VZ200 Links

A collection of links that will guide you to the best sites to learn more about the VZ200

This list is sorted alphabetically on the site name.

• Creative Computing Review - this one is interesting. It states that it is from CREATIVE COMPUTING VOL. 9, NO. 5 / MAY 1983 / PAGE 26 and from reading the text, the computer under review is the US version of the VZ200. In the US, Video Technology released the VZ200 as the VZ200 under its own brand. However, there are a couple of problems with the review. Firstly, it states that the CPU is the 6502 processor rather than the Z80. This, I think, is most likely a factual error made by the reviewer. Secondly, it states that the VZ200 came with 12K ROM. This one is trickier. The Dick Smith version certainly has 16K ROM. It is possible that Video Technology produced a slightly earlier version of the VZ200 with only 12K ROM. Further research on the internet has led me to a magazine reference COMPUTE! Issue 34 which claims 4K RAM (presumably with an additional 2K video RAM) and 12K ROM. It also confirms that the CPU is a Z80. Without knowing what was actually released, it does seem likely that the first version sold in the USA had these lesser specifications.
• Google for VZ200 - search Google for the VZ200
• Google for VZ300 - search Google for the VZ300
• James' Emulators] - James "The Animal Tamer" of Southern California has written a great VZ200 emulator that can be found at this website, an archive of Geocities where the original site was hosted.
• JEMU - The Java Emulation Platform - Emulates the VZ200/VZ300 along with a number of other computers. Play VZ games on-line in your browser.
• The Dick Smith VZ200/300 Computer - Dave Maunder lives in Quirindi and works as a computer support person, last time I checked. This site was on Geocities and has been archived. It has limited information but does have a nice reference to a robot controlled by a VZ200. Note that Dave also has sites hosted at http://bushy556.50megs.com/vz/index.html and http://vz200.org/bushy/ - the last one being the most comprehensive.
• VZ200 by Ben Pazolli - Ben Pazolli lives in Perth, Western Australia and maintains this small website. The most useful bits are an article on recording downloaded programs to tape for use on a real VZ200, and a downloadable PDF of Steve Olney's VZ200/300 Assembly Language Programming Manual for Beginners.
• VZ-Alive - a site put together by Jason Oakley, Mr 'Diskmag' himself. When producing the Diskmag series, Jason was living in Taree (north of Newcastle). He later moved to Newcastle and then Sydney for study and work, and now resides in Brisbane or the Gold Coast where his day job is (or at least was the last time I checked) second-level helpdesk for an IT firm. This site is the most comprehensive when it comes to the VZ200 and should not be missed. Lots of software including emulators and many original programs can be found here.
• VZ200.org - a sister site to this one but with a focus on downloads.

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