Cargo@HI-MULTICS.ARPA (David S. Cargo) (03/28/85)
My CP/M-80 system is dying. The cost to repair is about the same as the cost to me to buy a new PC-clone. I want to preserve my investment in CP/M-80 software (compilers, tools, word processors, spreadsheets) which would have a high replacement cost. What is the best way to either add hardware, or add software to a PC-clone that would allow me to run my old software? I can see three basic choices. (1) Get a clone, or near clone, that supports CP/M-80 directly. The Heath Z100, and maybe the Seequa Chameleon might be in this class. (2) Get an add-on board for the PC-clone. The old Baby Blue CPU, and the QCS Big Blue card had that intention, but I don't know if either are still available, or supported. Maybe buying one used would be possible. (3) Get some emulation software. That sounds like it might be painfully slow. I am very short of arms and legs to spare keeping my systems up and running. Hybrid solutions, like an S100 system with hardware for both MS-DOS and CP/M might be an acceptable variation on (1). Any good used H/Z-100's out there?