On 20 Aug 1998, Marion Bates wrote:
> --- Doug Spence wrote:
> Do you have a floppy drive for yours? Or are you stuck using cassette
> like me?
> -----
>
> Neither, you lucky dog!
I'm lucky because I use cassette with the thing?? :) The cassette
connector seems to be identical to the one on the TRS-80.
I did, however, hook it directly to my Apple ][+, with a tape recorder
between them acting as an amplifier. This allowed me to load software
from disk, then go into the monitor and do a cassette save on the ][+ with
a simultaneous cassette load on the L3K. This let me test some software
on the L3K.
> I have these cartridge adapter thingies that supposedly allow one or
> two Disk ][ drives to be used with it, but I don't think I ever managed
> to get it to read a disk (this is likely due to my ignorance, though
> none of this stuff was known-good when I got it).
I actually have a disk drive from Video Techology Ltd. that I've never
tried out. I think it's a Disk ][ compatible.
The only ads I've seen for the Laser 3000 say that the disk drive is 144K,
which isn't quite the same as the Apple. It's probably just some kind
of advertising-speak. :)
> I may have a spare disk adapter -- you interested?
YES! YES! YES!
Abso-Fragging-Lutely, Dammit!
Where's the dotted line, oh evil one? ;)
> There's also another cartridge-like adapter for a printer, and one more
> with another version of BASIC.
Another BASIC! That would be good, as I have a feeling they didn't finish
the one that's in ROM. ;)
A printer adapter is also cool. A serial adapter would be even cooler.
The Z80 cart would be icing on the cake.
> I can check in my parts bin for spares if you want.
You have a parts bin with Laser 3000 stuff in it? Argh!
Are you from Down Under?
> -----
> I hope you cannibalized one L3K to fix the other, and not to fix something
> more mundane.
> --- end of quote ---
>
> Yes, it donated some of its vital organs to save the life of the other
> one. ;)
I'm not too impressed with the manufacturing quality of the L3K, but it's
a really interesting contraption.
Mine had a loose wire in the power supply (one of the ones coming directly
from the plug) which I jolted myself with when I was trying to figure out
why it died one day. (I actually jolted myself touching the power supply
casing.) It also had a loose capacitor stuck to the speaker magnet, and I
know it survived in that location all the way from the factory because
it's the same kind as they've used on the motherboard.
VTL also had a liking for hot glue. If you're adding components to the
board and you don't feel like spending time insulating things, just
slather them with the glue gun. :)
Ah, the wonders of cheap labour! ;)
> -- MB
Doug Spence
ds_spenc_at_alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
Received on Fri Aug 21 1998 - 00:32:48 BST