website/content/museum/zenith-data-systems-z-160-pc.md

---
title: Zenith Data Systems Z-160 PC
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Transportable
origins:
- U.S.A.
years:
- '1984'
cpus:
- Intel 8088
params:
  name: Z-160 PC
  image: /media/museum/photos/zenith_z160-pc.jpg
  company: /companies/zenith-data-systems
  company_name: Zenith Data Systems
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: Z-160 PC
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Zenith Data Systems
  - label: TYPE
    value: Transportable
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: U.S.A.
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1984'
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: QWERTY full-stroke keyboard, 84 keys, 10 function keys.
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 8088
  - label: SPEED
    value: 4.78 MHz ?
  - label: RAM
    value: 128 KB (upgradable to 640 KB)
  - label: VRAM
    value: Unknown
  - label: ROM
    value: Unknown
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 80 x 25 / built-in amber screen (23cm)
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 320 x 200 (CGA)
  - label: COLORS
    value: Yes (Color graphic board included, but built-in monitor is monochrom)
  - label: SOUND
    value: Beeper
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: approx. 24'' (W) x 10'' (H) x 28'' (D) / 33 lbs
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: 2 serial ports, parallel port, 4 x IBM extension slots
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 5''1/4 disk-drives (360k each)
  - label: OS
    value: CP-M, MS-DOS, Z-DOS, PC-Dos.
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Unknown
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: optional 20 MB hard disk
  - label: PRICE
    value: |-
      $2799 (USA, 1984)\
      128 KB model : 4565 (France, 1984)
  tabs:
  - photos
  photos:
  - title: Z-160 PC
    subtitle: ''
    text: Another picture of this beast
    image: /media/museum/photos/zenith_z160-pc_2.jpg
  comments:
  - author: Tim
    date: Friday 31st January 2020
    text: I just started restoring a Z-160. It was sold to me as not having the keyboard cable. Turn out it did have the keyboard cable. It was located in the compartment which is revealed by sliding the panel to the left of the monitor. Neither the description here nor anywhere else mentions this sliding panel.
  - author: caerhl irey (United States)
    date: Sunday 7th October 2018
    text: I do still have one. I can''t seem to message anyone. If you are interested, message me at bamfylde@yahoo.com
  - author: caerhl irey (United States)
    date: Saturday 30th June 2018
    text: I have one too. I found mine in an alley. I had a sticker from the University of Minnesota Computer Lab. It was being thrown out. It has a modem installed in it! It works great and weighs a ton!
  - author: maximilian elseroui (Austria)
    date: Saturday 2nd December 2017
    text: |-
      Do you still have this Zenith Z-160? I am interestet in buying it ?\
      Maximilian
  - author: ZeroCool235 (United States)
    date: Thursday 14th September 2017
    text: I would love to have the Zenith, if you could just shoot me an email about shipping and handling that would be cool!
  - author: Bob Gregory (USA)
    date: Monday 11th September 2017
    text: |-
      Hi Everyone,

      After 30 years of running my business I am retiring by the end of the year. For the first 8 years or so we were a ZDS dealer and I have seen them all. Z150m Z160, Z386, Z86, the whole offering.

      The purpose of this post is that I have a Z160 in pristine running condition with a 20MB hard drive $ 5.25" FDD that I am willing to GIVE AWAY at no cost other than packaging $ shipping fees. I also have a Compaq Portable in the same shape. There are no strings, I just think it would be nice for Zenith people to get the Z160.
  - author: Robert Carnevali (USA)
    date: Monday 24th April 2017
    text: This was my first real computer. My employer at the time had one and wanted to get a different model. They sold it to me by letting me pay weekly with a little out of my paychecks for a year. It had 384K RAM that I expanded to 640K. I also took out a floppy drive and added a 20MB hard drive. It did have a socket for an 8087 chip. The monochrome monitor was clear, but the PC released a ton of radio interference from the video adapter. The neighbor upstairs complained that when I''d load a video game on it, he could see the video on his television overpowering his own antenna reception. I gave it to a friend after I got a Northgate 386 PC. When she passed away, I helped clear out her apartment and it wound up getting thrown away. I still regret doing that as I''d love to have it back again. One day I''ll find one somewhere for sale.
  - author: Michael (Newcastle upon Tyne)
    date: Wednesday 27th July 2011
    text: I still have one of these in running order! From time to time I get it out to prove the point that despite all the GigaHertz of CPU ... I can enter information ''almost'' as fast today as I could in the mid-80''s !! Roll on the semantic web when we ca re-use information... I think that will make a big difference. In the meantime, I gracefully concede when I compare modern browsing to the Z-160 capability... compuserve on 300 baud was sloooooowwwwwww! $-)
  - author: Gary Crunk (Arizona, USA)
    date: Saturday 23rd July 2011
    text: |-
      I just bought one of these. The unit has a Yellow Bar across the CRT when on, cant see anything else....\
      I read William Pociengel had one and he overclocked it, but had to adjust the video... I think thats what I need to do... William Pociengel, can you shed some light on this for me???? Thanks\
      Gary Crunk\
      garycrunk@amtimes.com
  - author: A Man (Computer Desk, Living Room)
    date: Saturday 14th February 2009
    text: I think it looks really awsom, a perfict example of old computer awsomeness
  - author: Dan (London)
    date: Thursday 16th February 2006
    text: |-
      I picked one of these up a year or so ago. It's been pretty heavily upgraded with 640k + 1MB of RAM and a 40MB HDD.

      If anyone has any advice on networking this beast I'd love to hear it... Think it's about timt it got on the net...
  oc_id: 465
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230331120249/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=465
    date: '2023-03-31'
---

A (trans)portable PC-XT computer made by Zenith, with double 5''1/4 disk drives and amber monitor built-in (23cm).

The computer is unusual in that the 2 built-in disk drives are mounted in a tilting case, on top of the computer. The keyboard folded up over the CRT (if you look at the picture just rotate the keyboard in place so that the spacebar is at the top of the machine). It forms the cover over the CRT. the cable went into the pop top.

To the right of the two 5.25" floppys is a dark rectangular area. That is an open space for the keyboard and power cable.

The Z-160 was equiped with a color graphic board which could be used with external monitor.

---

**William Pociengel** reports:\
You could remove one of the floppys and add a hard drive (with an additional card?), you had to format the HD with debug. You could also change the occilator crystal for overclocking but then you had to retune the video circuitry to get the image back to full screen. Original speed was approx 4.78Mhz? same as a standard PC of the day but by changing the crystal you could get up to (on mine at least) a blazing \~5Mhz (whoopie! ;-). I \_think\_ there was a IC socket for an 8087 on the motherboard (if memory serves me correctly). I ran DR-dos and Desqview (no mouse at the time but it had a serial port, so later you could add one -when they became available-). This was one heavy machine as I recall running through JFK trying to catch a flight while hauling this puppy.

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>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.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>