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From: heller.umass-cs@rand-relay.arpa
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: CPM-68K and market question...
Message-ID: <13025@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Oct-83 10:47:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13025
Posted: Wed Oct 26 10:47:00 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 31-Oct-83 07:32:36 EST
Lines: 53

From:  Robert (LISPer DM)Heller <heller.umass-cs@rand-relay.arpa>

	There is an even cheaper (and easier to setup) 68000 system
which can run CP/M-68K:  the Sage II.  A miniumnally configured Sage
II has 128K RAM and one 5.25" DSDD (80TRK) disk drive (640K
bytes/disk).  It goes for around $3K.  A maximumally configured Sage
II (512K RAM, two disks) goes for about $5K.  You will need a
terminal (RS-232, upto 19.2K BAUD).  The Sage II has two RS-232
ports, one for the console and one for a modem or serial printer (or
other RS-232 I/O device), a parallel printer port (centronics
compatable), and a IEEE-488 bus interface.  The Sage II comes with
the UCSD p-System, but CP/M-68K is available (from Sage) for $350.00.
If you have enough memory, the Sage can be configured (software
control) to use the "extra" memory as a memory disk.  (Just about all
of the CP/M-68K utilities can run in 128K memory.)

	A minimum configures Sage II can be upgraded to a maximum
configured Sage II - the board has sockets for 512K RAM and the disk
controler handles two drives - just a mater of pluging in chips (for
more memory) and/or pluging in another disk drive.

	CP/M-68K comes with an assembler (relocatable, no macros), C
compiler (no floats but otherwise UNIX compatable (except for
multi-processing stuff, of course)), ED (dumb TECO/SOS like text
editor), as well as various misc. utilities (stat, copy, pip, etc.).
Sage has MINCE for $100.00.  A print-spooler utility is available
from Media Research, Ltd. (211 Grantwood Drive, Amherst, MA 01002)
for $50.00.  We (Media Research, Ltd.) are working on a Common-LISP
compatable lisp system for CP/M-68K (don't hold your breath -
probably 6+ months yet before it is available).

	For some $$$ a Sage II can be upgraded to a Sage IV - this
needs another board - gives another 512K RAM (1Meg total) and upto 4
5.25" hard disks (5-20 Meg each) - software compatable.  (The Sage IV
adds 4 terminal ports and can be configured for upto 6 users, some of
which can use CP/M-68K and some can use the p-System.)

	We at Media Research, Ltd. have a maximum Sage II which we
use for software developement under CP/M-68K and the machine has
worked fine since we purchased it on Apr 1, 1983.  While CP/M-68K is
a rather simple-minded O/S, it runs fine on a small machine like the
Sage.  A friend of mine had a Wicat 150 (also a 68000 based system)
with UNIX, but since the Wicat only had a 5M hard disk, much of the
UNIX utilities were missing (very fustrating). Another friend used
Idris (Whitesmith's UNIX clone) and found it lacking many usefull
features (like a debugger!).  CP/M-68K, being a fairly small and
simple O/S, works fine on small, low-cost machines.  If I had a
bigger machine (like a SUN with an 80Meg disk) I probably would be
running Berkeley UNIX.

			Robert Heller
			(arpa:	Heller%umass-cs@rand-relay,
			 csent:	Heller@umass-cs)