Softcard (Was: Microsoft-Paul Allen

[Fred Cisin]

On Sun, 21 Oct 2018, systems_glitch wrote:
> I'd heard, but have no sources for said hearsay, that the most common CP/M
> machine in volume was the Apple II.

At one time.
I have heard that Amstrad eventually passed them.
How were sales of Commodore 128?

> There were definitely knockoffs of the Microsoft Z80 Softcard. One of my
> IIe systems has one from SPACE BYTE, the other is no-name. I've personally
> seen more knockoffs than actual Microsoft cards. The two I have currently
> are definitely "photocopy" type knockoff/clone cards, the layout is nearly
> identical to the real Microsoft card I've got. That of course doesn't speak
> for what was actually deployed.

I would assume that in the early days, it was all, or almost all the real 
Microsoft one.  That would include the time when IBM thought that 
Microsoft was the source of CP/M.

LATER, there were imitations, copies, clones, and counterfeits.
Some of the "imitators" were legal, and may even have had improvements.

Don't know where to get numbers of those.  Sales data for the Microsoft 
one exist, but for the others?


The law is not always clear as to how close an imitation may be. For 
example, Kevin Jenkins/"Hercules" copied the MDA design, adding RAM and 
graphics capability.  Then he was furious when others copied his design. 
("clone smasher" ad campaign, that even claimed that imitation boards 
could destroy the computer)


> Some Apple II compatibles also came with CP/M compatibility out of the box,
> I don't personally know if that was MS Z80 Softcard compatible or something
> else.

Basis 108 had a Z80 secondary processor.