Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site intelca.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!qantel!intelca!cem From: cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis) Newsgroups: net.micro.cpm Subject: The ideal CP/M environment Message-ID: <462@intelca.UUCP> Date: Tue, 11-Dec-84 19:40:54 EST Article-I.D.: intelca.462 Posted: Tue Dec 11 19:40:54 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 14-Dec-84 04:54:29 EST Distribution: net Organization: Intel, Santa Clara, Ca. Lines: 49 I think the ideal CP/M environment is slowly but surely taking form. Of course the feeling is subjective and wouldn't appeal to everybody but then again it would be flexible enough to change. The O/S would be of course CP/M, or possibly ZRDOS, from the people who brought you ZCPR3. ZCPR3 of course, and the following tools (in addition to the ones ZCPR3 supplies) SLR Systems Assembler and Linker. This is certainly the fastest assembler/linker around with the most compatibility with other software vendors (aka uSoft and DRI) Borland Turbo Pascal and Modula 2 With these two languages you can write most if not all of your utilities and applications. Would be nice if Borland would agree to use the TCAP that ZCPR3 provides as a reference. Making installation much simpler. Eco - C This is quite excellent for those tasks that are between assembler and a HLL. Some would have it be used exclusively, I prefer the portability of the Borland products to MS-DOS machines. An Editor Coming originally from TOPS-20 I found Mince/Scribble to provide 90% of all of the things (besides programming) that I did in a TOPS environment with a RAM disk the swapping that Mince does is not a problem, As for scribble I would prefer additional capabilities to be specified for the printer (eg why can't I use a start superscript, end superscript seq other than the Epson half linefeed or something a Diablo uses) The Editor is of course the most prone to personal preference, many people I know use Wordstar for both editing and formatting. With the above tools and the ZCPR series of tools a CP/M system becomes a lot less aggravating to use and even fun for those of us who program recreationally. I have waxed and waned over the future of CP/M often in my thoughts on the future of microcomputers, I think it has a chance to become quite a tool. Where else can someone get what 10 years ago existed only on a $60,000 mini for $1500. Comments are appreciated, random flames are not. --Chuck -- - - - D I S C L A I M E R - - - {ihnp4,fortune}!dual\ All opinions expressed herein are my {qantel,idi}-> !intelca!cem own and not those of my employer, my {ucbvax,hao}!hplabs/ friends, or my avocado plant. :-}