Back to index

Info for fellow


====== Salora Fellow (1983) ======




===== Features =====

* CPU: Zilog Z80 A 3.58 MHz
* Co-Processor: Motorola 6847 (video processor)
* RAM: 6 KB Up to 64 KB with memory addons
* VRAM: 2 KB
* ROM: 16 KB
* Text Modes: 32 columns x 16 lines, 8 colors (Mode 0)
* Graphic Modes: 128 x 64 dots, 4 colors (Mode 1)
* Colors: 8
* Sound: 1 voice & 3 octaves
* I/O Ports: Tape-recorder (600 bauds), RF tv out, Composite video out (DIN), Memory upgrade port, Expansion port
* Keyboard: QWERTY, 45 rubber keys, Basic instructions and graphic symbols
* Built In Language: Microsoft Basic



===== History and Trivia =====

Salora Fellow was basically the same machine as the Video Technology Laser 200/210 just with a different case in colors that matches Salora's other electronics.

Salora is a Finnish televison manufacturer and they mainly sold this machine in Scandinavia, mostly in Finland. Technically they are the same as the Vtech machines and the machine still says Vtech Laser 200 when booted.

The machine sold reasonably well because of Salora's good reputation, but was soon crushed by bigger companies like Commodore and Spectravideo with their better machines. Lack of software was an important factor of course. The machine was also a bit out of date on arrival.

The machine wasn't really localized as the Scandinavian Ä,Ö and Å letters were missing from the keyboard. Adding them to the rubber keys must have been too difficult or expensive.

Salora also distributed the Laser 2001 as the Manager. It was meant to be the high-end computer of Salora's
computer range.

== Revisions ==

There were two known mainboard revisions:

* One is identical with the original Laser 200 and very badly made with lots of wires, hot glue and a small sister board.
* The second one is of much better quality, as good as big company machines like Commodore, no sister board and only one long wire running through the whole board. There is also a switch on the underside of the machine to choose between color/black&white output. Maybe Salora got tired of fixing broken Fellow's and demanded better quality from Vtech?

//(info from old-computers.com)//



===== Links =====

* Salora Fellow at old-computers.com -- http://old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1117



===== Other Emulators =====

* WinVZ -- http://vzalive.bangrocks.com/emulators/
* VZEm (DOS) -- http://www.powerup.com.au/~intertek/VZ200/vz.htm




Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009