Th� ZEDU� Z28� Accelerator
b� Ric� Charnes� � Jun� 1987� Sa� Francisco

     What'� goin� o� here�  � generi� Z28� ad�-o� car� fo� CP/� �
computers�  A� operatin� system� assemble� an� linke� alread� �
availabl� fo� it?

     � hav� i� fron� o� m� � cop� o� � documen� date� Januar� 17� �
198� produce� b� � compan� b� th� nam� o� Zedux� Inc� a� 1440� �
Hamli� Ave� #C� Va� Nuys� C� 91401� phon� 818/78�-011� abou� th� �
above�  I� wa� give� t� m� b� � gentlema� a� ou� BAMDU� genera� �
meetin� las� nigh� a� whic� Pete� Mirea� o� MicroPr� spoke�  � a� �
readin� an� � a� amaze� b� wha� � see�  Thi� compan� ha� �
apparentl� produce� � generi� Z28� boar� calle� th� Acce� 28� an� �
ha� develope� no� onl� � genuinel� multitaskin� O� t� g� alon� �
wit� it� bu� a� assemble� an� linke� a� well�  Thi� i� th� firs� �
� hav� hear� o� this�  Ca� thi� b� fo� real�  Th� OS� calle� R� �
fo� Remot� Partition� sound� lik� i� cull� fro� th� bes� o� �-�
System� multipl� comman� lines� aliases� pathing� name� �
directories� memor�-residen� flo� contro� (includin� �
REPEAT/UNTIL� WHILE/ENDWHILE� BREAK� GOTO/LABEL)�  Ther� ar� �
string/shel� variable� an� expressio� analysi� operatin� o� bot� �
number� an� strings�   

     Th� documen� describe� R� a� bein� abl� t� ru� an� numbe� o� �
CP/� 2.� "partitions� simultaneously�  Eac� progra� "sees� � �
standar� CP/� 2.� environment� wit� ful� BDO� an� BIO� access�  �
Program� ca� us� almos� th� entir� 64� spac� withou� havin� t� �
shar� thi� wit� th� operatin� system�  Ther� i� � tas� consol� �
handle� tha� allow� th� use� t� contro� an� monito� th� operatio� �
o� multipl� tasks�  Multipl� terminal� ca� b� connecte� t� th� �
sam� compute� an� � differen� tas� ru� o� each� wit� privilege� �
give� t� eac� task�  

     Th� wa� th� mult�-taskin� i� don� i� interesting�  I� yo� �
wis� eac� comman� o� you� multipl� comman� lin� t� ru� �
subsequentl� on� afte� anothe� a� w� ar� use� to� separat� you� �
command� wit� th� familia� semicolon�  I� yo� wan� the� t� ru� �
concurrently� separat� the� wit� � "&".

     Multitaskin� ha� tw� modes�  On� i� referre� t� i� th� �
documen� a� "Uni� style,� i� whic� eac� task'� outpu� mixe� i� t� �
th� consol� display�  I� th� othe� mode� apparentl� whe� � tas� �
othe� tha� th� on� bein� worke� o� finishe� a� outpu� line� i� i� �
mad� t� scrol� upwards�  Yo� ca� swa� task� wit� � "rotate� ke� �
whic� flip� throug� th� task� currentl� executing.

     Th� do� als� describe� th� Z28� singl�-pas� assembler� AS� �
an� linker� LN.

     Wha� i� goin� o� here�  Ha� thi� bee� happenin� beneat� ou� �
nose� wit� non� o� u� knowin� abou� it�  Th� produc� i� �
apparentl� availabl� a� thi� tim� fo� $350� wit� 256� DRAM�  � a� �
unsur� a� t� wh� i� i� bein� supplie� wit� onl� 256� RA� sinc� w� �
wer� al� expectin� � ful� meg�  � assum� thi� wil� b� expandabl� ��a� som� point�  � ful� packag� ca� b� ha� fo� $60� whic� include� �
th� basi� hardwar� card� a� "R�-CP/� compatible� softwar� monito� �
progra� t� tal� t� th� chi� (separatel� $200� � gues� onl� �
necessar� fo� developmen� work)� � extensio� cabl� i� yo� lac� �
sufficien� spac� insid� you� compute� fo� th� board� an� th� �
assemble� an� linke� (separatel� $150)� 

     � P�-Pursui�-accessibl� BB� lin� t� Zedu� i� sai� t� b� �
availabl� a� (818� 78�-045� 2� hour� � day� � day� � week� bu� � �
jus� trie� i� (Sunda� afternoo� 6/7/87� an� ther� wa� n� answer.

     Fro� everythin� � ca� gathe� afte� havin� scanne� th� �
articl� wit� � cynica� ey� i� seem� lik� thi� produc� i� u� an� �
running� read� t� roll�  I� doe� no� soun� lik� vaporware� � �
sentenc� fro� th� documen� reads� "Th� Zedu� Acce� 28� i� �
availabl� a� thi� time.�  Th� perso� wh� gav� m� th� documen� �
say� Zilo� referre� hi� t� th� company�  A� fa� a� � kno� Zedu� �
ha� no� contacte� Echelon� use� groups� o� an� o� th� traditiona� �
CP/M/�-Syste� institution� o� sources�  � hav� n� ide� i� the� �
ar� coordinatin� wor� wit� Hig� Tec� Researc� wit� th� latter'� �
UltraBoar� o� Echelo� wit� thei� planne� ZOS�  � a� awar� o� n� �
advertising�  Ar� the� simpl� to� bus� t� advertise�  I� anyon� �
usin� it�  Doe� anyon� kno� anythin� abou� thi� product?