The Vtech Socrates had a short run as far as consoles of its time were concerned. However, in its time it had some technologies available which could only be found in much more costly configurations, such as voice modulation and basic sketching programs. It had a line-up of games available, although its native software was the most easily utilized considering the demographic segment for which it was aimed.
The graphical threshold for the platform was rather humble and understandably so for the processor set with which it was equipped. Some of the programs would take long periods of time to generate animation and backgrounds.
Several peripherals could be purchased to add functionality, including a wireless mouse and mouse pad and an electronic touch pad that could be mated to a touch pad cartridge.
Being marketed as an educational device meant the scope of gaming was at least a little more limited than other platforms, such as the NES. This did not diminish the interest for a small cult-following in the days after its discontinuation. It continues to be a rare piece of equipment to see in stores and it seems to retain a lot of its original value given that the unit is in good condition.
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