covert@ihuxq.UUCP (covert) (03/01/84)
Zenith Data Systems has announced a family of IBM PC-compataible computers. I have the following questions: 1. Did ZDS design the new computers or did Heathkit ?? 2. Are they going to sold as Heathkit kits?? 3. Are they using the 8088, the 8086, or the 80186 cpu?? 4. How 'PC' compatiable are they ?? 5. Is Zenith going to stop manufacturing the Z-100 line ?? 6. Assuming Zenith continues to build more Z-100s, is Zenith going to support the Z-100 in terms of upgrading MS-DOS, porting software, adding new hardware etc.??? My concerns are that Zenith will shift all or most of their manpower to the support and development of the ZDS computers and let the Z-100 die an unnatural death. Witness Heathkit's lack of support for their early line of compters and terminals. Mail any info and/or rumors to me or post if of general interest. -- Richard Covert AT&T Bell Laboratories ...ihnp4!ihuxq!covert (312) 979-7488
zrm@mit-eddie.UUCP (Zigurd R. Mednieks) (03/05/84)
The Army is buying more than $50 million worth of Z100s, so I don't think they're going to stop building or supporting them soon. Z100s are also nice for process control since they have an s100 bus. The new PC compatible machines are probably aimed at the business market, not the hobbyist, industrial, and military markets that the Z100 occupies. As far as I know, Zenith has no separate personal computer R&D setup apart from Heath. Zenith concentrates on color and monochrome monitors and other analog electronics like network modems. Cheers, Zig
pournell@sdcsvax.UUCP (03/07/84)
Add 5,000 machines that UPI bought to that Army order. If the Z-100 had a detached keyboard, I would not hesitate to recommend it against any other PCoid machine. Re: reliability: ours is over a year old and not one thing has ever gone wrong--except for the stupid door latch on the Tandon 5-1/4" floppy. This took some real pains to fix (though W&A, my company, now sells spares because of this) since Zenith doesn't stock the stupid things. The stupids at Tandon take 4 weeks to process spares orders, and though we're no more than 15 miles from their factory, they wouldn't let us will-call! As for the Z-100, though, it's worked juuust fine.
delong@uiucuxc.UUCP (03/11/84)
#R:ihuxq:-72900:uiucuxc:12300001:000:701
uiucuxc!delong Mar 10 19:32:00 1984
A former member of my computer club went to work for Zenith Data Systems.
He brought down a 100 and a 150 for a club meeting last Wednesday.
The 150 is an IBM compatible with detachable keyboard.
It looks like they did the IBM clone right. Impressive. We were told
that they are shipping right now. Some of the club members tried different
IBM software without any problems. We were told that most hardware made
for the IBM would fit in the slots. They have also solved the flicker problem.
I was interested in graphics demo on the 100 so didnt follow through with
the 150 except to note they have an interesting debugger in their monitor.
Someone else will have to provide the details.mce@teldata.UUCP (Brian McElhinney) (03/12/84)
Will the Z-100 ever have a detached keyboard? I heard a rumor about this
quite a while ago, and have been waiting ever since...
Has anyone tried running a master CPU off the S-100 bus?
--
Brian McElhinney
Teltone Corp.
{ihnp4,decvax}!uw-beaver!teltone!teldata!mceras@rayssd.UUCP (03/19/84)
Sorry, this doesn't qualify as a rumor; but I have recent literature
from Zenith about it's followup to the Z-100; the Z-160.
This is a "IBM PC Compatible" portable with a detachable keyboard,
single or dual 5 1/4's, up to 320K of RAM, and weighs about 33 lbs.
I can't vouch for the product, but do note that the picture of a guy
carrying the unit either has had his legs sawed off below the knee or
is resting the case of the Z160 on a table (out of the picture). It
looks rather bulky, and his arm is in a very unnatural position for it.
--
Ralph Shaw, {allegra, decvax!brunix, ccieng5}!rayssd!ras
Raytheon Co, Submarine Signal Div., Portsmouth, RIjss@sjuvax.UUCP (Jonathan Shapiro) (05/14/84)
<Eat Me...> What's a Z-100?
brahms@trwspp.UUCP (05/21/84)
[}{]
>> What's a Z-100?
A Z-100 is a computer built by Zenith. A kit model is also available
from Heathkit. A very nice machine. Has both a 8088 and 8085 and graphics
the blow the IBM-PC away.
-- Brad Brahms
usenet: {decvax,ucbvax}!trwrb!trwspp!brahms
arpa: Brahms@USC-ECLC