website/content/museum/zenith-data-systems-z-171-pc.md

title, categories, types, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Zenith Data Systems Z-171 PC	Computers	Portable	U.S.A.	1985	Intel 80C88	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos adverts links oc_id source Z-171 PC /media/museum/photos/zenith_z140pc_1s.jpg /companies/zenith-data-systems Zenith Data Systems label value NAME Z-171 PC label value MANUFACTURER Zenith Data Systems label value TYPE Portable label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1985 label value KEYBOARD Full-stroke keyboard. 76 mechanical keys and 14 touch-sensitive functions keys label value CPU Intel 80C88 label value SPEED 4,77 MHz label value RAM 256 KB (640 KB max.) label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 80 x 25 label value GRAPHIC MODES 640 x 200 (CGA) label value COLORS back-lighted monochome blue LCD display label value SOUND Sound 80 Ohm, 2-inch built-in speaker label value SIZE / WEIGHT 32,5(W) x 25,1(H) x 14,1(D) cm. Weight : 6 Kg. label value I/O PORTS Parallel connector, Serial connector, Monitor video output, RGB video output (located on the optional video board), phone (built-in modem), expansion bus label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 x 5.25'' disk-drives (360 KB each) label value OS MS-DOS label value POWER SUPPLY External AC adapter or battery powered label value PRICE 27 500 F (France, september 1985) photos adverts links 877 title subtitle text image Z-171 PC /media/museum/photos/zenith_z140pc_1.jpg title subtitle text image FRENCH ADVERT (1987) "Students have a heap particularity which we cared about" /media/museum/pubs/zenith_campus_pub_1.jpg title url text Nick Holland's web site http://www.nickh.org/warstories/floppy.html Funny story about a broken Z-171 ! title url text Review in Infoworld 1986 issue http://books.google.com/books?id=XC8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA39&lpg=PA39&dq=quadram+corp+lunchbox+pc&source=bl&ots=uFb_tIFXdi&sig=iU7xiZSjbhmvu40dLZ6t5N0bCxc&hl=en&ei=KsVWTK_0O4u8sQP7jpjaAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false 897 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20221205121615/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=897 2022-12-05

This innovative portable computer was one of the first to have a LCD display which was back-lighted! It also was one of the very earliest battery powered portable IBM compatible computers.

This lunchbox system was in fact made by Vadem and OEM'd by Zenith (Z170/Z171), Morrow (the Pivot), Osborne (Encore), and maybe others.

It was an excellent IBM compatible portable system, and was sold in considerable quantities to the US government and Navy.
Amazingly, this machine was Year 2000 compliant. In fact, the internal clock goes up to 2015.

Read the Osborne Encore for more info.

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.