> The Z80 wasn't an add-on for the C128, it was there all the time. The C128
> shipped with CP/M-Plus. I think using CP/M depended upon having a 1571
> drive rather than the 1541.
This is getting a little off topic but hopefully will help those porting
elks to the Z80. Yes, once and for all, the C128 does infact have a Z80
in it, I've got one in front of me that I've run CP/M (an 8080/Z80 OS) on
and which I've taken apart and seen the chip. CP/M shipped from Commodore
is on a Commodore formatted disk, and because the 1571 is 1541 compatable
either drive will work just fine. If you wish to exchange disks with
other systems or buy pre-packaged CP/M software to use with the C128, the
1571 is MFM compatable unlike the 1541, so it can read and write disks
that use other formats (like Epson and Kaypro). If anyone would like a
list of supported formats, I have the Commodore 128 Programmers Reference
Guide which lists all supported formats. The 1581 is also compatable with
other CP/M machines, and is a 720k 3.5" drive. Of course the other
advantage to the 1571 and 1581 is that both are double sided and both are
*much* faster on the 128 than the 1541.
> The 128 was fairly useable as a CP/M machine as it had an 80 column screen.
True.
> The C64 w/ Z80 cartridge was still 40 columns, IIRC. Getting software to
> the C128 disk format was a pain, though. I think the C128 still had
It's a little painful, but not bad. I simply downloaded the files I
wanted to get onto the C128, got a DOS utility that formats and
reads/writes CP/M disks, and copied the files to floppy.
> non-standard serial ports, so even a NULL modem cable was more complicated
> than it needed to be.
Yes, it uses the same old Commodore "user port", you need a special rs-232
adaptor....or a Commodore modem if you want to go that way.
> Most of the time, C128s got used as a C64 for gaming, and as a C128 in
> 80 column 6502 mode for word processing and spreadsheets. I don't know
> of many that used them as CP/M machines.
That's true, and it's too bad sence there is a lot of good CP/M software,
the 128's power sat idle.
Dan
