The Laser 500 from VTECH was released in 1985. The computer was built around the Z80A architecture CPU, had 64kByte of RAM, and 32kByte of ROM containinng the Extended Microsoft BASIC. It had two text modes and 6 graphic modes. This computer was one of three launched by VTECH to compete directly with the MSX line of computers.

The keyboard was a qwerty full stroke keyboard, with 10 function keys at the top row, and a separate cursor key island. There were several expansion options:

• 64K/128K RAM Memory Expansion Module
• Centronics Printer Interface
• Joystick Interface
• Lightpen Interface
• Fast Cassette Interface
• RS232 Interface
• AD/DA Interface
• Chinese Card
• Floppy Disk Drive Interface

For video output it had a Composite RCA video and a TV RF-connector. The bottom of the case had two switches that allowed the user to switch TV channels and select between color or black and white output.

Video Modes

Text Modes

• 40x24 in 16 colors
• 80x24 in 2 colors

Graphics Modes

• 320x192 in 2 out of 16 colors
• 160x192 in 16 colors
• 160x92 in 16 colors
• 640x192 in 2 out of 16 colors
• 320x192 in 16 colors
• 160x192 in 16 colors

The RAM subsistem consists of 8 pieces of 64K x 1-bit Dynamic RAM. The RAM timing is provided by a VLSI Gate Array, together with LS257 multiplexer chips.

The Z80 quickly became popular in the personal computer market, with many early personal computers, such as the TRS-80 and Sinclair ZX80, using the Z80 as their central processing unit (CPU). It was also widely used in home computers, such as the MSX range, SORD, and the Amstrad CPC, as well as in many arcade games. Additionally, it was also used in other applications such as industrial control systems, and embedded systems. The Z80 was widely used until the mid-1980s, when it was gradually replaced by newer microprocessors such as the Intel 80286 and the Motorola 68000.

The Z80 microprocessor was developed by Zilog, a company founded by Federico Faggin in 1974. The Z80 was released in July 1976, as a successor to the Intel 8080. It was designed to be fully compatible with the 8080, but also included new features such as an improved instruction set, more powerful interrupts, and a more sophisticated memory management system.

Originally the Z80 was intended for use in embedded systems, just as the 8080 CPU. But the combination of compatibility, superior performance to other CPUs of the era, and the affordability led to a widespread use in arcade video game systems, and later in home computers such as the Osborne 1, TRS-80, ColecoVision, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Sega's Master System and many more. The Z-80 ran the original Pac-Man arcade cabinet. The Z-80 was used even in the Game Gear (1990s), and the TI-81 and succeeding graphic calculators.

The Z-80 remained in production until June of 2024, 48 years after its original release. Zilog replaced the processor with its successor the eZ80, an 8-bit microprocessor that features expanded memory addressing up to 16 megabytes, and running up to 50MHz, comparable to a Z80 clocked at 150MHz.