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From: blob@apple.com (Brian Bechtel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops
Subject: Re: Z88?
Message-ID: <6140@internal.Apple.COM>
Date: 11 Jan 90 22:59:54 GMT
Sender: usenet@Apple.COM
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
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References:<11038@nlm-mcs.arpa> <37682@apple.Apple.COM> <50588@bbn.COM> <21121@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>

Jerry Pournelle had a good review in the June 1989 Byte magazine.  The 
Cambridge Scientific Z88 is a notepad computer, designed by Clive 
Sinclair, designer of several notable British computers.

The Z88 is not a DOS machine; the CPU is a Z80, the OS is something 
written specifically for this machine.  It's light (under 2 pounds, I 
believe), reasonably compact (11 3/4 inches by 8 1/4 inches by 1 inch) 
with a small screen (about 8 lines by 106 characters, if I remember 
correctly.)  Think of it as the replacement for your notepad and you won't 
be too far wrong.

Among its strengths are long battery life (~20 hours on 4 AA batteries), 
reasonable keyboard (the feel is slightly rubbery; people tend to swear by 
it or at it) instant access (turn it on and it's exactly where you left 
it; no booting DOS) and easy connection to Macintosh or IBM PC class 
machines (you can take notes on a Z88, and easily transfer them to your 
favorite program on the Mac, for instance.)  It has the ability to run as 
many programs as will fit into memory; you suspend one program to go into 
another, but everything stays the way it was when you left.

For more information, you can contact Cambridge Scientific North America 
at (800) 888-3723, or (207) 879-2200, FAX (207) 879-2217 and (207) 
879-2218, or Sharp's at (804) 730-9697, FAX (804) 746-1978.  See the June 
1989 Byte for more details, as well.

--Brian Bechtel     blob@apple.com     "My opinion, not Apple's"