Re: CP/M, CP/M+, PCP/M, MP/M, & Z-System

ALTOS.TXT
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"Multi-user microcomputer"
 Interface Age, October 1981, p.134

(Retyped by Emmanuel ROCHE.)

The Altos ACS 8000-10 combines 10M bytes of hard-disk storage
with floppy disk or magnetic tape back-up media. The Zilog
Z-80-based system integrates the Altos single-board computer and
DMA controller with an 8-in. hard disk into a compact unit.
Mounted in a standard 19-in. rack, the system has 208K bytes of
internal RAM, giving enough power to accomodate up to four users
and expand with the needs of the small business. The system has
six programmable serial ports, an RS-432 communication port and
handles network data rates at up to 800K baud. It is based on
CP/M and MP/M operating systems, making the computer compatible
with most end-user (application) software. Price: $8,500 with
single-sided floppy disk, $9,500 with double-sided floppy disk
and $10,990 with magnetic tape cassette. Altos Computer Systems.


"Suppliers of multiprocessor equipment"
 Interface Age, June 1982, p.92

For personal computers and multiprocessor systems operating in
the CP/M and MP/M environment, Digital Research has developed
several network-oriented operating systems: CP/NET and three
related systems, CP/NOS, MP/NET, and MP/NOS.

CP/NET allows microcomputers to share and transfer disk files,
to share printers and consoles, and to share programs and data
bases. It consists of masters running on MP/M and slaves running
on CP/M. The masters are hosts that manage the shared resources
that can be accessed by the network slaves.

CP/NOS is a diskless CP/M that can be stored in solid state ROM
-- operating with a console, memory, and network interface.

MP/NET is a complete MP/M system with an embedded network
interface. Like CP/NET, it allows local devices to be
re-assigned to the network. MP/NET configurations allow MP/M
systems as both requesters and servers with CP/M requesters.

MP/NOS contains the real-time portion (RTM) of MP/M without
local disk facilities. Like CP/NOS, MP/NOS performs all disk
functions through the network.

A unique operating system configuration, MP/M-8/16 by G&G
Engineering (San Leandro, CA) is a proprietary implementation of
Digital Research's MP/M-86. It allows for simultaneous running
of both 8- and 16-bit processors in a multiuser, multiprocessing
environment. The system is used in conjunction with the
8085/8088 CPU board by Godbout (Oakland, CA).


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