VTech's VZ200: The TRS-80 Clone That Took on Tandy
A Dick Smith VZ200 without the Dick Smith
In 1980, Hong Kong's VTech launched the VZ200, a cheap TRS-80-compatible computer that became the Dick Smith VZ200 in Australia. This deep dive traces its origins from Pong clones to a legal showdown with Tandy, then upgrades the machine with a USB serial port, cycle-counted Z80 assembly, and game hacks.
Tandy is apparently curious now — and in particular their attorneys, who promptly filed suit in federal court against both PMC and EACA of America, claiming, among other allegations, that the name PMC-80 infringed their trademark and that EACA and by extension PMC had committed copyright infringement as well by substantially copying the system ROMs.