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Source: https://blogema.org
Read more all post Computer Technology : https://blogema.org/computer/
Source: https://blogema.org
Read more all post Computer Technology : https://blogema.org/computer/
Didn't they make 386/486 clone variants? I feel like I've seen Laser 486's before. You know what I don't understand….who are these computers for? At any rate, excellent and informative all thevway through. This channel is increasingly becoming my favorite here on YouTube. *Pssst Don't tell LGR.
I'm having a hard time believing that these machines could run Doom at all. Rating 3 system tick counts out of 10. Let's see how many people get this…;)
Texas instrument ti 99 4a was the computer I had that ran basic.
These things look like giant precedessors of the programmable calculator.
Yep.
I'd be happy to have one tho.
2:53 Crazybus: Laser 50 edition
Hey 8-Bit Guy! Love your videos. I actually bought a Laser 50 from a thrift shop a while back, but it doesn't have the manual. Any chance you could try and scan it? It would be greatly appreciated!
They should make something like this nowadays but perhaps loaded with something like Python running on a stripped-down Linux. Just a cheap LCD screen, an ARM CPU, a keyboard, maybe a little thumb joystick, WiFi, Bluetooth. No web browser or full graphical UI other than what's necessary to browse files on the built-in and maybe download code and libraries from in internet. The whole thing could be built for $50 and they'd be perfect for kids to learn to code. Maybe include cute little animated video tutorials to cover the basics and a comprehensive e-book for more advanced self learners.
Raspberry Pi comes close to this, but you have to have some prior tech knowledge before you can actually code on it. There should be an option where a kid could just turn on the screen and instantly start learning.
I had something like that. Basic-ass LCD screen, could be programmed in BASIC. Loved it as a kid. Mine had several lines on the LCD though.
I have the Laser-50 and the plotter, though the latter is effectively broken. It was great to see the entire lineup!
Oh, good grief, that display >w<
The manuals of old though, good times.
I have a hunch that the company behind these computers thought that people would move naturally from Laser 50 to PC4 and that's why they didn't focus on BASIC that much in the manual. Because they would already know this stuff.
In the future he will be explaining PCs that used wires.
there is a pc5 that exists 8 bit guy
i would love to see you come back to the "micro Machines" maybe go over early touch screens and such. i realize @LGR did this to a point, but i would love to see what you would cover.
Next Video: What does the PC6 video port look like
I want one of these
A Ti 83 is more powerfull … big LCD screen and lot of programs. Annother cool caculator was the casio FX 702, very nice device. Smaller but close to this?
I think I remember computers like these in primary school given to the kids who couldn’t write to save their life
The video port looks just like the combined svideo/composite ports used on video cards and dell laptops. They would take a regular S-video cable.
Are these similar to the Amstrad NC series?
is that a 4k display?
The target audience for the lazer 50 was middle school educational programs. There were several "initiative"attempts to provide low cost portable computers for classroom use. One requirement wa that the portable be dos and windows incompatible to discourage theft. VTech's main competition in this target market was Alphsmarts, and Texas instruments.
I have a diagram for the printer/serial connector on the later models. Transferring text was accomplished through the serial port,
I'm pretty sure saying the Laser 50 was $30, $40 drove the price up further. I found the manual, just the manual for £90.
Have you seen the AlphaSmart portable word processors? I think they may now be defunct but I used them in school they could keep up with my typing (probably ~40-50wpm at the time peak) and depending on the model you would "upload" to a real computer plugging into Apple ADB, PC PS/2, or on newer ones USB, then you'd push "send" and it would quickly "type" the whole document in. Some also had IrDA transfer, and also printer adapters (using the PS/2 port if I recall, then adapt to both Apple 9-pin as well as parallel) or USB on later ones.
A computer with only 3 chips in 1980s?? That’s impressive!