🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <207@andromeda.UUCP> demo13@andromeda.UUCP writes:
>My question is: Is there a way to run CP/M software on an IBM PC?

Basically, you have three options:

1) Install a Z80 coprocessor board in one of the PC's expansion slots.
   (What Apple ][ owners have done for years.) The best known coprocessor
   boards are probably the Baby Blue II by Xedec and the Blue Thunder by
   Decmation. Normally, such boards come with software that accesses them
   to actually run your CP/M program under MS-DOS, but there is also a
   version of CP/M (RP/M2 actually) that can also run native with the
   Blue Thunder card.

   The advantage of this method is execution speed, but at higher cost.
 
2) If you only need to run programs written for the 8080, then consider
   replacing the 8088 in your PC with a NEC V20. There are several
   programs available which can use the 8080 emulation mode of the V20
   to allow you to run CP/M programs under MS-DOS.
 
   The advantages of this method are speed and low cost (>$20 for the V20
   and from $0 to $200 for the software). (Personally, I use the V20 with
   a shareware package called V2080.) The disadvantages are that you can
   only run 8080 programs and there is a small possibility that the V20
   may be incompatable with some MS-DOS software. (In practice, the latter
   concern is *very* minor and can be effectively ignored.)
 
3) Software emulation of the Z80 CPU and CP/M BIOS/BDOS. The best known is
   a PD package called Z80MU which was recently reviewed in BYTE magazine.

   The advantage of this method is low cost; Z80MU is available on many
   larger BBS's (and the SIMTEL 20 archives). The disadvantage is speed;
   an emulated Z80 running on a 4.77 mhz IBM PC is about the equivalent of
   a real Z80 running at .5 mhz.
 

Personally, I prefer method 3; the Z80MU package sets up a nice environment
for the running and CP/M software and seems to present an excellent
emulation. Given the low cost, however, I would also install the V20 CPU
(which offers other advantages besides the 8080 emulation) and try to
locate a copy of V2080 or another CP/M emulator for the V20.
 
One matter I have not discussed, however, is the transfer of CP/M programs
to MS-DOS format disks. This was recently discussed  in this newsgroup and
is best summarized by others more qualified.
 
Hope this is of some help...
-- 
Name:		John Ruschmeyer
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