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

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

title	categories	types	origins	years	cpus	params
Zenith Data Systems Z-160 PC	Computers	Transportable	U.S.A.	1984	Intel 8088	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos oc_id source Z-160 PC /media/museum/photos/zenith_z160-pc.jpg /companies/zenith-data-systems Zenith Data Systems label value NAME Z-160 PC label value MANUFACTURER Zenith Data Systems label value TYPE Transportable label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1984 label value KEYBOARD QWERTY full-stroke keyboard, 84 keys, 10 function keys. label value CPU Intel 8088 label value SPEED 4.78 MHz ? label value RAM 128 KB (upgradable to 640 KB) label value VRAM Unknown label value ROM Unknown label value TEXT MODES 80 x 25 / built-in amber screen (23cm) label value GRAPHIC MODES 320 x 200 (CGA) label value COLORS Yes (Color graphic board included, but built-in monitor is monochrom) label value SOUND Beeper label value SIZE / WEIGHT approx. 24'' (W) x 10'' (H) x 28'' (D) / 33 lbs label value I/O PORTS 2 serial ports, parallel port, 4 x IBM extension slots label value BUILT IN MEDIA 2 x 5''1/4 disk-drives (360k each) label value OS CP-M, MS-DOS, Z-DOS, PC-Dos. label value POWER SUPPLY Unknown label value PERIPHERALS optional 20 MB hard disk label value PRICE $2799 (USA, 1984)\ 128 KB model : 4565 (France, 1984) photos 460 title subtitle text image Z-160 PC Another picture of this beast /media/museum/photos/zenith_z160-pc_2.jpg 465 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230331120249/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=465 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.

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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.

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.