drg50@uts.amdahl.com (David Gavin) (06/06/89)
HELP !
I recently adopted some scrapped Zenith hardware that came without any
documentation or software. I am new to the Zenith world, so I'm hoping
someone out ther in netland can help me. I have the following equipment
and serial/part numbers, and I need to know what OS or OSes I can run
and where I can get them.
ZF-120-22 EIA-416
Floppies 2 X 5.25" internal 2 X 8" external
Mother Board (8088) 85-2653-1 040482 181-3630 0047925-00105
Disk Controller 85-2706-1 031682 181-3763 0047912-00150
DISK Z-207 FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLER
IEEE 696 SLAVE
Bit Mapped RGB 85-2668-1 030982 181-8631 0000595-47938
COLOR VIDEO PROCESSOR
Thanks in advance for any help you may offer,
Dave Gavin amdahl!drg50
(I'm too new at this to have a signature.)
(The opinions above are my own, not those of my employer.)GUBBINS@TOPS20.RADC.AF.MIL (Gern) (06/09/89)
You have an old motherboard, 5.00000MHz, 192K max RAM which is not a lot to work with these days even for a Z-100. You can try to find used Z-205 256K RAM boards to upgrade (about $125 each), do The Motherboard Hack and put 256Kx1 RAM ICs on it for 256K, 512K, up to 768K of RAM, get a new motherboard (yes - I have a spare that I will let go if anyone is desparate) and put RAM on it. You really need 512K Min RAM to do most anything and 768K if you want to emulate a PC with Heath's ZPCV2 program. Do you have Color RAM? Do you have 32K or 64K Video? What Boot Monitor Do you have? The answers to these can be found by CTRL/RESET, then [DELETE], then [V] to get the Version, then [S] to get System info IF Version =/> 2.0 If you are serious about the Z-100, out of the 6 or so Operating Systems (CP/M 8-bit, 16-bit, Concurrent 16-bit, MP/M-86, etc) you want to get MS-DOS V3.x FOR THE Z-100 from Heath/Zenith, probably GW-BASIC V2.x FOR THE Z-100 from Heath/Zenith, and lots of other Z-100 specific versions of popular programs (Lotus 123, DBASE, MS-WORD, MS-MULTIPLAN, Word Star, Word Perfect, Enable, etc...). Most all of these can must be gotten thru Heath/Zenith (if you know the order number and or can convince them that they STILL really sell it). You might want to try your Local Heath Users Group and or CompuServes for anyone that has spare copies of what you want. I might have a spare Z-100 MS-DOS V2.x and a Z-100 Users Manual. All STANDARD MS-DOS programs will work on the MS-DOS for the Z-100, such as MS-FORTRAN, MS-Pascal, MASM, Early Peter Norton Utilites, and anything that only makes MS-DOS calls (ie, no machine hardware specific stuff (ie graphics)). There is a LOT of Z-100 PD programs and Upgrade Info in: PD1:<HZ100> at SIMTEL20.ARPA by anonymous FTP. Good luck, Gern -------
djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu (Dick O'Connor) (06/10/89)
Check Payload Computer Services [ phone (713) 486-0687, address 15718 Sylvan
Lake; Houston, TX; 77062] for early Z100 software at closeout prices. Last
time I looked, they were selling Zbasic, Multiplan, CPM Basic and the Condor
File manager for $12 each or all four for $40.
I'd also spend the $20 and join the Heath/Zenith User's Group. A monthly
magazine, lots more inexpensive software (usually $20 a pop), and good support
still for the Z100 (although, as you'd expect, more PC-compatible articles).
Their BBS also has a lot of software, including the GERNWARE series, which
Mr. Gubbins is too modest to mention!! Contact HUG at (616) 982-3463 with
VISA/MC in hand, and you'll be a card-carrying member in no time!
Finally, check your local BBS's and see if any of them are on Fidonet and
carry the Heath/Zenith echo. A lot of advice and information from around
the country may be just a local phone call away! Happy hunting...
"Moby" Dick O'Connor
Washington Department of Fisheries
Olympia, Washington 98504
Internet Mail: djo7613@blake.acs.washington.edu
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DISCLAIMER: I speak only for myself, not for the Department. Here, anyway!
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So long, and thanks *from* all the fish...GUBBINS@TOPS20.RADC.AF.MIL (Gern) (06/12/89)
Its not the modesty, its the Federal Laws for Waste, Fraud, and ABUSE of Government ADP equipment - Using Uncle Sam's Computers and Internet for private enterprises is a big No No. In the strict interpretation, even posting interest-group-related one-time For Sale items (ie, Used Z-100 for sale) is a voilation of those laws, however - most reasonable persons let the one-time For Sales slide by in the best interest of all. Using it to operate/advertise a business (ie, Z-100s (plural) for sale email Crazy Ralph's Used Z-100 Emporium) is when the Feds come to get you. Just a standard reminder to continue to be careful about postings that the Feds may interpret in the wrong way. Gern -------