🚀 go-pugleaf

[ eat this line and I'll have 30 lawyers on your back, line eater! ]
[  Does that fall under the statute of 'cruel and unusual' punishment? ]

In article <572@ecn-pc.UUCP> sandersr@ecn-pc.UUCP (Robert C Sanders) writes:
>Wrongo!!  Talk to the guys in Chicago (Zenith) and Benton Harbor, MI (Heath)!
>The H/Z 100 is still here to stay!  The version number I believe is H/Z 121
>(check me there), but I know for a fact that they are NOT going to drop the
>machine.  In fact, it is a superior machine using the 8088 than any of the
>IBM compatibles, including theirs -- ask them!  And check one for yourself.
>
>IBM made some major design flaws in their now antiquated machine.  Zenith's
>is better engineered, and uses more industry-common standards than IBM --
>IBM thought they would create their own (read stupid!).  The Zenith 100
>was NOT made to be IBM compatible (their Z140, Z150, Z160 and Z200 are),
>but to fully exploit this Intel family of chips.  Unfortnately, little
>companies followed Big Blue's flag waving, and now more fully support IBM
>products.
>
>The Zenith is a S-100 bus machine, is faster, able to address more memory,
>and (if you want to pay for them) has more options available.  Who had the
>first Ether-Net cards (S-100 version third party) available?  Who had the
>first IEEE-466 bus connections?  Who at the same time contracted for MS DOS
>(though not fully PC DOS compatible)?
>
>The lastest ZPC (as the 100 is called) is more fully souped-up and has
>software galore available.  Check out the REMark magazine that the Heath/
>Zenith user's group puts out.
>
>Also, most Heathkit stores will preconstruct an Heath machine for you --
>since they are sold at the same price as the Zenith version.  Besides, with
>a kit, service is free!! :-)
>
>No, I do not own a ZPC -- wish I did.  I own an H158 ...  needed that 1-2-3
>at the time (sigh..).
>
>-- 
>Continuing Engineering Education Telecommunications
>Purdue University 		...!ihnp4!pur-ee!pc-ecn!sandersr
>
>Let's make like a BSD process, and go FORK-OFF !!	-- bob
>(and "make" a few children while we're at it ...)

	Well, as I mentioned, I go to Clarkson, the Zenith school. :-)
Every student gets a Z-100 computer.. Or DID get one.  As of this fall,
Zenith will be supplying a Z-200 with '100 emulation to Clarkson, the
reason being <as I was told by the folks at Clarkson> that Heath/Zenith
is not manufacturing the machine any longer, since the military contract
ran out and was replaced by the '200.  They are going to support the
machine; they'd be nuts not to with all of them still out there, but I
don't think they are making NEW machines. My Z was the latest made as
far as I know - a Zenith Z-118 <8MHz, 256K, 2 drives>.

	I agree; the '100 is by FAR technically superior, but as you
said, everyone jumped on the IBM bandwagon. Too bad.  My gripe: I can
get a PC hard drive controller for $99.  To get one for my '100 from
Zenith is $899, and with a 10 meg hard drive it's $999.  That's 
ridiculous, especially when I can buy a 40 meg hard drive for $450!
Anyone know of other hard drive <cheap> controllers for the Z-100 with
MS-DOS?

-dg-

...!ihnp4!chinet!helm!dave
...!philabs!sbcs!helm!dave

Note: I do not represent anyone other than myself.  I'm greedy that way.