Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!decvax!harpo!floyd!clyde!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uokvax!andree From: andree@uokvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.micro.68k Subject: Re: CPM-68K and market question? - (nf) Message-ID: <3343@uiucdcs.UUCP> Date: Thu, 20-Oct-83 01:33:31 EDT Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.3343 Posted: Thu Oct 20 01:33:31 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 22-Oct-83 07:17:06 EDT Lines: 50 #R:nmtvax:-49900:uokvax:12700001:000:2436 uokvax!andree Oct 17 09:18:00 1983 I'm interested if anyone out there that actually reads this news group could answer the following. Is the CPM-68k that I see advertised really very useful? Is there very much/any software available on the market to run under it? etc. Useful? That question only you can answer. I think you can use it for various things - it's similar to the very useful (though ugly) CP/M-80, etc. As for software: You can buy Mince for it, G & G is talking about an F77 compiler, and I've been asked to port a LISP system to it. I plan on putting together CP/M-68K software for sale because I think it will have a large market base: not everybody can afford the hard disk Unix wants. I think a lot of these people will run CP/M-68K. Also, the only computers I've run into in th market place based on the 68000 are very expensive. I'd like to know if anyone knows of any relatively fair priced 68k systems that can actually be used as a system. Please, not the motorola education board or anything like that. I'd be interested in any thing that might require construction also if that would save money... The best thing I've seen is a `homebrew' system that looks like this: 1) S-100 box (anybodies) $500 2) 68K cpu, disk controller, I/O board (compupro) $1500 3) Memory (anybody BUT compupro) $700 4) A pair of drives (qume dt-8) $1300 5) A terminal (any cheap one) $700 (or less) 6) CP/M 68K from Compupro $350 This gets you a running 68K system for about $5,000. You can skimp on drives, memory, etc & buy one for about $4,000, but I wouldn't recommend it. Or you can wait awhile and buy the one-board systems that are going to appear. With those, you don't have the S-100 flexibility. The compurpro CPU board can be upgraded to a 68010/68451 system if you so desire. Thank you for your reply in advance (by net mail please), You're welcome. As a final note, I'd like to point out that Microware plans on announcing OS-9/68000 early next year. They are in beta testing with OEMs now (I hope), and the announcement of OS-9/68000 should be concurrent with the announcement of several systems in the $4-$6 K price range. I plan on going to OS-9 as soon as possible, as it will be a MUCH nicer environment than CP/M. If you're not familiar with OS-9, you can think of it as Unix with improvments so that it will run well on a floppy based system (and in less memory than CP/M-68K!). Luck,