Space, the next frontier

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Wed May 26 17:15:05 1999

On Wed, 26 May 1999, Tony Duell wrote:

> >
> > <All my 'bows have 2 processors. An 8088 and a Z80. The Z80 runs the VT100
> > <emulation from ROM, etc, _but_ it's also possible to run user programs on
> > <it (CP/M on a rainbow will run CP/M80 or CP/M86 programs).
> >
> > All rainbows had both that was the base configuration. The later B and B+
>
> Sure. I was commenting about Tim's comment of a dedicated Z-80 for the
> FDC. AFAIK there isn't. There is a Z80, but it can run user programs.
>
> > <I don't recall there being any processors on the disk daughterboard (and
> > <I think I'd remember that), unlike, say, the Pro where there's a
> > <microcontroller between the system bus and the FDC chip.
> >
> > The HD controller was 8x300, teh floppy was on the main board and relied
>
> I thought it was a Western Digital chipset, but I can't find a board to
> check at the moment.

I just looked at one of mine and the major chip is a WD1010AL-00.

> > on the z80. Formatting was possible on all models. Only that the early
>
> The floppy controller in all my Rainbows is on a daughterboard plugged
> into the main board.

Likewise.
                                                 - don
 
> > OS packages didn't include the formatter(Pournelle got a first off the
> > line). For a long while Rainbows were popular for formatting rx50s.
> > That and people that had them really liked them.
>
> The colour graphics card was pretty nice as well. It's got a 7220
> graphics copro on it...
>
> >
> > Allison
> >
> >
> >
>
> -tony
>
>
Received on Wed May 26 1999 - 17:15:05 BST