HUNEYCUTT@GUNTER-ADAM.ARPA@sri-unix.UUCP (10/03/83)
From: Doug <HUNEYCUTT@GUNTER-ADAM.ARPA> Announcing.....the government did something right!! Late this afternoon, a contract was signed in Washington to provide a standard microcomputer configuration for the US Air Force and US Navy. The standard system has to provide 8-bit CP/M and some sort of extended 16-bit hardware/software. The vendor choosen to provide this machine was.....Zenith (ta da). Our standard machine is the Z-100 all-in-one with 192K of RAM, 2 minifloppies, and monochrome screen. Options abound, with 8-inch and/or >11 Mbyte Winchester at the top of the list. Tons of software are available. Air Force and Navy user questions are invited (others, too). Doug -------
ABN.ISCAMS@usc-isid@sri-unix.UUCP (10/04/83)
The Z100 isn't the only machine the services are buying. Donno how big the mentioned contract is, but quite a few Morrow MicroDecisions were being sold to the Navy down Alabama or Louisiana way (procured through some vendor up near DC). Also a bunch of Cromemco Z80's (donno how long ago, exactly how many, or what model) for the Air Force out of Langley AFB. The Navy (specifically one small office vic Norfolk) tried very hard to think through microcomputer "standardization" and did a pretty good job of "generically" describing a small micro. However, in my experience, no one in the procurement area is going to be "sole sourcing" ANYTHING -- NO BRAND NAMES without a REAL good reason! (GSA and the Army Audit Agency in particular are watch-dogging that!) So don't anybody bet their paycheck that the services will all be thronging to the Z100 OR any other particular micro, microprocessor, etc. Don't forget ADA (you remember ADA) is supposed to be THE DoD language (and is actually running on something now -- a 32-bit ECCLIPSE or something) -- and that's going to drive a lot of specifications. Should be interesting -- so stay flexible. David Kirschbaum SGM, USA (speaking in a very unofficial role and NOT as a DoD spokesman)
GeoffreyC.Mulligan@BRL.ARPA@sri-unix.UUCP (10/04/83)
From: AFDSC@BRL-VGR.ARPA, The Pentagon <Geoffrey C. Mulligan@BRL.ARPA>
Although it is true that both the Air Force and Navy have bought
many different machines in the past, this standard micro contract
will make getting a micro computer, specifically the z100, very
easy. To get any other micro will require an exception to policy
approved by AF/SI (the same people who brought us ADA and
TCP/IP). Ada is not really an issue since it is supposed to be a
standard language for imbedded computers.
geoff