yann64andClaude Opus 5.5
c913d792c4
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01YDRjtmAiNpo5mK5N3d7QwZ
315 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
315 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: CAMBRIDGE COMPUTERS Z 88
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categories:
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- Computers
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types:
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- Portable
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origins:
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- United Kingdom
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years:
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- '1988'
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cpus:
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- CMOS Z80A
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params:
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name: Z 88
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_system_2.jpg
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company: /companies/cambridge-computers
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company_name: CAMBRIDGE COMPUTERS
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specs:
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- label: NAME
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value: Z 88
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- label: MANUFACTURER
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value: Cambridge Computers
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- label: TYPE
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value: Portable
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- label: ORIGIN
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value: United Kingdom
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- label: YEAR
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value: '1988'
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- label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
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value: Diary, PipeDream (combined wordprocessor/spreadsheet), Terminal, Printer Editor, BBC BASIC, Index (application/card manager), Filer (file/EPROM manager), Calendar, Calculator, Clock, Alarm, Import/Export (file transfer) and Panel (control settings).
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- label: KEYBOARD
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value: 64 rubber-key QWERTY arrangement, including full-size spacebar.
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- label: CPU
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value: CMOS Z80A
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- label: SPEED
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value: 3.2768MHz
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- label: RAM
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value: 32 KB, 128 KB or 512 KB depending on models (the Z88 can address up to 4Mb of memory, subdivided into 256 banks of 16K each)
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- label: ROM
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value: 128 KB (up to 1 MB)
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- label: TEXT MODES
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value: 104 chars. x 8 lines
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- label: GRAPHIC MODES
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value: 640 x 64 (the screen is typically shared between a text area of up to 104x8 characters on the left and a graphics area of up to 256x64 pixels (on the right). Additionally there is a 16x64 pixel status information window at the far right)
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- label: COLORS
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value: 3 shades of gray
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- label: SOUND
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value: Miniature loudspeaker, used for alarms or warnings.
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- label: SIZE / WEIGHT
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value: A4-size notepad (294mm x 210mm x 23mm). Weight 900g.
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- label: I/O PORTS
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value: RS232, 3 Expansion ports (RAM or EPROM), Z80 Bus
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- label: OS
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value: OZ
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- label: POWER SUPPLY
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value: |-
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4xAA alkaline cells, providing up to 20 hours of use or one-year standby.\
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AC mains adaptor (6.5v DC @ 500mA). Internal capacitor provides power while batteries are being replaced.
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- label: PRICE
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value: £199.95 exc VAT
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tabs:
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- photos
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- adverts
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- hardware
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- software
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- emulators
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- links
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- docs
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photos:
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- title: SIR CLIVE SINCLAIR
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Sir Clive Sinclair with his latest innovative computer design.
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Thanks to Dennis Gröning and [his web site](http://www.algonet.se/~dennisgr/) for this picture.
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image: /media/museum/photos/cambridge_z88_clive.jpg
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- title: LEFT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** External power supply jack\
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**(2)** System reset switch\
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**(3)** Display contrast adjustment
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_leftside_1.jpg
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- title: RIGHT SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: Notice the Serial DB9 plug.
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_rightside_1.jpg
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- title: BOTTOM SIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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The three memory expansion slots are fitted with:\
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\- a 128 KB RAM module,\
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\- a 32 KB EPROM module holding communication programs,\
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\- a 'Z88 to MAC' module allowing file transfers between a Z88 and Macintosh computers.
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_bottomside_1.jpg
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- title: DISPLAY CLOSE-UP
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subtitle: ''
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text: This is the main menu
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_displaycloseup_1.jpg
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- title: INSIDE
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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**(1)** Serial connector cable\
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**(2)** Custom I/O chip made by NEC\
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**(3)** Keyboard connectors\
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**(4)** The board provides a bus connector but the case doesn't allow to use it\
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**(5)** Z80 processor, here a Zilog version\
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**(6)** Beeper\
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**(7)** Extension connectors allowing to add up to three RAM, ROM or EPROM modules\
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**(8)** 32 KB RAM chip\
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**(9)** Built-in software 128 KB ROM\
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**(10)** Display contrast knob\
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**(10)** Batteries housing
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_inside_1.jpg
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- title: 'INSIDE #2'
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subtitle: ''
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text: LCD display rear side. The display was made by Epson.
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_inside_2.jpg
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- title: 'INSIDE #3'
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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Chips close-up.\
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From left to right:\
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\- 128 KB ROM chip - 32 KB pseudo static RAM chip. This chip can be replaced with a 128 KB and even 512 KB chip.\
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\- Custom gate-array chip.
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_insidecloseup_1.jpg
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- title: MEMORY MODULES
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_memmodules_1.jpg
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- title: BAG AND MANUAL
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/photos/sinclair_z88_bagmanual_1.jpg
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adverts:
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- title: UK ADVERT, APRIL 1987
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subtitle: ''
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text: |-
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From Personal Computer World magazine.\
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Advert said:\
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It's an extraordinarily powerful machine which offers word-processing, spreadsheet, and a set of time and data-management tools in a single, highly porlable package.\
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At £199.95. the Z88 is supplied with 32K resident RAM. Extra 32K costs under £20, extra 128K under £50!\
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And heavy users Will be able to expand the RAM to an astonishing 3 Mbytes, using plug-in RAM cartridges.\
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For printing text or data, the Z88 connects direcly to most popular RS232 compatible printers, while for permanent storage the Z88 employs removable solid state EPROM cartridges - no tape to break, no delicate disc to damage.\
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Though the Z88 is a powerful, full facility, self-contained computer, it also acts as an extension of an office micro, connecting directly to allow exchange of text or data.\
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For every personal computer user, the Z88 offers a comprehensive specification in a package of unparalleled portability.
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image: /media/museum/pubs/cambridge_z88_pub_1.jpg
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- title: PRICE LIST
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subtitle: ''
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text: April 1987 price list, including VAT.
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image: /media/museum/pubs/cambridge_z88_pricelist_s1.jpg
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hardware:
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- title: 512 KB RAM CARTRIDGE
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/hardware/cambridge-computers_z88_512kb-ram-cart_1.jpg
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- title: 128 KB EPROM
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subtitle: ''
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text: ''
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image: /media/museum/hardware/cambridge-computers_z88_128kb-eprom_1.jpg
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emulators:
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- title: Z88 emulators
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url: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/emulator.htm
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platform: Multiplatform
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text: Z88 DOS & Windows emulator
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links:
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- title: Dennis Gröning's Z88 page
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url: http://www.algonet.se/~dennisgr/z88.htm
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text: Very useful tools and programs for the Z88.
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- title: John Allen's Z88 Bits
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url: http://www.johnallen.com/z88/
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text: Nice dedicated site with interesting articles
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- title: W.N. Richardson & Co
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url: http://website.lineone.net/~alchemistresearch/wnr/z88.htm
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text: Those guys sell Z88 systems and parts.
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- title: www.rakewell.com
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url: http://www.rakewell.com/z88/z88.shtml
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text: So you want to buy a Z88, or accessories? Go there.
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- title: Z88 Forever!
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url: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/
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text: The title says it all. You've got to go there first!
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- title: Z88 Serve
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url: http://home5.swipnet.se/~w-57588/z88serve.htm
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text: An useful tool that turns your PC into a server for your Z88
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- title: Z88 Source Book
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url: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/5865/z88book.txt
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text: The Source Book is a kind of Z88 FAQ full of practical info.
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docs:
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- title: SERVICE MANUAL
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url: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/sm121/index.htm
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/service%20manual.jpg
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text: |-
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[**SERVICE MANUAL**](http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/sm121/index.htm)written by Cambridge Computer
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compiled/archived by Thierry Peycru\
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type of document : HTML\
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size : 230 KB\
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source : [Z88 Forever](http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/)
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- title: DEVELOPPERS' NOTES
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url: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/dn327/index.htm
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/vide.gif
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text: |-
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[**DEVELOPPERS' NOTES**](http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/dn327/index.htm)written by Gunther Strube, Thierry Peycru and Dennis Gröning
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compiled/archived by Thierry Peycru\
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type of document : HTML\
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size : 355 KB\
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source : [Z88 Forever](http://www.worldofspectrum.org/z88forever/)
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- title: THE Z88 SOURCE BOOK
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url: null
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cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/z88_source-book.jpg
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text: |-
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**THE Z88 SOURCE BOOK**\
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written by Timothy C. Swenson
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compiled/archived by Timothy C. Swenson\
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type of document : Online reader
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**... READ THE ONLINE VERSION BY CLICKING BELOW :**
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comments:
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- author: j merk (San Diego/Boston)
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date: Thursday 11th November 2010
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text: Z-88 was a ''killer'' laptop in the day...it was sold in the US as a "macintosh" compatible portable. I was able to use the port to connect to my MacSE and the text was imported into MacWord and came out fine. Address book was ported as well...it was a life saver on business trips as it fit exactly on to the old airline trays - great to be able to swap batteries...if you were fairly quick...I still have it and plan on keeping it a keep sake
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- author: Alec Evans (France)
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date: Tuesday 20th February 2018
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text: |-
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Just rediscovered my Z88 - S/No. 006253 - purchased in around 1988.\
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Includes 128K RAM and PC Link II eprom (but software and cable sadly mislaid).\
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Still seems to work fine - apart from the 2-digit dates - but any thoughts of re-using it usefully were dashed when I found that Pipedream (now downloadable free) won''t work on 64-bit PCs.\
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Nice bit of nostalgia though.
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- author: Very Nice Vera
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date: Saturday 4th February 2017
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text: |-
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Running the emulator reveals a very easy to use and intuitive system!
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With more than twice the screen size as the TRS-80 model 100, better batery life and lighter, this system is amazing for it''s era!
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- author: Steve Johnson (Alaska/USA)
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date: Tuesday 21st October 2014
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text: With undead batteries, my Z88 still boots and always returns memories of pre-world wide web days, when text still ruled the world (and the internet). As someone who also owned and used the Radioshack models 100 and 102 and equivalent NEC 8241 laptop , I appreciated the additional memory and the wide display screen. The optionally quiet keyboard was great for taking notes in meetings. The machine was relatively fragile. And, when using accessories such as the cassette tape interface, the Z88 provided a feature by then little used in personal computers. The Z88 bulletin boards and community were also a delight. I have never been tempted to sell or recycle the Z88. I still have the eprom eraser and all the manuals.
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- author: Kim Miller (Australia)
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date: Friday 13rd June 2014
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text: |-
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I bought a Z88 in 1987 while doing my doctorate at the University of Exeter in England. It is serial number 001569 and it cost me UK286.35 pounds. Extras - in/out cable, 128k RAM chip, mains adapter, printer cable - took the price to UK396 pounds. That was a huge chunk from my study grant, but I used that little machine to write up most of my PhD dissertation.
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It was especially useful when I had to travel to London for conversations with one of my supervisors. He would read my stuff then I would meet with him and record the conversation. I could type up an hour''s conversation while traveling on the train back to Exeter. The keyboard was famous for having a good tactile feel and usability.
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I still have the Z88, complete with the manuals and even the original purchase dockets taped inside. It was a great machine in its day and sits in my office as a bit of nostalgia.
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- author: RC Ellis (USA)
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date: Saturday 12th April 2014
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text: I loved mine, but there \*were\* problems - it locked up every once in a while, and would sometimes corrupt files. But for basic form/function it was ahead of it''s time. Pity they didn''t release a 1.1 version.
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- author: Gary E. Andersen (Las Cruces, New Mexico)
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date: Monday 24th September 2012
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text: Z88 Computer Serial Number 000003 (thats correct the 3rd one made) Never Used$-Original Box and User Guide$$Mint Condition
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- author: Gary E. Andersen (Las Cruces, New Mexico)
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date: Monday 24th September 2012
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text: Z88 Computer Serial Number 000003 (thats correct the 3rd one made) Never Used$-Original Box and User Guide$$Mint Condition
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- author: David McPheeters (Cleveland, OH USA)
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date: Wednesday 28th September 2011
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text: I have Z88 computer serial number 015805 that appears to work fine with the original box and manual, and a card in it that says 512k RAM. If somebody might be interested in and wants to pay shipping, I would easily part with it for a reasonable price.
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- author: Terry Galloway (Scotland)
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date: Monday 7th February 2011
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text: |-
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I have a Z88 serial number 0057869 FOR SALE.
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A user guide (looks good and all the pages appear to be there, however, most of the pages have come away from the cover binding, though the pages are not individualy loose, if that makes sense)
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Z88 users club leaflet
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Up and running leaflet
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All contained ina Z88 Cambridge Computers cardboard carry case.
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Total weight 1.5 kilo
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It looks good and hardly used.
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- author: Richard (UK)
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date: Wednesday 5th January 2011
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text: It was a cool little machine. Adrian, I know your comment is over 6 months old but thought I''d ask if there is a chance you still own the machine....how much do you want for it? I''m a student studying computer history so let me know.
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- author: Adrian (UK)
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date: Saturday 10th July 2010
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text: I have a z88 and was looking to sell it. Anyone interested or know where I can sell it. Its a great piece of kit and still runs 20 years later. Comes with all the peripherals but the box in long gone. Other than that the charger 215k ram upgrade and so on are all there.
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- author: Mark Wills (UK)
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date: Sunday 16th November 2008
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text: It must be said, the Z88, even today, is a seriously functional peice of kit. I would say the machine was released at least 5 years ahead of it''s time. It is truly an outstanding peice of British engineering.
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- author: Karytianos Nikos (Greece)
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date: Tuesday 5th July 2005
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text: I have bought a Z88 on the 27th of June 2005 because I have always wanted one since it's first appeared back in 1987. It has been like fullfiling a gap of my 8-bit past. Besides the sentimental stuff, it is pretty functional too, providing a first class real all around notebook. Usable history!
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- author: jupiter1716 (France)
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date: Sunday 10th October 2004
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text: 'I use the Z88 since 2003, and I always put it in its case and then in a leather attache-case, which does protect my Z88. My advice is: never put it with your trunk, but in a seperate bag. This can save its life...'
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- author: M Burke (San Jose, CA)
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date: Wednesday 18th December 2002
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text: The Z88 was a great portable system that ran on AA batteries. I used it with great success for a number of years before moving to another state. Upon opening the trunk in which it was stored, I found the LCD screen hopelessly cracked. Finding another screen proved fruitless and it now sits in a box on a shelf. Z88s are still to be had, however, for $100. This machine was, for me, the original PDA with an added bonus... a keyboard that worked!
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software:
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- /software/spellmaster
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oc_id: 279
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source:
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url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230327015401/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=279
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date: '2023-03-27'
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---
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Amstrad bought the rights to use the Sinclair name on computer products. However, while Sir Clive Sinclair (the creator of the [ZX 80](/museum/sinclair-zx-80/), [ZX 81](/museum/sinclair-zx-81/), [ZX Spectrum](/museum/sinclair-zx-spectrum/) and [QL](/museum/sinclair-ql-quantum-leap/)) retained ownership of Sinclair Research, he couldn't use the Sinclair name. Sir Sinclair therefore created a new company called Cambridge Research, with the intention of realizing an old project, the Pandora Project. The result of this work was the Z88 (it was achieved in 1988). Sir Sinclair at the time thought it was a revolution and said that this computer would be one of the best commercial successes. Actually it was Clive Sinclair's last contribution to the computer world!
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This small machine was quite powerful; its operating system could exceed the 64 KB limitation of the Z80 with a good memory manager. It could also divide the memory into 16 KB pages, so the RAM could be expanded up to 3 MB thanks to 2 expansion ports. RAM cartridges of 32 KB and 128 KB were available. It had a built-in EPROM programmer available on the 3rd expansion port, so data could be saved directly on 128 KB EPROMs.
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The ROM contained a lot of software: Pipedream (spreadsheet, word processor and database), the Z80 version of the BBC Basic (the Basic of the BBC or Electron), a diary, a calendar, a clock, a conversion tool, a VT 52 terminal emulator, Filer (the file manager of the Operating System) and a utility to transfer data to a PC compatible via a RS232 link. This transfer utility exported text and spreadsheet files into Wordstar or Lotus 1-2-3 formats.
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It's probably worth pointing out that BBC basic built into the Z88 also contains a machine code editor, which allows you to embed Z80 assembly language into your Z88 BBC Basic programs! This feature was used quite often for the 'extra speed' portions of programs. Of course, having the assembly language embedded inside your source code meant that the code was very portable, and all loaded in one go - no messy 'support files' for your application.
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Jan M.L. Bosmans reported to us that the BBC Basic in the Z88, although very powerful, lacks an essential feature: there is neither an editor nor debugger! This means that mistakes in a line can only be corrected by typing the whole line again. While it's true that the BBC basic had no editor built in, but one of the first 'type in programs' in the BASIC section of the manual was a program you could enter (and save to battery backed memory) that provided a line editor feature! It was just a few lines of BBC Basic, and worked very well.
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---
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Contributors: John J. Diamond, Mark Wills
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