Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/09/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]CP/m was not a derivative of MSDOS, it the reverse On 8/31/07, Bill Larsen <von-ohlen@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > Lawrence Zeitlin writes: > > > You are probably too young to remember the history of the Osborne 1 > > portable computer. The 1981 Osborne was the first "laptop" computer. > > It was about the size of a portable typewriter, weighed 20 pounds, > > with a screen the size of a playing card, and a handle to carry it > > around. But, if you remembered to bring your battery pack with you, > > it was the first computer you could use without plugging in. It sold > > like hotcakes. Businessmen bought Osbornes because they could take > > them home or to a hotel room. It was an excellent computer, on a par > > with the best contemporary desktop computers. But, there were a lot > > of complaints. Too heavy, too big, unreliable, the screen was too > > small to read easily, the screen aspect ratio was wrong, etc. > > You are forgetting a lot of things. The Osborne was not a laptop, it > was a computer where the screen disconected from the case with a cable > still there (and I never weighed the thing... but I think it was closer > to 35 lbs).. It was introduced after IBM brought out their PC. The OS > was CPM which was a derivative of "Microsoft-IBM DOS. Since the IBM > desktops were selling at close to $3,000 at the time... and the 5.25 > inch disks were about $5 each... and since the IBM PC was open > architecture, programs that would run on the IBM would and sometimes on > the Osborne (many programs were written calling on hidden parts of the > OS - like "out985 which with the IBM OS would reset the screen colors to > green on black which was very nice when using Lotus 123 or > Wordperfect). Also remember that none of the OS's would support file > pathing). BORLAND LIVES!!! > > Actually, CPM peeps versus IBM or Microsoft peeps remind me a lot of the > arugment you are making. And can you remember the "cube" which was > later... but is a concept that is now in vogue? > > However I have no idea why you are making this argument... don't buy an > M8 if you don't want to...I have never recommended that anyone buy an M8. > > > Regards, early adopter - who in the hell wanted to do punch cards... > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > -- ------------------------------------- regards, mehrdad