History of video games/Platforms/VTech Socrates
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The VTech Socrates with keyboard and controllers.
History
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The VTech Socrates was preceded by the VTech CreatiVision.
The VTech Socrates was released in 1988 at a cost of $130.[1] Marketing for the system emphasized it's educational value.[2] The system featured a robot mascot named Socrates, who borrowed its name from the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.[3]
Technology
[edit | edit source]Compute
[edit | edit source]The VTech Socrates uses either a 8-bit TMP Z84C00AP-6 CPU, which is based on the Z80 and is clocked at 3.58 MHz[4] or a similar Zilog Z84C0004PSC.[5]
The VTech Socrates had 64 kilobytes of RAM.[4]
Input
[edit | edit source]The system came with a wireless keyboard, and an optional touchpad and optional wireless mouse and mouse pad were made available.[1]
A voice cartridge add on was available for the system.[1]
Notable games
[edit | edit source]- Amazing Mazes - Maze game[6]
- Around the World - World geography software[6]
- CAD Professor - Uses the mouse add on.[6]
- Facts 'N Fractions - Math software[6]
- Game Wizard - Logic[6]
- Hodge Podge - Word games[6]
- Memory Mania - Memory game[6]
- Numbers, Shapes, and Letters - Uses the touchpad add on.[6]
- State to State - United States geography[6]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]Console
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Wireless Inferred Controller
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This keyboard uses an ABCD layout -
Vowels are highlighted in red. -
The Inferred communication system is visible on the back. -
A light near the top of the keyboard indicates when communication occurs.
Internals
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The right side of the motherboard contains both the Zilog Z80 CPU, and the game cartridge connector. -
The connector on the left can be populated with a voice cartridge. -
The game cartridge connector is directly mounted on the motherboard. -
Ample edge plating protects the sides of the motherboard. -
A top down view of the motherboard. The smooth curves of the traces suggest a hand drawn design.
References
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Parts of this page are based on materials from: Wikipedia: the free encyclopedia. |
- ↑ a b c "ARCHIVE.ORG Console Library: Socrates : Free Software : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive". archive.org. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ↑ Dines, Gail; Humez, Jean M. Gender, Race and Class in Media: A Text-Reader. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-0-8039-5163-1. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ↑ "ARCHIVE.ORG Console Library: Socrates : Free Software : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive" (in en). archive.org. https://archive.org/details/socrates_library.
- ↑ a b "68k Mentat - VTech Socrates". new.68kmentat.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ↑ "The motherboard of the Socrates, an educational entertainment ("edutainment") video game console released in 1988 by VTech. Powered by a Zilog Z80 processor, the board has two expansions for a voice cartridge and game cartridge. The system is comparatively weak, due to being designed to run off 6 D batteries". 18 November 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i "VTech Socrates". Wikipedia. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
