CAUTION! This an attempt to document the start of learning about the Z88 by a person that just might be more senile than the person seen in the mirror in the mornings appears to be. However, here goes.
I have two Z88s, one is the one that I sent in to have the Z88 upgraded to V4.0 ROM with 512K RAM installed internally. The other is a used (or reconditioned) Z88. The upgraded Z88 came with a manual that was in standard book binding and the pages were coming out; so the day that the used Z88 came, I was in the process of removing the pages and punching them to fit a half size binder I had. I completed the task even after I saw that the used computer came with a wire bound manual. I also have the two books, one is the manual that came with the computer and the other is the book “Z88 Magic” by Vic Gerhardi, Bill Gerhardi and Andy Berry.
I have one questions; Is there any instructions for the V4.0 ROM that are different than for the earlier ROMs? That could explain why I have trouble with it.
I have had a Z88 for quite some but have not used it. Part is the lack of ambition to get it going and part is that the times that I tried to do something I ended up being locked out by lack of knowledge of how to do it. Part is that I do not find out how to do what I want to do from the manuals that I have for the Z88. And part is that I didn’t really give it much thought about the way to store a document in memory. Just recently a concept made it more easy to reconcile the process of getting the document into memory. I suddenly saw that if I considered the memory as a mass storage device (and it is) then I could more easily relate to that.
My progress has been anything but smooth. When I heard that a disk drive could be connected to the Z88, I JUST had to have one. So after finding and receiving a pair through Radio Shack I ordered the hardware and software to enable me to use the disk drive. But I soon learned that I had to have more internal memory so I ordered a 128K RAM and then I got the program transferred from EPROM to RAM. Then I tried the disk drive to FORMAT a disk and got an error message. So I tried again and still an error message. So I finally used a different disk and this time it worked. The first disk was bad apparently.
About that time I learned that I could upgrade to Version 4 ROM and 512K internal RAM, so I did. Then the gremlins hit. Seemed to work 0.K. until after a while the computer came back on and the keyboard was locked up. I read and reread the manual and started out from scratch and I again tried it and again, it woke up (screaming and kicking) with a locked up keyboard. I tried it several times and finally sent it back for repair.
It came back from Texas with a note bad keyboard and now 0K. but testing and it stayed asleep longer but still woke up locked up. I reread all the material on initializing. I had put the batteries in and I had reset twice and it had not stayed in the sleep mode. I wondered why the computer needed to be reset so I tried it with only one reset and this time it woke up about 24 hours later. I tried it again and had the same result.
So I again tried it and this time I did not press the reset button at all with the straightened out paper clip. I checked the computer several times, that is I just looked to see if the screen was lit. Finally after several days I pressed both SHIFT keys and it came up and was apparently normal. I even timed the auto shut off and that worked. Now this computer has the version 4 ROM and 512K RAM installed internally. I think it might have been a later issue computer since in the upper left corner of the computer it has Z88. The manual had the pages glued to the spine and is listed as the fourth edition.
I ordered a second Z88 computer, used, this has a version 3 ROM and nothing extra added to the computer. The manual that came with it is a spiral bound manual and the page count is almost the same. The upper left corner of the computer has Cambridge Z88. At least it works like the manual as far as reset and the sleep mode goes.
Today I tried to install the 128K EPROM that has XOB (disk system software) on it into the updated computer. I panicked thinking that the program had some how disappeared from the EPROM but after I tried to install it into the unexpanded Z88, I discovered that I was supposed to be in the FILER to use the EPROM. There Is No Cue Card Or Simple List Of Commands For This Computer! This is sort of like when I first started with disk drives on the TS-2068 and the LarKen LKDOS. I had a file card with the commands on it. It took me a long time to figure out on the LarKen system how to get an AUTOSTART program to work with it was not on drive 0. The program was on an 80 track drive and my 80 track drive was drives 1 & 2. I work up in the middle of the night with the answer. DO RAND USR 100: GO TO 1 (ENTER) and then RAND USR 100: NEW (ENTER) and voila! up came the program.
Back to the Z88s. I now have to see how to get the program into the computer so that I can CHAIN it. What is CHAIN? I don’t know but it is a BASIC command. The description of it in my 3rd edition The Basic Handbook by David A. Lion runs to 5 pages so it is not an unknown command. I will see if that makes it any clearer. It didn’t so that is no surprise.
Before I ramble on I will give some thoughts here about the Z88. When I put the EPROM in that had the XOB (disk operating system software) I had it stood on edge to push the EPROM in and since I used an old wood topped typing stand it was slippery. The EPROM seated and the Z88 slipped in my hands and lit on the bottom and slammed the cover shut and it beeped as it was supposed to do. I guess I did not do it any damage but in the future I will use a less slippery surface to support the Z88 when changing any of the plug-in modules.
Also, I found it hard to pull out the modules till I used a small screwdriver to slip in the end of the module and thus lift it out. With my stiff fingers I cannot grip the modules (or cartridges) so it is not possible to remove without some sort of help.
Where do I store my two Z88s? I put them into a hanging file folders. I have one of those $22 keyboard covers (toppers) for one but the other I have none. I suppose that the two SHIFT keys won’t got pressed in the hanging file but Just in case I made a deal out of cardboard to lessen the danger of that. I cut a piece of corrugated cardboard with the corrugations running the long way with the dimensions of 11½” by 18.375″ . I made marks 8.5″ from either end and used a ruler to guide a screwdriver that I used to pull along the ruler to sort of crush the corrugations so that the cardboard would fold at that point. The cardboard could be covered with wallpaper to make it look neater. The splice is wider than the Z88, so that it helps hold the pressure off of the keys if the file drawer is full.
I had a set of batteries show bat low. so I replaced them and then checked the batteries with a Radio Shack battery tester. The tester showed the batteries to be in the yellow or replace area. A voltmeter will give a higher reading since it does not load the battery. The RS tester has a resistor across the battery to load it for the test. When I put the batteries in I did not use fresh batteries.
I have XOB installed in both Z88s, but somehow it is spelled differently in one. But CHAIN will fetch both into the working area so it can be used. Next step will be to test out the disk drive on both computers.
Here are the functions of the XOB (Disk Drive Software)
CAT DELETE SAVE LOAD RENAME FORMAT BANK=0 QUIT STATUS REPORT LINE
To use XOB you need to be in BASIC and CHAIN “DISCMGR”, when you press ENTER there will be the XOB menu. Use the arrow keys to move around, when the highlighted bar is over the option that you want to select press ENTER and the prompt will guide you. It will initiate with CAT highlighted. I had a disk that was not FORMATted by XOB in the drive and pressed CAT and the REPORT LINE reported ‘Unexpected Reply’. Put the highlighted bar over FORMAT and press ENTER and you get on the main screen ‘Are you sure?’ press Y and ENTER and it will FORMAT. The light on the drive will blink fast a few times then will start to blink as it FORMTs each track. Then it reaches the end and seems to go back and check each track but at a faster rate. When FORMAT is done the REPORT LINE will report ‘DONE, 0K’, the highlight bar is over CAT again. Press ENTER and you will see on the main screen as a result of the CAT ‘Free Space 202240 Bytes’. There is no disk name.
The manual (9 pages of text) for XOB states that there is a maximum of 40 files per bank with two banks of files. Or 80 files per disk. But remember that the 3.5 disk is only used on one side. Further experimenting will be done as soon as I get into all the operations of the Z88 itself.
About the 3.5 disks that I am using. At a computerfest I had a great buy of 3.5 disks. Even with a problem that I just now discovered they are still a great buy. The problem is that the little slider that controls the write protect is missing. So I used some gummed labels to cover the hole on both sides and since the labels don’t like to stick to the plastic I put Scotch tape over, beyond the write labels (can’t call these write protect since on the 3.5 disks you cover the hole to be able to write). When I bought the disks I never thought to check for the write tabs.
Back to the gremlins again. Both Z88s showed bat low, so I had to replace batteries AND! both failed to retain memory after the battery change. I panicked when neither computer came up with a screen but did when I did the hard reset. The one that doesn’t like to sleep is back acting up again. Thought I had that problems solved but no! Of course I had to power down and remove all the modules and get back into the FILER after replacing the batteries and doing a hard reset. I can’t remember just how long the other batteries had been in the computers, so this time I put a little sticker on the battery cover with that date typed on it.
Now I am trying to get a file named and SAVEd to the computer so that I can get it to SAVE to disk. Maybe I should PURGE the computer and start over with an empty memory. This certainly works differently that the TS-2068.
I just learned that I was not giving the Z88 a hard reset since I had failed to open the cartridge door. I will see if that settles down the one with insomnia. I have started a crib sheet to remind me as I go along.
I finally got a file SAVEd to the FILER and I got it SAVEd to disk. But the commands are not like the book. Or at least not like I read the book. But I did discover how the disk drive stores the program on disk. By that I mean the amount of disk space is used-up by a simple file. I had two sentences, that was a file, and I SAVEd that to disk. The smallest file on disk is 1280 bytes. So that means since the limit of file names is 80 that it is possible that the last part of the disk will not get used.
Progress is slow but I learn. I have learned that the really important information is buried in the middle or back of the manual. BUT! one important thing is to name your external memory right after you install it or else if you name it after you have SAVEd some files, you won’t see the file names when you go to the FILER. As I type I wonder if it is in the CAT RAM if I designate RAM.0 if I will see the file names. I had a file SAVEd on disk that I reloaded back to the Z88 and I finally accessed it by way of :RAM,0//filename. I guess I could go back to the PANEL and re-label RAM 1 to RAM 0. Or I could use INDEX to see file names and then transport the files from RAM 0 to RAM 1. Then erase the files in RAM 0. It would be easier to remove the RAM cartridge and do a HARD RESET but I think that if I try the transporting of files from one RAM to another that I will learn more.
In a sense FILER is a sort of DOS for some of the other features of the Z88. If you think of the RAM as disk drives then that is a good analogy. It seems that I spend a lot of time resetting the clock and calendar. But it is easy to go from PIPEDREAM to the FILER and use ESC to exit FILER and go back to PIPEDREAM to exactly where you were before.
Right now the Z88 with the 512K internal memory finally seems to be working correctly. I am now timing the time out feature and see if it will go to sleep as it is supposed to. The last time it woke up with a frozen keyboard, I did a soft reset and since then it seems to be behaving. The time out ran to about 6 minutes before it shut off and I put it to bed in the file folder in the filing cabinet.
I do hope that I haven’t bored you to tears with my tale of woe but I imagine that many have went through a lot of difficulties before they became proficient with their computers. With one computer that does not operate correctly and a poor map and an unknown road to travel I have learned quite a bit. I can see a lot of uses for the Z88 once I feel confident in its use.
If I was writing the manual or the book “Z88 Magic” I would have put the order of ways to get going a lot differently. I would have had the initialization with battery installation first an then the inserting of the cards or modules. Following that I would have the PANEL to set American or European for the date and then the CLOCK. Then the most important feature, the FILER would be next. []FS is the command to use in the FILER to save a file to RAM from PIPEDREAM. To LOAD use []FL. They sure have that information buried. 0/0.