🚀 go-pugleaf

I saw another response to this that was not correct so I thought I
should pitch in my $0.02.  My authority is that I was at Zenith Data
Systems during the advent of the Z-100.  Basically, I wrote most of
the MS-DOS manuals for the initial release of the Z-100.  However,
this was 1981 and my memory is not real good.

First, though the Z-100 was in design phase before word of the IBM PC
leaked to the press, it did not make it to market prior to the PC.  In
its early form the product was known as the Z-Machine and even had a
three voice synthesizer (read music chip).  With word of the IBM unit,
it was decided to redesign the box away from what might be misconstrued
as a "game" machine so the synth got dumped as well as some other
features.  Some minor attempts were made to make it more IBM like but
it was not foreseen that success required total IBM compatability.
The Z-100 was not released until at least 3 to 6 months after the PC
was on the market. [They were waiting for me to finish the F manuals! ;^) ].

By day you can call me at 415-336-1267 if you have questions.  My
references are at home so I might not know the answer right away.
I do have the hardware techincal reference for the original box,
including ROM listing (three binders 8 1/2 by 11).

On May 16,  2:03pm, sun-barr!apple!rutgers!mailrus!uflorida!novavax!in wrote:
/*
 * Subject: General questions for Zenith users
 * 
 *      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?

It is to the degree that it runs MS-DOS, uses similarly formatted 5 1/4 inch disk formats,
and has an 8088.  After that the similarities stop.  It will run generic MSDOS programs,
assuming they do not do IBM PC graphics.

 * 2.  Can I run DBASE software?

 dBase was a product that was initally available for the Z-100.  When Zenith more or less
 dropped their support, no further dBase upgrades were ported.  If you want to run an old
 dBase you might find one available by asking on this net or inquiring to some of the z100
 support vendors.  Otherwise, you can attempt emmulation via ZPC, Geminii, or UCI's product.

 * 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?

 Whose version of Lotus is it?  Zenith had a 1-2-3 port initially (needed to fill some
 government contract, I beleive (probably the initial Air Force contract).  Any body
 elses version probably means you need to go the emmulation route above.  As for versions,
 I don't know I put my 1-2-3 in the box years ago and only used Multiplan.

 * 4.  Do you find the overall system to be useful for personnal computing 
 *     tasks?  What about programming tasks?

 As a programmer, I use my box all the time.  What gets used most is my vi, C compiler,
 Assembler, Microsoft Windows 1.4, and my wife uses WordStar and Multiplan.  Once and
 awhile I'll play some Zenith specific games.  I'm always acquiring some of the Z-100
 public domain software and even generic MS-DOS public domain (some of this is share-ware).
 Oh, and I have some comm programs so that I can dial BBS's and into my box at work.

 * 5.  What is the memory of the system and can it be expanded. If so where
 *     can you purchase the additional boards.

The Z100, if it supports 256K chips, can have a base of 768K memory (1 Meg really, but the
overflow is extended memory) on the mother board.  UCI sold (sells?) a two meg card that is
fairly cheap (no experience with it so I can't comment) and Zenith had a 256K (?) card that
someone came out with some expansion for so that it used higher density memory, I believe.

 * 6.  What is the life expectancy of the system?

The box has been obsolete for the last five years.  There are still people supporting it.
I got mine in 1983 (I was no longer at Zenith by then).  Since then I had one floppy die,
and my monitor (Zenith's original color monitor) lost its green gun (except when the monitor
gets real hot, then green comes back).  I also had an old style box that did not support
256k chips and about three years ago (maybe four) my wife bought me a new style motherboard
for my birthday.  I also changed the CPU to a NEC V-20, had to squeeze every last drop
out of the buss.

 * 
 *      Thank you for your responses.
 * 
 *  ____________________________________________________________________________
 * | MIKE RAUSTAD  -   ENCORE COMPUTER SYSTEMS - FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA 33313  | 
 * | /\/\ | |/ |_  |_) /\ |  | (_` | /\ | \ |    PHONE: (305)-797-5621          |
 * |/    \| |\ |_  | \/--\|__| \_) |/--\|_/ |    EMAIL: uunet!gould!mraustad    |
 * |__ "Whoever said life was a beach, must have had sand in their swimsuit." __|
 *  
 * 
 *     --End of excerpt from sun-barr!apple!rutgers!mailrus!uflorida!novavax!in
 */
						Alan L. Pope
						alpope@sun.com