7 Nov
2001
7 Nov
'01
10:48 p.m.
Alpha Microsystems, which apparently has recently become Optimal Systems
Services, claimed the first multi-user micro, but it's not clear what date
it was introduced.
Stan Veit in his book says that Technical Design Labs and The Digital Group
had Z80 systems before Cromemco, and I've seen other references to support
that. I can't speak to the other claims. Cromemco definitely had the first
*successful* Z80 micro.
--Mike
Michael Nadeau
Editorial Services
603-893-2379
----- Original Message -----
From: "M H Stein" <mhstein(a)usa.net>
To: "'ClassicComputers'" <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2001 6:43 AM
Subject: Cromemco landmarks
Speaking of Cromemco, did you know (according to their
literature) that
aside from naming the S-100 bus, they also developed:
-The first Z-80 micro
-The first multi-user micro
-The first Unix-like OS for a micro (Cromix)
-The first micro with a Winchester HD
-The first complete system with 16M/50MHD for <$50,000
-The first micro color graphics system
-The first micro addressing memory >64K
-The first micro with IBM RJE communication
-The first intelligent micro I/O interfaces with a CPU on I/O card
-The first micro implementation of I/O channel processors
-The first micro to boot from ROM without front panel switches
-The first self-programming EPROM card
-The first micro with error-correcting memory
-The first graphics system with hardware stenciling (whatever that is)
-The first micro graphics system capable of sync'ing to a TV broadcast
-The first micro with integrated floppy disks
And that in 1987 an XXU equipped system was almost twice as fast as a
VAX 11/780, which cost over four times as much as the largest Cromemco
system at the time.