vTech Laser XT Compact (PC clone)

[carlsson]

I was bidding on a loose Laser XT Compact from the USA. Fortunately (?) I got outbid, but bidding ended at a moderate $1.25. This would be a 8088 machine, probably 512K RAM, 3.5" floppy disk and keyboard all in the same unit. Think Tandy 1000HX (there was one complete in box sold for $11), Schneider Euro PC, Sinclair PC-200, Amstrad PC-20, Olivetti Prodest PC-1 and so on. Oh well, think Amiga 500 or Atari 520STFM if you must but as I wrote a PC compatible.

Apparently not so many people bother about PC compatibles, even if they are uncommon and distinct units. Any regular desktop box probably would not be interesting, but I'm a bit surprised nobody in the whole USA would care more than $1.25 + domestic shipping $30. At least I believe vTech's Apple II clones generally stir a little bit more interest. Apparently if it had been the creatiVision compatible computer Laser 2001, it would end far higher than one dollar.. right?

[MADrigal]

Hehe, yes you're absolutely right. People don't care much of the XT series.

There's also a very nice Laser 50 (portable) boxed computer since... 5-6 months more or less. The price has now lowered to around 60 euros, and it's a very nice price for such a nice item. But the question is: who really needs that?

[carlsson]

60 Euros is about 70 times more money than 1.25 USD, and shipping of a pocket computer probably is not much lighter. If it was known the XT clone had some custom feature, e.g. it would have had a secondary 6502 or Z80 CPU to be partly backwards compatible with something else from vTech's computer series, I'm sure it would have been more attractive. It is not as unlikely as one may think, just consider the BBC Master 512 which is a 6502 system with a 80186 co-processor if I recall correctly.

[MADrigal]

I think the market of PC (XT/AT) compatibles is not as "rich" as the one of "classic" home computers. Example: an Executive 64 was probably produced in more pieces than Commodore XT/AT PC's, hence EX-64 is rarer than Commodore PC's.

But which is worth more? Answer: EX-64 because there's more demand for it.

I think I hardly see Commodore PC's on Ebay, but in the end, the sale prices are not expensive at all.

[carlsson]

Perhaps you already spotted this loose vTech Laser 128 starting at 20 USD:
http://cgi.ebay.com/370375144773

No power or other cables, but "is supposed to work". I'm mildly intrigued, but the international shipping 60 USD to Europe means I won't bid.

[MADrigal]

I see many Laser's on Ebay. 128 is not very popular, I usually find 50, 200, 210, 300, 310 and 500.

128 should be an Apple compatible, is it?

[carlsson]

Yep, the Laser 128 was the first legal Apple II clone, since they had rewritten ROM routines instead of just copying Apple's ROM.