Date   : Thu, 15 Aug 1991 01:44:00 -0400
From   : ac959@cleveland.Freenet.Edu
Subject: Re: TeleVideo 803

>Subject: cp/m machine help

>I need information on a Televidio 803 which I believe is some sort of
>machine (circa 1982-1984) that uses the cp/m operating system.  My
>brother-in-law just inherited this beast and has begun exploring its
>manuals and floppies.

Great computer, I own and use several of them.

>The unit has a monochrome monitor, two floppy drives and for operating
>software it has B-DOS (Before DOS?).  I believe it was previously used
>in an office environment for wordprocessing, spreadsheet and probably
>some "desktop" functions.

You should have a Systems Disk with CP/M-80 (ver 2.2) and other 
CP/M utilities.  The above and CP/M-80 (ver 3.0) are the only 
operating systems that you can use on the TeleVideo 803.  CP/M 
2.2 was standard for the computer (w/ 64K RAM), and it is 
expandable to 128K RAM and CP/M 3.0.

>I know nothing about cp/m but would like to know if it's possible to load
>any of the versions of DOS onto this machine, or if its operation archi-
>tecture is something that's BIOS dependant, or whatever.  Is there any
>hardware restriction as to what kind of operating system such a machine
>can use?

See above.

>Not having seen the unit, I don't know what its guts look like.  Do these
>things have expansion slots like compatibles that would allow for the
>addition of modem card?  And if so, are there communciations packages for
>cp/m.  Please post any info here or send me email direct.

There are no expansion slots on the TeleVideo 803, but you can 
use an external modem with any of several excellent 
communications software packages.  Three of the best are public 
domain.  They are IMP245, MEX114, and QTERM43 all of which are 
usable on the 803.  The necessary overlays are available on many 
RCP/Ms across the country.

>Thanks in advance

You're welcome.  BTW, my BBS (number in signature file) offers 
TeleVideo CP/M support.  There is also a lot of public domain 
software available (both generic and TeleVideo specific).  I also 
have users and technical manuals for the TeleVideo 803 and 
several other TeleVideo computers, for sale.  Let me know if I 
can help you or your bother-in law get some use out of the 803.  
Take care.

>               ---===<<< Stuart Pearl >>>===---
>                       Lyndhurst, Ohio
>                  ah190@cleveland.freenet.edu


--
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