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In article <2319@infocenter.UUCP> mraustad@infocenter.UUCP (Mike Raustad) writes:
>     I have some general questions for the Zenith z100 users.  Please
>pardon my ignorance, I am just learning to use the system. 

>1.  Is the system IBM compatible?
  Depends on how you define "compatible".  Since the Z-100 came out BEFORE
  the IBM PC, the proper question would be "Is the IBM PC compatible?"!
  But to answer your question more directly, the Z-100 can run many "well-
  behaved" programs originally written for the IBM PC.  ("Well-behaved"
  means they use the operating system to do I/O instead of doing it them-
  selves.)  The Z-100 can be made MORE IBM PC compatible via
   a) software:  ZPC, obtainable through HUG, the Heath Users' Group,
   b) hardware:  the Gemini board, available somewhere; read Sextant or
                  REMark magazines, or
   c) combined:  ZPC with a small S-100 I/O board to increase compatability

>2.  Can I run DBASE software?
  My "ZPC Update Index" of October, 1988, has a DBase III entry.  I have a
  Gemini board but don't know how DBase runs on it since I don't have DBase.

>3.  I have a Lotus123 package which prompts me that an MS-DOS version
>    of 2.0 is required, but I have version 3.1.  After the installation
>    the system gave me an error message of "incompatible system size".
>    I know this results from installing 123 on version 3.1. Can I get
>    around this somehow, or must I purchase MS-DOS version 2.0?
  My "ZPC Update Index" has a Lotus 1-2-3 entry.  I don't know how Lotus
  1-2-3 runs on the Gemini board, since I don't have it; but I use
  MultiPlan, a very early spreadsheet.

>4.  Do you find the overall system to be useful for personal computing 
>    tasks?  What about programming tasks?
  The Z-100 is essentially equivalent to any other PC of that era; thus
  it is essentially as useful for personnal computing and/or programming
  tasks as any other PC of that era.  Most Z-100 aficionados speak very
  highly of the keyboard, especially.  The Z-100 can be improved by
  adding extra disk drives (the floppy disk controller and software
  supports two 5 1/4" (360K) AND two 8" or two more 5 1/4" (1.2M) drives.
  Speedup kits are available to increase the clock speed from its
  original ~4 MHz to 7.5 MHz or faster.  And so on.

>5.  What is the memory of the system and can it be expanded. If so where
>    can you purchase the additional boards.
  Originally the Z-100 came with on-board capability of 192 K (three 64K
  banks) of RAM.  For about $50 (plus 27 256K RAM chips!) you can upgrade
  to 768K on the mother board, without having to make any wiring changes
  (but you will have to open the machine and partially disassemble it to
  reach the mother board, where you will remove one (or two?) IC's, plug
  in a small adapter board, replace the IC's, remove the current RAM IC's,
  plug in an interesting looking gizmo, and install new RAM IC's.  I've
  done this once and have two more to do Real Soon Now).  Or you can buy
  an S-100 RAM board (the Z-205) from Zenith, which holds 256K.  (And that
  board can be modified to 1M!  I have this modification kit but haven't
  installed it yet.)  One can also purchase a 2-M board; I have one of
  them, too; a LARGE RAM disk runs circles around a hard disk (which I
  do NOT have.)

>6.  What is the life expectancy of the system?
  Well, I have three of them (two at home and one at work) and I've had
  them since 1984.  Like most equipment, the electronics may last
  practically forever, and the moving parts (disk drives) may fail
  tomorrow.  So far, I've had absolutely no failures.  I use them a lot.

If you want/need true-blue IBM PC compatibility, then BUY IBM (or clone).
If you already have a Z-100, it is a good-enough machine for a whole LOT
of things.  But it is NOT an IBM "clone".  It came first and was BETTER
(builtin graphics and text at the same time, for example).

I'm not at home, so I can't give addresses for some of the products
mentioned above.  But if you need more information, please do not hesitate
to contact me directly.
--
Myron A. Calhoun, PhD EE, W0PBV, (913) 532-6350 (work), 539-4448 (home).
INTERNET: mac@ksuvax1.cis.ksu.edu
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