Xerox 16/8 M92 computer
On Sat, Aug 03, 2019 at 11:13:28PM -0400, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Does the museum have or need this?
We have a couple of 820s, but we don't have this. Do we need it? I don't know... anyone have thoughts about that?
If you have other good examples of the dual processor PC with CP/M showing the attempt to bridge the generations another may not be that significant. The page says it may had a little better implementation than some with the concurrent processing.
There were a number of microcomputers in the early 1980's, which incorporated both an 8085 and an 8088, or a Z80 and an 8088. The Heath/Zenith Z-100 (Z-121) switched between an 8085 or an 8088. The Compupro 8/16 used an 8085/8088 S-100 CPU card, similar circuits. I believe NorthStar had an 8088 board option for their Z80 based Advantage (non-S-100 computer). There are other examples. Likewise, some MS-DOS computers ran an ISA bus Z80 card (Baby Blue, etc.). Why do this? Because of the rise of MS-DOS during the age of CP/M-80. Keep in mind that through the late 1970s and into the 1980's, CP/M-80 was the leading Intel-compatible operating system. These 8088 options were ways to provide some kind of compatibility and future-support, for MS-DOS products and for "Big Blue" IBM. The Z80 cards for IBM PC's, was a way to run legacy software - until PCs were fast enough to emulate CP/M-80. It's a period of time that's becoming harder to appreciate; it's not in the experience of persons now under 40 or so. It doesn't fall nicely into one "IBM-PC, CP/M, Mac, videogame" category. Life is messy that way. Regards, Herb Johnson -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info
On 8/4/19 6:16 PM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On Sat, Aug 03, 2019 at 11:13:28PM -0400, Evan Koblentz via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Does the museum have or need this?
We have a couple of 820s, but we don't have this. Do we need it? I don't know... anyone have thoughts about that?
If you have other good examples of the dual processor PC with CP/M showing the attempt to bridge the generations another may not be that significant. The page says it may had a little better implementation than some with the concurrent processing.
There were a number of microcomputers in the early 1980's, which incorporated both an 8085 and an 8088, or a Z80 and an 8088. The Heath/Zenith Z-100 (Z-121) switched between an 8085 or an 8088. The Compupro 8/16 used an 8085/8088 S-100 CPU card, similar circuits. I believe NorthStar had an 8088 board option for their Z80 based Advantage (non-S-100 computer). There are other examples. Likewise, some MS-DOS computers ran an ISA bus Z80 card (Baby Blue, etc.).
Why do this? Because of the rise of MS-DOS during the age of CP/M-80. Keep in mind that through the late 1970s and into the 1980's, CP/M-80 was the leading Intel-compatible operating system. These 8088 options were ways to provide some kind of compatibility and future-support, for MS-DOS products and for "Big Blue" IBM. The Z80 cards for IBM PC's, was a way to run legacy software - until PCs were fast enough to emulate CP/M-80.
Interesting time, I have an ATR8000 for the Atari 8 bit computer. The ATR8000 could run as a drive interface (8", 5 1/4 and 3 1/2) or CP/M machine or with a coprocessor board a 8088 and run DOS. A very odd time as no one knew what was going on with CP/M vs MSDOS. -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry@linuxha.com http://www.linuxha.com/ Main site http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog Author of: Linux Smart Homes For Dummies
On Mon, 5 Aug 2019, Neil Cherry via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
On 8/4/19 6:16 PM, Herb Johnson via vcf-midatlantic wrote:
Why do this? Because of the rise of MS-DOS during the age of CP/M-80. Keep in mind that through the late 1970s and into the 1980's, CP/M-80 was the leading Intel-compatible operating system. These 8088 options were ways to provide some kind of compatibility and future-support, for MS-DOS products and for "Big Blue" IBM. The Z80 cards for IBM PC's, was a way to run legacy software - until PCs were fast enough to emulate CP/M-80.
Interesting time, I have an ATR8000 for the Atari 8 bit computer. The ATR8000 could run as a drive interface (8", 5 1/4 and 3 1/2) or CP/M machine or with a coprocessor board a 8088 and run DOS. A very odd time as no one knew what was going on with CP/M vs MSDOS.
I have a Kaypro 4Plus88 with an 8088 coprocssor board, as well as an Otrona Attache 8:16 with an 8086 coprocessor. Also, the museum's Telcon Zorba has the same SWP 8088 board as the Kaypro. One of the nice functions of these machines is that the extra RAM on the coprocessor board (usually 256KB) is available as a RAMdisk while running CP/M. Mike Loewen mloewen@cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/
participants (3)
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Herb Johnson -
Mike Loewen -
Neil Cherry