I have, after a great deal of difficulty, been able to install a CP/M-86 partition on the hard disk of a Toshiba 286 laptop, but I still cannot figure out any way to make a bootable 3.5" floppy.
I put the CP/M partition on the hard disk by attaching the 5.25" drive of an external AT to the Toshiba through an adapter. After installing the CP/M on the Toshiba, I had no difficulty booting it from the hard disk, but even when I format the 3.5" floppy on the Toshiba, and copy the software from the Toshiba's hard disk to the floppy, I cannot make it boot. If this isn't frustrating enough, the Toshiba won't read 3.5" floppies that are formated on the AT 286. BTW, both the Toshiba and the AT have 2 Meg
3.5" drives, and the AT has a 1.2 Meg 5.25" drive.
Has anyone been able to make bootable 3.5" floppies?
On the positive side, the Toshiba runs applications written for CP/M-86 faster and with less hassles than the AT, and of course, it is certainly more portable!
What applications, you might ask, are available for CP/M-86? Well, it seems that a number of industrial programs from Germany, especially those for Siemens programmable logic controllers, are only available in CP/M-86 versions.
* CP/M hasn't died ... everybody just forgot how to use it. -- Howard
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Date: Thu, 2 Nov 89 15:53:56 EST
From: "crdec4.apgea.army Mail System" (MMDF) <mmdf@crdec4.apgea.army.mil>
Subject: Failed mail (msg.aa12149)
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KL> I just got a couple of Osborne 1's, and now...questions, questions,
KL> questions...
KL> First off, they came with an external monitor, but no plugs to go
KL> on the vidoe connectors to activate the built in monitors. I'm going
KL> to see if the last owner has them and just forgot to send them, but
KL> in case he doesn't, does anybody know how to make them?
The external monitor adapter, if I remember correctly, is more than just connectors and cables. Ok, I just opened up my adapter. It contains an MC14528 integrated circuit, 5 resisters, 2 diodes, 3 capacitors, and 2 transisters. Its a little too complicated for most people to duplicate. I suggest you try to buy one. Maybe you can even talk me into selling mine.
Wait, a minute. The original Osborne external video monitor did not require the adapter. It just plugged into the port marked "DO NOT REMOVE THIS CONNECTOR WITH POWER ON". The low cost, standard composite video monitors do require an adapter to plug into that port, such as the DAPTRON VIDEO ADAPTER that I have. These adapters were not made by Osborne.
KL> Next, one of them has an internal modem; what sort of commands does
KL> it respond to?
The internal modem is a primative, pulse dial, 300-baud unit. I have one good one and a dead one. I'd be glad to make you a copy of some software that can address that modem, but be aware that the modem is really no winner.
KL> And somebody said something about an 80 column upgrade;
KL> any source for these? Or for high density drive upgrades?
Most of the 80 column upgrades involve soldering a number of connections to the main circuit board. They generally aren't something that you can easily install.
KL> And, lastly, is there an ftp site for cp/m software (yeah I know I'm
"M> How much should I ask for an Osborne 1 , with software. I would
"M> like to get about 100.00. Does that sound like too much?
"M> Any suggestions will be appreciated.
"M> Mack
Mack, although I had a neighbor give me an 01 with software and modem for free because he thought it didn't work (just cleaned the disk drive and it flew), I think that an 01 should be worth at least $100. Even though it is an old computer, it does do word processing, is luggable, and can communicate over a modem.
* CP/M hasn't died ... everybody just forgot how to use it.
