Help with Zenith Data Systems Z-160

[Valkaiser]

Ok, I recently came into possesion of several of these ancient beauties and am having trouble finding information on them. This is the best that I have found so far LINK.
I am not having any luck finding documentation, or even more than a passing mention, for them. So far I have had success booting from floppy into some old games, but I'm not doing too well with the OS that is on them currently (claims to be MS-DOS 3.2?).
If anyone has any information on, or even remembers, the Z-160 I would be eternally gratefull for it.

[Agent Anderson]

What sort of information were you wanting?

My googling turned up similar system specs, and a forum where people were buying/selling this collecter's item:
http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/archive/index.php/t-964.html

After many attempts at rewording, my search to find a manual seems to be a dead-end.

Hmm, you say you have more than one? Want to give me one to investigate?
It kicks the crap out of my current comedically-ancient-computer-used-as-a-conversation-piece

[Valkaiser]

I would love any information about the hardware (and bios) that I can get.
After a few more weeks of searching I found this. Right now I'm trying to see if I can get it via inter-library loan or something.

Hmm, you say you have more than one? Want to give me one to investigate?

The shipping is probably more than they're worth
By several I meant around seven, the college was throwing them out and I was the only student crazy enough to want them.
Now I'm looking forward to the possibility that I could be getting an IBM the size of a refridgerator.

...sorry for the delayed reply, I haven't been on much for a while.

[Mithrandir]

I have an HP server the size of a mini-fridge. Still runs fine (even being, what, 20+ years old?)

You might try asking on the vintage computer groups - and if you're in the SF bay area, you might try going to the Vintage Computer festival in the fall.

[Agent Anderson]

Wikipedia: "One unique feature of most Zenith PC-compatibles was the key combination Ctrl-Alt-Ins, which would interrupt the running program and break into a machine-language monitor. This monitor program was included in ROM, and allowed the user to trace or resume program execution, change machine settings, run diagnostic routines, or boot from a specific device."

[Valkaiser]

You might try asking on the vintage computer groups

May have to try that...

and if you're in the SF bay area, you might try going to the Vintage Computer festival in the fall.

Heh, a little bit out of my way, but thanks.

Wikipedia: "One unique feature of most Zenith PC-compatibles was the key combination Ctrl-Alt-Ins, which would interrupt the running program and break into a machine-language monitor. This monitor program was included in ROM, and allowed the user to trace or resume program execution, change machine settings, run diagnostic routines, or boot from a specific device."

Yeah, that monitor thing is a lot of fun to tinker with, some of the diagnostic routines you can leave running for hours, all the while the thing beeps continously.

[Valkaiser]

I found an advertisement brochure for this recently.
It amuses me greatly.
(PDF link near the bottom)
http://www.1000bit.it/scheda.asp?id=455

[Mithrandir]

If shooby pops in at some point, you may want to ask him. Even if he doesn't know a lot about it, he's pretty plugged into the Vintage Computer community. I'll bet he "knows a guy who knows a guy." XD

[shooraijin]

Looks familiar but I don't know much about them. Try joining the mailing list at classiccmp.org and asking them.

[Valkaiser]

Thanks, I've done some digging through the archives and found some interesting tidbits.
I'm not really one for mailing lists, but I may give it a try.

It looks like I can now buy a PDF of that third party technical manual that I mentioned earlier directly from the publisher.
https://www.samswebsite.com/en/photofact/search/index/model/ZFA16152
I am considering purchasing it.

[shooraijin]

I'm not really one for mailing lists, but I may give it a try.

Well, THAT makes me feel old. :-P

[Valkaiser]

Well, THAT makes me feel old. :-P

If it helps, I'm not really one for forums either :-P
The only reason I'm even here is because my sister dragged me in and insisted that I participate.
(not that it wasn't worth it, because it is)

[Valkaiser]

Apparently I had so much trouble looking up information for this computer because Zenith couldn't decide what to call it.
Aliases: Z160, Z161
That's not so bad, is it?
Then, I found out that it is a Z150 series machine. Actually, a portable version of the Z150 AKA Z151.
...but wait, theres more!
One might think that the Z150 was a Z100 series machine like the Z100 and Z120 (machines with 2 processors and a S100 bus), but it isn't. Sometimes they make matters clearer by referring to is as a Z150PC... Yeah, clearer.
So we have: Z160, Z161, Z150, Z151, and Z150PC (Don't forget Z-160, Zenith 161, Zenith PC Series etc.).
What is the anticlimactic upshot of this meandering rant?


The Zenith 160 is a straight up IBM XT clone.
I kid you not.
It even looks eerily similar to the IBM XT Portable http://oldcomputers.net/ibm5155.html.
Almost the same hardware specs even.
Although the Zenith does manage to pull it off without blocking most of its full length ISA slots like the IBM does.

So...


Uh...

Anyway...
A question for anyone who ran an IBM 5150 or 5160 (i.e. 8086 8088 class machines):
What what your favorite software to run?

P.S. Zenith bought Heathkit's computer business, so that name muddies the waters as well (H/Z100 etc)

[shooraijin]

I don't have an XT, but I do have a PCjr. However, I mostly use the PCjr to play games, since that's what it was really designed for (it's a very poor IBM PC and that's why it failed).

[Valkaiser]

Did it have the chiclet keyboard? That in particular sounded annoying.

I guess I'll mention that I installed a digital oscilloscope unit in the Zenith.
Not sure sure why, probably because I have it and it's old.

...so I can FFT stuff at a sample rate of 500khz!
yay?

[shooraijin]

I have both the Chiclet keyboard and the later standard clicky keyboard, and yes, the Chiclet keyboard was a pain (but much better than other kinds of Chicletboards).