Date   : Sat, 22 Jan 1983 03:51:00 EST
From   : Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE@mit-mc.arpa>
Subject: Epson and Z-100

       Epson software arrived.  Patches, xerox manuals.  They
are NOWHERE NEAR ready to sell a product that can do what the
advertisiements say; in fact, I do not think they will EVERbe
able to do all of it, although that may simply be a mistake on
my part.
       The machine is good.  The software that comes with it to
a Beta test Site is not evaluable, because it isn't working.
The text editor cannot retrieve files.  I am certain that bug
will be fixed fairly quickly, but it leaves one loathe to spend
much effort trying other features of the machine; in order to do
anything, you have to have two machines, one to take notes on
while you try features of the other; since you will never be
able to get the notes back if you make them on the Epson.

An alternate operating system is "TPM-II" from "Computer Design
Labs".  I have nad no chance to play with it, but it appeares to
be CP/M like.  I t also seems to contain "ZAPPLE" which is an OS
for the Apple when the Apple is running a Z-80.  I don't
understand most of this, but it seemes needlessly complex
compared to standard CP/M.

       The Epson "HASCII" interface is wonderful for beginners
(or would be if it all worked) but I think one mig ht soon tire
of it; to get a menu can take about a minute, and everything
goes cascading through compulsory menus; at least thte documents
I have give no alternatives.  The major stuff is in command keys
on the keyboards, each of which lead you to menus which you can
control, and many of them lead you to still lower levels of
menu; and there is no jump from higest level past any
intermediate.  Since everything is SLOW; to save a three
paragraph file (it did save it, but I have to reset using TPM
and then TYPE command to see it)--to save a three paragraph file
and reread the system and get back to an (empty! -- the file
must be RETRIEVED only RETRIEVE doesn't at present work) took a
LONG time.
       This is probably all going to change.  The hardweare
looks awfully nice, inside and out, and the machine is a Z-80A,
so it surely is capable of faster work, even with 320K
double-sided 5 1/4" disks.  (The advertised HELP features are
not implemented either; not all of them, anyway; there's anote
saying they will be when they get  more room on disks, but no
explanaton of what that means).  
       My suspicion is that the advertised software package is
going to be a while coming; there's so little of it implemented
just yet.  A lot of this is ROM, by the way, making me wonder
why everything is so slow.  Are all 5 1/4 disks that way?  I
cannot recall that the Otrona is that bad; it's the only small
disk machine I have extensive experience with, except an Apple
the boys have--that's SLOW too.
       Prediction: the Epson will turn into a VERY nice
machine, but it's going to take them a while; meanwhile they
have all those ads out there telling you not to buy anything
else, but I'd think it will be at least summer before they get
all the bugs out of their new baby.
       It should be a NICE Z-80 when it is developed.  T hey
have a really nice keyboard, and lots of other stuff going for
it; if it were speedier and could do most of what is advertised
it would be great.
       

       I think I will put the Z-100 in another message.  This
is long enough.