View source for Laser 128

{{short description|Apple II clone}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Laser 128
| title = 
| aka = 
| logo = 
| image = Laser128 1.jpg
| caption = Laser 128
| developer = 
| manufacturer = VTech
| family = 
| type = [[Personal Computer]]
| generation = 
| releasedate = {{Start date and age|1986}}
| lifespan = 
| price = {{USD|479|1986|round=-1}}
| discontinued = 
| unitssold = 
| unitsshipped = 
| media = [[floppy disk]]
| os = Applesoft BASIC
| power = 
| soc = 
| cpu = [[65C02]]
| memory = 128 KB of RAM
| storage = 
| memory card = 5¼-inch floppy disk drive
| display = Apple's IIc flat panel or RGBI interface; 15-pin D-sub video port; 560 x 384
| graphics = 128 KB of dedicated video RAM
| sound = 
| input = [[Keyboard (computing)|keyboard]]
| controllers = 2-button [[joystick]]
| camera = 
| touchpad = 
| connectivity = Centronics printer port, expansion slot
| platform = 
| service = 
| dimensions = 
| weight = 
| topgame = 
| compatibility = Apple II
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| related = 
| website = <!--{{URL|example.org}}-->
| CPUspeed = 1&nbsp;[[MHz]]
}}
The '''Laser 128''' is an [[List of Apple II clones|Apple II clone]], released by [[VTech]] in 1986 and comparable to the [[Apple IIe]] and [[Apple IIc]].

==Description==
[[VTech]] Laser 128 has 128 [[Kilobyte|KB]] of [[Random-access memory|RAM]]. Like the [[Apple IIc]], it is a one-piece semi-portable design with a carrying handle and built-in 5¼-inch [[floppy disk]] drive, that uses the [[WDC 65C02|65C02]] microprocessor, and supports [[Apple II graphics]]. Unlike the Apple IIc, it has a [[numeric keypad]], [[IEEE 1284|Centronics printer port]],{{r|field19860505}}{{r|incider198609}} and 128 KB of dedicated [[Video random-access memory|video RAM]]. 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.<ref name="8bitguy20210617">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZX7tjnb9sE  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/GZX7tjnb9sE |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Laser 128 and XT - Clones better than the originals! |date=2021-06-17 |last=Murray |first=David |type=YouTube |language=en |series=The 8-Bit Guy}}{{cbignore}} See description for update by author.</ref>

Laser 128 has a single [[expansion card|expansion slot]] 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]]'s Slot 5 and Slot 7.{{r|field19860505}}{{r|incider198609}} 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 drive|RAM disk]].{{r|grevstad198612}} Laser 128EX and 128EX/2, also expandable by 1 MB, come with the memory expansion card.

==Models==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Model
!Release date
!CPU
!Drive
!Price
|-
|Laser 128
|1986
|1&nbsp;MHz
|5¼-inch
|$479
|-
|Laser 128EX
|1987
|3.6&nbsp;MHz
|5¼-inch
|$499
|-
|Laser 128EX/2
|1988
|3.6&nbsp;MHz
|5¼-inch
|$499
|-
|Laser 128EX/2
|1988
|3.6&nbsp;MHz
|3.5-inch
|$549
|}

==History==
{{asof|1983}}, [[Franklin Electronic Publishers|Franklin]]'s Ace computers were the only [[Apple II clone]]s with substantial sales in the US.  [[Apple Computer]] aggressively sued clonemakers, such as [[Apple Computer, Inc. v. Franklin Computer Corp.]] (1983).<ref name="eckhouse19831106a">{{Cite news |last=Eckhouse |first=John |date=1983-11-06 |title=Apple's war against imitators hangs on a key court decision (1/2) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-apples-war-a/117739980/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |work=San Francisco Examiner |pages=D1 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="eckhouse19831106b">{{Cite news |last=Eckhouse |first=John |date=1983-11-06 |title=Apple's war against imitators hangs on a key court decision (2/2) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-apples-war-a/117740006/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |work=San Francisco Examiner |pages=D2 |language=en}}</ref>

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.{{r|sorensen19860421}} Apple—already suing VTech regarding the also Apple-compatible Laser 3000{{r|mace19860113}}—filed a lawsuit to stop distribution of the 128,<ref name="goyens19860419">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=S4s0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=X6gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=919%2C5720872 | title=Sculley's strategy seems to be doing the job for Apple | work=Montreal Gazette | date=19 April 1986| accessdate=3 January 2015 | author=Goyens, Chris | pages=J-9}}</ref><ref name="sorensen19860421">{{Cite magazine |last=Sorensen |first=Karen |date=1986-04-21 |title=Apple Says Firm Violates Patents |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qy8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 |magazine=InfoWorld |page=14}}</ref> but VTech obtained [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection|United States Customs]] approval to export the Laser 128 to the United States in 1986,<ref name="raleigh19860401">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6R5UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QY0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3758%2C240363 | title=Video Technology's Laser Works with Apple software | work=Boca Raton News | date=1 April 1986 | agency=Knight-Ridder Newspapers | accessdate=29 June 2014 | author=Raleigh, Lisa | pages=12}}</ref> and the lawsuit reportedly had no effect on demand for the computer. Central Point—the most prominent dealer{{r|grevstad198612}}—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".<ref name="incider198609">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/inCider_1986-09#page/n83/mode/2up | title=EXPAND Your Laser 128 | work=inCider | date=September 1986 | accessdate=29 June 2014 | pages=87 | type=advertisement}}</ref>{{r|field19860505}} It advertised the Laser 128 in [[Commodore International|Commodore]] [[computer magazine]]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.<ref name="raleigh19860520">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=edszAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sIwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5702%2C7477061 | title=HOT-Boot a perfect toy for high-tech jokesters | work=Boca Raton News | agency=Knight-Ridder Newspapers | date=20 May 1986 | accessdate=3 January 2015 | author=Raleigh, Lisa | pages=12}}</ref>{{r|incider198609}} 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.<ref name="incider198611">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/inCider_86-11#page/n27/mode/2up | title=See the Light | work=inCider | date=November 1986 | accessdate=29 June 2014 | pages=26,64–65,82–83,98–99,135 | type=advertisement}}</ref>

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]]. ''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 [has] won a place in the Apple market, and irritated Apple in the process". VTech subsequently released the '''Laser 128EX''' (1987), with a 3.6&nbsp;MHz CPU, and the $549 '''Laser 128EX/2''' (mid-1988), with a 3.5-inch disk drive and [[MIDI#Connectors|MIDI port]]. (A $499 version of the 128EX/2 with a 5.25-inch drive was available.){{r|grevstad198811}} Apple soon released the [[Apple IIc Plus]].

==Compatibility==
While the Franklin clones were discontinued after the company lost Apple's lawsuit,<ref>[http://www.internetlegal.com/impact-of-apple-vs-franklin-decision/ Impact of Apple vs. Franklin Decision]</ref> VTech [[reverse engineering|reverse-engineered]] the Apple Monitor [[Read-only memory|ROM]] using a [[clean room design]] rather than copying it, and licensed an [[Applesoft BASIC]]-compatible version of [[Microsoft BASIC]].<ref name="a2h">{{cite web | url=http://apple2history.org/history/ah12/ | title=12-The Apple II Abroad / Clones | publisher=Apple II History | author=Weyhrich, Steven | accessdate=18 January 2015}}</ref>{{r|field19860505}}{{r|grevstad198612}} Apple carefully studied the Laser 128<ref name="mace19860113">{{Cite magazine |last=Mace |first=Scott |date=1986-01-13 |title=Two Firms Plan to Sell Apple Clone |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 |magazine=InfoWorld | page=11}}</ref> but was unable to force the clone off the market.

Despite its physical resemblance to the IIc, software sees the Laser 128 as an [[Apple IIe#Enhanced IIe|enhanced IIe]] with 128 KB RAM and [[Apple 80-Column Text Card|Extended 80-Column Text Card]].{{r|grevstad198612}} Apple said in 1984 that the IIc was compatible with 90% of all Apple II software.<ref name="miller198407"/> Central Point said in 1986 that testing had found that only ''[[Choplifter]]'', ''[[David's Midnight Magic]]'', and ''[[Serpentine (video game)|Serpentine]]'' did not run on the clone, because of [[Broderbund]]'s [[copy protection]].{{r|mace19860113}} "We think it safe to surmise that the latest and best software is 90 percent likely to run on the Laser 128", ''[[InfoWorld]]'' wrote in 1986. Compatible software included [[AppleWorks]], [[Quicken]], [[Apple Writer]], [[VisiCalc]], ''[[History of Microsoft Flight Simulator#sublogicfs2|Flight Simulator II]]'', [[The Print Shop]], and ''[[Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1985 video game)|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.{{r|field19860505}} ''inCider'' called the computer "amazingly Apple-compatible", estimating 95% compatibility. Programs that successfully ran on the Laser 128 included ''[[F-15 Strike Eagle (video game)|F-15 Strike Eagle]]'', [[Fantavision]], [[WordPerfect]], and ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', and the magazine wrote that it was easy to install $25 upgraded ROM chips if necessary to improve compatibility.{{r|grevstad198612}} ''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.{{r|raleigh19860401}} ''[[BYTE]]'' 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 [[Apple II Plus|II+]]".{{r|white198701}} The Laser 128's popularity ensured that most major software companies tested their software on the Laser as well as on Apple hardware.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

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]] with [[IBM PC DOS|PC DOS]], 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.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

==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."{{r|field19860505}} Writing that "it's cheap and it works", ''inCider'' in December 1986 stated that the Laser 128 "[deserved] a 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."<ref name="grevstad198612">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/inCider_86-12#page/n59/mode/2up | title=Laser 128 / An Affordable Compatible | work=inCider | date=December 1986 | accessdate=29 June 2014 | author=Grevstad, Eric | pages=58}}</ref>

''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."<ref name="white198701">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1987-01/1987_01_BYTE_12-01_Programmable_Hardware#page/n329/mode/2up | title=The Video Technology Laser 128 | work=BYTE | date=January 1987 | accessdate=30 June 2014 | author=White, Valus E. | pages=307}}</ref>

''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 ({{val|4|ul=MHz}} vs {{val|3.6|u=MHz}}), and the {{US$|long=no|126}} difference in price between the two computers was much smaller than the IIc's {{US$|long=no|300}}+ 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 {{frac|5|1|4}}-inch version of the EX/2—or the older EX for those who did not need a {{frac|3|1|2}}-inch drive—"may be bargain hunters' best bet."<ref name="grevstad198811">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/inCider_1988-11#page/n53/mode/2up | title=An Underdog's New Tricks | work=inCider | date=November 1988 | accessdate=1 July 2014 | author=Grevstad, Eric | pages=51–54}}</ref>

==References==
<references>
<ref name="miller198407">{{cite news | url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n7/116_Apple_announces_the_IIc.php | title=Apple announces the IIc | accessdate=17 March 2011 | author=Miller, George A. | date=July 1984 | publisher=Creative Computing | pages=116}}</ref>
<ref name="field19860505">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qi8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA51 | title=Laser 128 Adds Bonuses to IIc | work=InfoWorld | date=5 May 1986 | accessdate=1 November 2013 | author=Field, Cynthia E. | pages=51}}</ref>
</references>

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070813175457/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=13 Laser 128] 
{{VTech products}}

[[Category:6502-based home computers]]
[[Category:Apple II clones]]
[[Category:VTech Laser computers|128]]