The Advantech I.Q. Unlimited with BASIC and a Z80 CPU.

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In this episode, I take a look at the Advantech I.Q. unlimited, which was produced by V-Tech (Video Technology Corporation) in 1991.

[rossdtool]

"The computer your family will never outgrow". I'm glad that my parents decided to buy me a computer before this was on sale. I got a Commodore 64. It had more than 12 games.

[alexcolucci]

I love this episode because I bought 1 at a goodwill for 99 cents

[vwestlife]

I thought I was the only person who has one of these! FYI: The cartridge slot on the left is for playing Socrates games. (That was the educational video game console VTech had in the late '80s, using very similar hardware to the IQ Unlimited.) VTech also made a later version, called the "IT Unlimited" with a GUI and mouse.

[batfish]

Thank you for this video. I had this computer as a child and it got me started in programming. I’ve been looking for a video on this computer for ages and you delivered (day after my birthday, no less). Thanks, David!

[ajgelado]

Some comments on this machine. The TMP42C50N microcontroller has 512 *bytes* (not kilobytes) of ROM and 32 *nibbles* (half-bytes) of RAM. It seems connected to the keyboard ribbon by a series of resistors, so it probably is a keyboard controller. The 74HC244 seems connected to the printer port, so it most likely works as a printer port interface.

Now we begin with the guesswork. Knowing that VTech had produced the Laser 128, an Apple IIc clone, and that this computer graphics mode is, apparently, pretty similar to the Apple II's DHGR mode (560 by 192, 16 colors generated by color subcarrier artifacts), I'd venture and say that the two unknown chips are an Apple-II-in-a-chip and a ROM chip (containing the firmware and the programs). The LH534NY9 sits next to the microprocessor, typical for a ROM chip, and the 26-5063-01 SMD chip on the backside is similar to chips in the Laser 128/128EX motherboards known to be related to video generation, so I think this is plausible.

If this is true, the use of the 128 KB of semi-static RAM would make sense: the Apple II models with 128 KB of RAM divided it into two banks of 64 KB (main and auxiliary). It wasn't paged memory, you had to switch the entire address space, so you could only access one bank at a time. Because of that, it was usual to use the main bank for the OS, the program, the display RAM and the working memory, and the auxiliary bank as a RAM disk (managed by the OS) or a data storage (this is a simplification, but accurate enough for this discussion). If so, this machine could use the first 64 KB as working memory, and the remaining 64 KB as battery backed storage. This would fit the ad that said "64K of RAM allows students to to use and store programs".

[domramsey]

3:38 That Brother not only plays Tetris, it reads backwards disks judging by the photo!

[UselessDuckCompany]

I have been looking for that tiger math and spelling explorer computer forever. I had it as a kid and loved it, I just could not remember the name to look it up. Then BAM it's there at 3:28 in the bottom right. Crazy nostalgia overload.

[thedovercc]

I got this in 1991 for Christmas when I was 12. You couldn’t tell me I didn’t have the best gift ever. I had a 13” tv I used with it and an Epson 9 pin dot matrix printer from Radio Shack. I ended up using this thing all through HS and college until about 1998 when I bought a Compaq computer. LOL.

[realkrzaku]

It says it's a 200 year calendar but it only accepts 2 digits as a year when booting?

[Jesse__H]

The intro and outro music somehow make this content 100% better. Not that it's not fun anyway but damn, those sweet 8bitguy trackz.

[johnkotis]

I remember telling my parents I wanted a computer after watching Goldeneye back in 95. I wanted to hack and do cool computer stuff like Boris. They bought this from Kmarts going out of business sale for like $40 back in 1995. This was my first computer. Second one was a hand me down 1996 Packard Bell my uncle gave me around 1998.

[comonena]

Born in 83 🙋🏼‍♀️ After years of trying to remember which computer I had as a small child, today I got some papers from my dad’s house and hold and behold there was the Quick Set-Up Guide for the Vtech IQ Unlimited Computer. And here I am!! Thank you for showing it, great memories!! Hi from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

[sla.scrptura]

RIP JCPenney Christmas Catalog. You are sorely missed.

[miroslavzima]

I just love how your videos are educational and fun to watch at the same time! :)

[trancerobot]

I had one. It was my first "real" computer. I've been waiting for you to review this model and I'm glad you did! The weak basic was an issue for me even then, as I was becoming familiar with Apple II basic, Commodore basic, and Qbasic on other computers at the time. As for it's fate, it was left in a storage shed when I had outgrown it. It likely succumbed to water damage before being thrown out.

[NevsTechBits]

Great video 8 bit dude. You always make it feel like the warm 80s when I watch your stuff.

[Danjovic]

Cool episode! Thanks for sharing. Btw the 74HC244 is indeed an 8 bit buffer instead of a shift register and I believe it is related to the reading of the keyboard matrix pretty much like the speccies did it assuming that the diodes close to him (te HC244) go to z80 upper address lines.

[ArkadiaRetrocade]

Currently binging Halt & Catch Fire. This channel = the perfect after-show. ✌🏼

[denimadept]

There are MANY MANY old 8-bit computers which are forgotten, and for good reason. Some are forgotten for bad reason, too.

[spacekitt.n]

man i just love your intro tune it makes me so happy