompatible, mostly educational software or games. While incompatible with some hardware, the magazine wrote that the expansion slot and parallel port let the Laser 128 use other products which were incompatible with the IIc. ''inCider'' called the computer "amazingly Apple-compatible", estimating 95% compatibility. Programs that successfully ran on the Laser 128 included '' F-15 Strike Eagle'', Fantavision, WordPerfect
WordPerfect (WP) is a word processing application, now owned by Alludo, with a long history on multiple personal computer platforms. At the height of its popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s, it was the market leader of word processors, disp ...
, and ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' is a Science fiction comedy, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), radio sitcom broadcast over two series on BBC ...
'', and the magazine wrote that it was easy to install $25 upgraded ROM chips if necessary to improve compatibility. ''A+'' similarly found that the computer was compatible with 28 of 30 popular Apple II programs, while only about half worked with the Franklin Ace. ''BYTE
The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable un ...
'' wrote that expansion cards worked properly but the magazine found "mixed results" with software compatibility, stating that "graphics programs I tested revealed flaws in the Laser 128's compatibility with both the Apple IIc and II+". The Laser 128's popularity ensured that most major software companies tested their software on the Laser as well as on Apple hardware.
Licensing BASIC greatly reduced the amount of code that had to be reimplemented. Applesoft BASIC constitutes the largest and most complex part of an Apple II's ROM contents. Microsoft made most of its money by retaining the rights to the software that it sold to others. Like IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
with PC DOS
PC or pc may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Player character or playable character, a fictional character controlled by a human player, usually in role-playing games or computer games
* '' Port Charles'', an American daytime TV soap opera
* ...
, Apple did not have an exclusive license for the Applesoft dialect of BASIC, and VTech was free to license it. Much Apple software depends on various machine code routines that are a part of BASIC in ROM.
Reception
''InfoWorld'' in May 1986 stated that "we can see why" Apple opposed the Laser 128's importation to the United States. It stated that other than the keyboard feel, the computer's external features (the expansion slot, numeric keypad, and Centronics port) improved on the IIc. Given the high degree of compatibility and a price less than half that of the IIc, the magazine concluded that the Laser 128 "is a real bargain." Writing that "it's cheap and it works", ''inCider'' in December 1986 stated that the Laser 128 " eserveda look from anyone considering a Commodore. Or, to be blunt, anyone considering an Apple IIc." The magazine also disliked the keyboard's feel and called the computer "homely", but concluded that "The Laser is a remarkably compatible, competent performer. The Apple market isn't known for hardware bargains, but it has one now."
''BYTE'' in January 1987 preferred the Laser 128's keyboard, including the keypad and cursor keys' locations, to that of the Apple IIc and approved of the documentation's quality. Despite describing the software incompatibility issues as "disappointing" the magazine concluded that its "technical issues are relatively minor", and that its low price made the computer "perfect for someone looking for a second computer or an inexpensive first computer that runs the largest pool of software available today."
''inCider'' in November 1988 stated that the Laser 128EX/2 "has everything you can possibly put into an 8-bit Apple II ... in terms of standard equipment, it's more than a match for the IIc Plus." The Apple product was faster ( vs ), and the difference in price between the two computers was much smaller than the IIc's + premium over the Laser 128, but the 128EX/2's memory was more easily expandable, important to AppleWorks users. The magazine concluded that while the "128EX/2 is a slick machine, the most fully loaded II compatible you can buy", the -inch version of the EX/2—or the older EX for those who did not need a -inch drive—"may be bargain hunters' best bet."
References
External links
Laser 128
{{VTech products
6502-based home computers
Apple II clones
VTech