Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!TOPS20.RADC.AF.MIL!GUBBINS From: GUBBINS@TOPS20.RADC.AF.MIL (Gern) Newsgroups: comp.sys.zenith.z100 Subject: Re: General questions for Zenith users Message-ID: <12494995240.15.GUBBINS@TOPS20.RADC.AF.MIL> Date: 18 May 89 14:58:49 GMT References: <2319@infocenter.UUCP> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 49 >1. Is the system IBM compatible? No. It is an 8088/8085 S-100 System. It can run MS-DOS tailored to to its hardware just like the IBM-PC runs MS-DOS tailored to its hardware. The Z-100 can also run 5 other OSes. >2. Can I run DBASE software? Yes. You can run DBASE II from Zenith that has support for the Z-100. I do not know if DBASE III or higher have Z-100 support from Zenith, but I am told the non-copy protected versions will run using the ZPCV2 Patch. >3. I have a Lotus123 package which prompts me that an MS-DOS version > of 2.0 is required, but I have version 3.1. After the installation > the system gave me an error message of "incompatible system size". > I know this results from installing 123 on version 3.1. Can I get > around this somehow, or must I purchase MS-DOS version 2.0? Are you running IBM-PC version of Lotus 123 or the much improved Z-100 Version? >4. Do you find the overall system to be useful for personnal computing > tasks? What about programming tasks? Yes, It can be expanded well beyond the PC & Clones limits. The PCs have limited hardware and kludge for system software. >5. What is the memory of the system and can it be expanded. If so where > can you purchase the additional boards. The normal max RAM is 768K on the motherboard. If you tell me what the System command from the Boot Monitor says, I can tell you how easy it is (hit [DELETE] on turn on without any floppies in the drives). However, My systems have 768K or program RAM, 192K of color video RAM, and 256K of RAMDISK RAM (will expand when 256K chip prices go down). No cards required for 768K. >6. What is the life expectancy of the system? 7 years starting from 1-JAN-87 when Heath will drop parts support. However, they rarely fail, and are trivial to repair ('cept for the power supply!) There is a large wealth of PD software and upgrade info in the PD1: @ SIMTEL20.ARPA Directory. Cheers, Gern -------