Jump to content
IGNORED

IQ Unlimited Vtech Computer?


Video

Recommended Posts

I saw one of these things at the local Flea market, and thought about piciing it up, I know absolutely nothing about it.

 

It looks kid of like the old early to mid eighties computers (think Commodore 64 here) with the keyboard built in, but I know nothing about it, I looked on it, there was a copyright mark of 91 on it, so it's fairly old...ish, as far as kid computers go. (most the V tech stuff I saw was mid 90's area)

 

It has a tiny LCD screen on it, like a word processor, probably about 24 characture or so, from the look of it.

 

The bottome had two battery compartments, one for four C cells, and one for four AA cells. And I suppose the transformer would be 6 volt or so (right? :P )

 

It had a cart port, not sure, it was about the right size for an atari cart to fit in, but there were to many contacts (the board would be almost the width of the cart itself...)

 

And on the back was a power in, a TV out, an RF (probably audio?) and a parallel port ( ! a 25 pin printer port type)

 

So....what can anybody tell me about these? I asume it's a JR computer of some kind, but I've never seen one that had it's own TV out like this, being early 90's it might be possible that it was borrowed from some other hardware, rather than it's own true standalone.

 

I looked it up on the net, but all I got was VTech PC, which apparently is earlier, and from the sound of it was a basic (as in the programmming language) computer, for the purpose of teaching people how to use computers, rather than teaching them math or whatever (though it would do that too)

 

It didn't cost much, but I had already gotten to much, so I passed on it this week, but wondered what it could do, what software, or games, might have been made for it? What periphrials were made for it? What could you actually do with it? I probably would have passed on it, except the TV out, and printer port caught my eye...

 

Thansk for any info.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it's the machine I'm thinking of...

I've never seen one sell for over $10 on ebay. Most go unsold.

It is NOT a kids computer.

It could be used with or without an external display and included built in software (see the auction below).

To the best of my knowledge there was never a 3rd party software or hardware market for the machine.

It was sold direct via infomercial and the paid celebrity that was in the adds was Tom Bosley, "Mr. C" of Happy Days.

I'm pretty sure I ran across a web page that said it had a 68000 cpu and supported 256 colors onscreen but I can't verify that.

Is this the same machine?

http://cgi.ebay.com/I-Q-UNLIMITED-COMPUTER...8QQcmdZViewItem

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VTech also made the Laser 128 which was probably the best Apple II clone ever made. It was basically a IIc with a much better keyboard and a expansion port on the side for IIe cards. It also retailed for about half of what Apple wanted for the IIc.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_128

 

I remember seeing some VTech kid's computer ads in some of the JC Penny wishbooks from the early 90s. If my memory isn't completely faulty, I think they might have shared the same chipset as the Laser. If these are the same as the one you saw, it'd be interesting to see if they could be coaxed to run Apple II software.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

VTech also made the Laser 128 which was probably the best Apple II clone ever made. It was basically a IIc with a much better keyboard and a expansion port on the side for IIe cards. It also retailed for about half of what Apple wanted for the IIc.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_128

 

I remember seeing some VTech kid's computer ads in some of the JC Penny wishbooks from the early 90s. If my memory isn't completely faulty, I think they might have shared the same chipset as the Laser. If these are the same as the one you saw, it'd be interesting to see if they could be coaxed to run Apple II software.

Actually, some of their kids pre-computer models that had cartridges were actually a modified Laser 128 but I think this model was a newer design.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That machine looks fascinating! I found another one on ebay, looks like a Tandy 100

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-VTech-Laser-PC...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

if I saw one at the flea market cheap, I'd have picked it up. Nothing like another neat, strange machine! I wonder what capabilities they both have?

 

Nathan

If memory serves, the PC4 and PC5 were small laptops similar to the Tandy 100. They were marketed to schools at some point so that each kid could have a machine. There's a company in Florida that still sells them, parts for them and obviously must support some schools in the state.

I have a PC4 somewhere but I don't see it as a general purpose laptop like some other machines from that time.

Most annoying was how it would lose memory contents if you plug or unplug the external power... something like that anyway.

Very little memory but it has a "Spreadsheet", "Word Processor", BASIC and something else.

 

The IQ Unlimited has to be more powerfull than the PC4/PC5.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it's the machine I'm thinking of...

I've never seen one sell for over $10 on ebay. Most go unsold.

It is NOT a kids computer.

It could be used with or without an external display and included built in software (see the auction below).

To the best of my knowledge there was never a 3rd party software or hardware market for the machine.

It was sold direct via infomercial and the paid celebrity that was in the adds was Tom Bosley, "Mr. C" of Happy Days.

I'm pretty sure I ran across a web page that said it had a 68000 cpu and supported 256 colors onscreen but I can't verify that.

Is this the same machine?

http://cgi.ebay.com/I-Q-UNLIMITED-COMPUTER...8QQcmdZViewItem

 

That's it exactly! Yeah, for $10 (then pluss about $10 for shipping or so, if they don't try to screw you) I'd say it'd be well worth the $5 that it was for in the fleamarket (though as I said, I was tapped out at the time)

 

So, it's basically a 'lite' computer for dummies, but not necessarily for kids then? Possibly may be a Apple clone of some sort too? That's cool.

 

Anyhow, thansk for the help, I'll see if it's still there this saturday, and if so, I'll pick it up. Then maybe I can say a little more about it. I got a few basic programms kicking around somewhere around here, I'll see if it'll do those.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After doing some looking around...

 

Based on ebay auctions I've seen in Europe, I think VTech named one computer in the US IQ Unlimited and a kids learning computer in Europe that looked like a laptop IQ Unlimited (or Unlimited IQ). The latter had a different name in the US and WAS based on the Laser 128. It's the cartridge based system I mentioned.

 

The US IQ Unlimited was probably based on the same hardware as the Socrates learning computer.

It appeared to be an attempt at rehashing the Plus/4 concept of a machine with built in software.

The only machines to succeed that did that were early laptops.

Still, I'm sure thousands of them sold or they couldn't have run that infomercial so long.

 

I don't think any of VTech's machines successful enough to stick around long.

VTech seems to crank out some sort of consumer or learning computer every few years.

I think all Asian companies that tried to enter the US market made the same mistake.

'Here's the computer now you are on your own.'

I think Apple and Tandy survived because of their base of computer stores.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I have an I.Q. Unlimited. Just hooked it up to the TV again after about a year of letting it sit. The RF output is for using an RF modulator to connect to standard TV, the video out will connect to a TV or VCR video in, or a composite monitor. The power supply is 12 volt dc, center +

 

It really is a fairly advanced computer for it’s day… 40 or 80 column display, very fast, too. It has a lot of built-in programs… word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphs, a drawing program, basic tutorial and basic, scientific calculator, plus a few educational games. All are on-screen in a GUI menu, then cursor key yourself around the screen. The included programs seem to indicate this was directed to junior and high school students. Not many toddlers needing a spreadsheet or database :-)

 

there are two expansion slots, one a little smaller than an atari 2600 cartridge which I assume is for games and programs, and another about half the size on the back (which might be an external disk or memory port). It also has a built-in parallel printer port that works with any printer DOS PC's can use.

 

I’ve never opened it up to see what’s inside, but it’s faster with screen writes and memory access than my Apple IIe or Commodore 128. I tested it with some simple BASIC loops and stuff to compare speeds. I could see where it could still be used today for schoolwork or people who just need a computer occasionally, one that comes on instantly, ready to use as a word processor… not bad for something that came out in 1991. And the keyboard actually feels better than most laptops (it's about the same size).

 

Pick one up if you can find it cheap, it's a good addition to anyone's vintage collection. Prices have been going up on Ebay, though. I got mine at a local Goodwill for 3 dollars.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 years later...

so i guess vtech socrates is the same as iq unlimited? and based on z-80 cpu? i’m really curious about coding on this hardware, please let us know where from can we find documentation (better than mame/mess sources, i'm struggling when basing on that), or if someone tried to code demos or games for that...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I know I am a little late, but the place to learn about this is the "8 bit guy" on you tube.

It was an 8 bit Z-80 computer with 64k of ram that came out around Christmas of 1991.  It sold poorly, and was competing with the C64 at that time even though it was at the end of it's life, but the C64 had thousands of software titles.  It sold in stores like JC Penny, Sears, and Kmart.  After Christmas, it was in infomercials, and then sold on the home shopping network for much less.  I don't think it was sold in 1992.  Later it was sold on Ebay for $10 as noted from other commenters.  There is not even a Wikipedia page on it.

 

I would assume some Z80 software would run on it, but the memory layout might be much different than in other Z80 machines, so compatibility would be an issue, and no disk drive, or tape drive was ever sold for it.  The other thing is that this computer is too rare of a breed for hackers to create peripherals for it like the C64, Atari, or Apple computers of the time.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Hello everyone.

 

 I HAD one of these I.Q. Unlimited computers as a 10-12 year old kid in the mid to late 90s, along with its thick owner manual, and Epson dot matrix printer.

 

As a geeky kid interested in all thing technology, I loved playing on this thing, and it was my introduction to amateur programming. Following the directions and syntax in the owners manual, I was able to goof around in BASIC doing basic things, but never anything special or unique (not until I learned C programming on a Ti-89 graphing calculator). The most fun i had with the IQ was having basic print random nonsense to the dot matrix printer, and watching the printer head slam back and forth while loudly printing and giving my family a headache from the noise! That printer was very durable and way more reliable than any inkjet or laser I've had after. My dad was able to supply me with reams of continuous-feed printer paper he got for "free" from the factory he worked at ;-)

 

I also used its word processor for some school homework and projects. I remember most other students never typing up their work until middle school, i was doing it some in 4th grade lol.

 

I remember being utterly confused by the database program, and wondering how spreadsheets would ever be useful. I didn't use the other programs much at all.

 

I rememeber being frustrated with the battery and power supply wiping out your memory. I also remember the video out jack having a bad connection, having to put sideways pressure on it to make it work on my tv. I absolutely refused to use the tiny one-line display built in. I thought it was stupid and pointless considering what the machine could do and display. 

 

I distinctly rememeber the manual advertising a floppy disk peripheral add-on that was available, for battery-free data backup. I desperately wanted one. I also remember data backup carts being available, but i never had any carts at all.

 

Anyways, i loved it, warts and all. And used it until i was able to get my hands on an old Windows 3.1 machine. I had used internet access at school, but my first at home dial-up internet experience eas with that old win3.1. It was glitchy at best lol. Didn't last long, my parents were forced to drop the internet after i mistakenly used an out-of-town long distance number for dial-up, which racked up charges quickly lol.

 

No worries, i got it back a few years later, with a local number, and Windows 95 ?

 

I miss the 90s...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • 7 months later...
On 2/13/2022 at 12:23 PM, jeremiahjt said:

This thread probably sets the record for most posts by posters with only one post. In case any of these posters post again to change their post count when others are reading this in the future, currently four posts are by posters with only one post.

Lol...

 

I re-found this thread from googling my username, just to see what popped up. I guessed my password right lol.

 

Crap! I guess this counts as my second post!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...