With help, I'm trying a combination of versions. It's an "odd duck" of a system - I've seen claims it has MS-DOS 1.25 built into ROM. But the bubble cartridges are all booting to MS-DOS 2.00. Each cartridge also has BASIC.COM (which just examining that COM, all it does is kick off running BASICEXE.EXE - which a .BAT could have done that). That BASICEXE.EXE is ~61KB, so it's a full GW-BASIC right there. And if so, then why does one need the BASIC ROM module inserted at the bottom of the system? (rhetorical question, I'll experiment more on it over the next weekend on how functional the system is with that ROM card removed)
We tried an MS-DOS 2.11 (Sharp image), but to be bootable even the manual states that the bubble cartridges use 8 sectors per track instead of the more typical 9. So the system can read either one (320 or 360), but it may only boot to a 320 (TBD). Which leads to another odd thing: the bubble cartridges are advertised as 128KB storage, but in doing a DIR and CHKDSK, those are reporting file content of over 300KB on some of these bubble cartridges. So I'm not sure if the sales team went to press before coordinating with the engineering team? ;) We did try /S on an MS-DOS 3.30 and tried booting that, but the PC-5000 said NON-SYSTEM DISK. But we're not yet sure if that's because it was a 9 sector per track instead of 8. Another thing is, the bubble memory cartridges CHKDSK is saying 6 hidden files instead of the normal 2. I'll look into that more also next weekend (attrib.exe didn't work for me on that system, but have a couple other options to try). Another thing I just realized - if IMD.COM can run on DOS 2.0, and has command line options (because a text-mode "GUI" of IMD won't work on the 8 row screen of the PC-5000), then I wonder if IMD could be used to image the 320KB bubble memory cartridges. Will also try that next weekend, now that I know I have a way to copy things to floppy (and the luxury of two disk drives, so can run IMD and dump the image on the other drive) For anyone interested, I'm keeping notes about the PC-5000 here: Sharp PC-5000 — voidstar <https://voidstar.blog/sharp-pc-5000/> https://voidstar.blog/sharp-pc-5000/ -Steve On Wed, Oct 16, 2024 at 10:56 PM Mike Stein <[email protected]> wrote: > What OS are you using to format the disk? > > If you have a DOS system running (or can run DOS from a USB drive) you > might try FORMAT /S and whatever other options you need; make sure the > system files are in the DOS directory. AFAIK you can also use WIN98 or > earlier. > > On Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 1:31 AM Steve Lewis via cctalk < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi Thomas, >> Do you happen to have also the original SHARP MS-DOS 2.00 disks? It may >> have come with the CE-510F. >> >> All my bubble cartridges have MS-DOS 2.00, and one of the cartridges has >> SYS.COM. So... I did a FORMAT /8 on another x86 system and formatted a >> 320KB disks. Then I put that disk into the PC-5000, then did a SYS C: >> from >> the bubble cartridge that has SYS.COM, and it said "System transferred" >> (and CHKDSK.COM agrees, there are 2 hidden files). I added COMMAND.COM >> to >> the disk, but it (the PC-5000) still won't boot from that disk. I turn >> the system off, remove the bubble cartridge, power on the system with this >> "new" 320KB disk inserted... and it says WARNING: NON-SYSTEM DISK. >> >> So we'll be hunting for an original SHARP PC-5000 boot disk still. >> >> >> -Steve >> >> >> On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 4:09 AM osi.superboard via cctalk < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> > Sharp computers from the early 80's were truly amazing. Every computer >> > part they produced was a joy to see and feel because of its accuracy and >> > design. If you've ever held a Sharp CE-152 data tape device, you know >> > what I mean. >> > >> > Fortunately, I have a CE-510F with an internal power supply and floppy >> > disk controller. >> > If you're interested, please drop me a PM. >> > Thomas >> > >> > On 07.09.2024 09:17, Steve Lewis via cctalk wrote: >> > > A while back I started studying more about the Sharp PC-5000 (and had >> it >> > up >> > > and running at VCFSW in 2023). I'm now coming back to that project, >> and >> > > one thing I was never able to find was a compatible 5.25 disk drive. >> > > >> > > I've collected some information about this system at here: >> > > https://voidstar.blog/sharp-pc-5000/ >> > > >> > > And I am hoping to put together a video about out. But one >> challenging >> > > aspect is that its LCD screen is difficult to record (lots of >> > > reflections). And despite having lots of schematic documentation >> now, >> > I'm >> > > still not savvy enough to try to export its screen content to an >> external >> > > device that might have a backlight. >> > > >> > > From my notes, as I recall.... The 37-pin connector at the back of >> the >> > > PC-5000 is not the same as the 37-pin connector at the back of the IO >> > card >> > > with the original IBM PC 5150. I believe the Sharp product model >> > number >> > > I am looking for CE-510F (which might be the same as MZ-80B in certain >> > > markets). >> > > >> > > This isn't an urgent thing - the Bubble Memory modules of this PC-5000 >> > are >> > > still all working fine and make the system functional. But I do have >> a >> > set >> > > of disk with the system that might be interesting to try out. So >> just >> > > broadcasting here, on the off-chance someone might be familiar with >> these >> > > and know of a stash of accessories (most likely within a >> > Japanese-speaking >> > > community, where I think Sharp products were generally more popular). >> > > >> > > Thanks! >> > > Steve v* >> > >> >
