Date   : Sat, 22 Jan 1983 04:05:00 EST
From   : Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE@mit-mc.arpa>
Subject: Z-100

       The Zenith Z-100 is a handsome computer, but that MSDOS
(called Z-DOS for this, but it is the same as PCDOS they tell
me) will drive a CP/M user to drink.  Fast.

       Does anyone know how to make a bootable copy of a system
disk in MSDOS or ZDOS?  The procedures in the manual will NOT
make a disk that will boot.  My backup copy was made when the
BATCH executive command processor took over when running the
distribution disk; you have no choice but to make a backuyp (and
if you didn't have a blank disk handy I guess you'd just be
sol); but it always formats first, then copies the SECOND
distributoin disk, then erases t he batrch processor, finally
making a bootable copy; it isn't obvious what commands it uses
to do that, and none of the commands in the summary of ZDOS
commands tell me.  DSKCOPY copies data only.  SYS doesn't make a
bootable disk.  Everything formats before you copy whether you
want it to or not.

       Indeed, I think the inventors of MSDOS must HATE
computer users.  Each time you boot the system it gives you an
obsolete date (which I guess you cannot change ever?) and time,
and insists that you give it the new date and time.  The command
structure is needlessly complex, and sufficiently like yet
unlike CP/M that it is obvious that the writer was familiar with
CP/M and did things deliberately different.  As for example,
Copy *.* B: will go from the logged in disk to B and copy all
files to B.  Why change it to that?  Presumably to be different
(or perhaps to avoid a lawsuit)?

       I have a demo disk for the Z-100 that shows magnificent
color graphics, but alas, I cannot run Z-basic.  I cannot
because I have only ONE bootable system disk (other than the
original) and it is full.  All attempts to make a new bootable
disk with fewer files on it so that I could PIP (oops, COPY)
ZBASIC over to something so I could actually RUN it have been
frustrated by ZDOS.
       The documents are for the most part the best I have ever
seen.  They are very clear.  Everything is fine, except that it
just don't work, making me wonder if it's hardware; only all the
demonstration stuff runs fine, and it seems unlikely therefore.
       I thnk they tried to be cute.  But maybe not.  Whatever
it is, I quit working with the Z-100 before I began screaming; I
was taken back five years to when i HATED computers, and
everything about them (trying to get a TRS-80 going for the boys
can do that to you; TRS-DOS and MSDOS have sme remarkable
similarities, making me wonder if descendents of the
Marq   uis de Sade went into programming?  Or the same
descendent?)

       I think I am going to love the Z-200.  Alas there is no
CP/M 86 for it> I am tempted to put the machine aside until
there is.  Better a devil I know...

Meanwhile if anyone knows how to make a bootable disk--what is
the equivalent  of "SYSGEN" in ZDOS -- I'll be pleased.  Alas
the explicit cookbook instructions in the manual do not produce
a bootable disk..