Date   : Mon, 21 Mar 1988 09:19:42 EST
From   : prindle@NADC.ARPA (Frank Prindle)
Subject: Does C128 really have CP/M?

Yes, the C128 really does have CP/M.  It is the version of CP/M known as
CP/M 3.0 or CP/M Plus, and most existing PD software does indeed run on it.
At 2 Mhz., you might find that it runs a bit more slowly than you have come
to expect from faster CP/M machines, but in the vast majority of cases I've
experienced, speed is adequate.  Some CP/M 2.2 software will not run under
CP/M 3.0 (C128 or any other) without modification (for example, programs which
exploit direct BIOS calls, such as a disk sector editor, as well as programs
which touch upon the rare incompatibility between those CP/M versions).  In
most cases of such programs, a separate CP/M 3.x version already exists.
Will the 128 really be useful to you in CP/M mode?  The only way to answer
that is to try it out and see for yourself.  CP/M will never be as flashy as
it's successors (MSDOS, UNIX, etc.) because it was designed for much more
humble machines.  That impressive 16-bit or 32-bit software you've been playing
with is memory hungry and can't be shoe-horned into a CP/M style machine.
Still, CP/M on the C128 can get most of the same jobs done quite well if you
can live without the flashy graphics and sound.
Sincerely,
Frank Prindle
Prindle@NADC.arpa