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From: firebug@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: Hardware/software mixes.
Message-ID: <2352@cup.portal.com>
Date: 9 Jan 88 06:56:10 GMT
References: <1644@van-bc.UUCP> <3022@cbmvax.UUCP> <1344@sugar.UUCP> <2679@killer.UUCP>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
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XPortal-User-Id: 1.1001.2522

In article <1344@sugar.UUCP> ssd@sugar.UUCP (Scott Denham) writes:
>> Well, while the C128 is/was farily successful as a Commodore product, it
>> is not obvious that the availability of the Z80-CP/M subsystem had much
>> impact.  The machine also included an 80-column display capability, faster
> (Further description of C-128's attributes deleted)
> 
> I think thats a very fair statement, George.  I know 8 or 10 C-128 
>owners; NONE of them use the CPM mode to any degree and most have never
>even tried it. Like the PC bus in the 2000, I think it really just 'icing'
>- both would be good machines without the feature, but it's a nice enough
>feature to a small subset of the people who use the machine to make it 
>worth putting in to distinguish one's self from the competition if it can
>be done at a reasonable price.


I can't help but agree too...When I had my C-128, I never seemed to get 
around to using the CP/M side, except for trying out a bit of old CP/M 
software I had laying around from a previous computer.  But it's a nice
little addition for those that like that sort of thing...I'm surprised
Jerry Pournelle didn't jump for it.  :-)
 
However, I think it would have been much better if CBM had dropped an 8088
into the thing, rather than a Z-80.  Just think, with an 8088 and a little
added circuitry to make the video look like the CGA, you would have had the
ability to run a fair amount of the IBM-PC software around (I imagine 80-90
percent compatibility would have been sufficient).  And since the 8088 is an
8-bit chip (pin-wise, that is), I can't imagine that it would be much more
difficult to interface, or cost much more to add, than the Z-80 is.  And there
is a hell of a lot more PD software out there for the IBM-PC than there is
for CP/M machines.
 
How about it, Commodore...a C-128/PC ?
 
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Lance T Franklin                                                ltf@killer |
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|                                                                           |
|                            something clever.                              |
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