----------------Original Message----------------
From: "Steve Jones" <classiccmp(a)crash.com>
Subject: Cromemco 68k System 100 on eBay
Looks like most of a 68k-based Cromemco on eBay.
...
I hadn't realized anyone had put a 68020 on the S-100 bus...
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Sho 'nuff, but don't feel bad; lots of people
only think of 64K Z80 CP/M systems like the
classic Z-2 when they think of Cromemco, not
the professional UNIX-V systems that gave DEC
et al a run for their money in the later days,
especially after Cromemco merged with Dynatech
in December 1986.
To quote from one of their ads listing their
technical contributions, they:
-Named the S-100 bus
-Developed the first micro that used the Z-80
-Developed the first multi-user micro
-Developed the first UNIX-like OS for a micro
-Developed the first micro using a Winchester HD
-Developed the first micro with 16MB RAM and
50MB HD for less than $50,000
-Developed the first colour graphics micro
-Developed the first micro addressing >64 KB RAM
-Developed the first UNIX V micro
-Developed the first micro capable of IBM RJE
-Developed the first intelligent I/O interfaces
with separate microprocessors on the I/O boards
-First adapted mainframe I/O channel processor
concept to a micro
-Developed the first micro that could auto-boot
from ROM
-Developed first micro with auto-baud console
-Developed first micro capable of self-programming
an EPROM
-Developed first micro with error correcting RAM
-Developed first computer capable of sync'ing to
a TV signal and overlaying computer & TV images
Considering all that, I'm surprised how rarely I
read about them here.
Sorry to say we scrapped a number of CS-100/300/400's
a few years ago before I discovered this site (and
considering the time I've wasted scrolling through
the garbage lately in digest mode there are times
I've regretted that I did find it). Mind you, when
I offered some of the older CS-1/CS-3 and Z-2's here
a while ago, no one wanted to pay the shipping from
Toronto, so it probably wouldn't have made any
difference; fortunately Dan Cohoe, another crazy
Canuck, is going to take them off my hands.
However, I might still be able to lay my hands on
some documentation and software for the 100/300/400
models, so if someone here grabs the one on eBay, I
*might* be able to help (no promises, though).
mike in Toronto
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