4 Minutes of Productivity : CP/M Applications on the Apple II
CP/M (Control Program For Microcomputers) was a command-line OS that would later inspire MS-DOS. Developed by Gary Kildall, founder of Digital Research, this OS ran on computers equipped with a 80-column text card and the Zilog Z80 processor. CP/M was a widely used OS and many productivity programs, like WordStar, dBase, and SuperCalc, ran under it. Because of the expandable nature of the Apple II, these features could be added to the Apple II as well. Natively, the Apple II couldn't run CP/M as that computer had a 6502 processor and a 40-column text display (technically, CP/M could run on a 40-column display, but one might as well smash there head against a wall as it's mostly unusable. Just look at the Coleco Adam).
However, Microsoft made there Z-80 SoftCard that had the appropriate processor on it. Using the 80-Column text card alongside the SoftCard, now the Apple II was one of the best CP/M machines that anyone could use. Again, this is yet another milestone accomplishment of Wozniak as he designed the motherboard and the expansion capabilities that would go on and define the Apple II.
Z-80 SoftCard (Wikipedia)
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CP/M (Wikipedia)
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Gary Kildall (Wikipedia)
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Cult of Mac : Today in Apple history: Microsoft’s first hardware debuts … on the Apple II
www.cultofmac....
Folklore : A Rich Neighbor Named Xerox
www.folklore.o...
Пікірлер: 11
YES, that's how the Apple II REALLY came alive for BUSINESS! BUT you overlooked MBASIC and, most importantly, dBASE II ! That's what started my career in database system development.
@robertkixmiller1459
2 жыл бұрын
Glad you really like the video. The Apple II had really awesome business software that rivaled that on the PC, like AppleWorks and Visicalc. I have covered MBASIC for the Apple II on another video in "MESS Emulating The Apple II : CP/M" starting around the 1:00 minute mark. It's just a simple program to calculate sales tax and total cost. However, that alone demonstrates how one could quickly demonstrate BASIC's capability in writing business programs. I'll be honest, dBase scares the crap out of me! For me, the "." prompt is the equivalent of looking into the dark abyss. While I already had prior knowledge with MS-Access 97, Lotus 123, and GWBASIC/QB4.5 on MS-DOS, using MBASIC, Applesoft BASIC, or Supercalc wasn't too out of the ordinary. However, dBase, along with Visicalc, are programs that scare me. Such, I envy you for being able to navigate and manage databases in dBase!
Business back then: Also, it was for a time when there wasn't any graphical thing until the release of some graphical MS-DOS Programs before 1990 where Microsoft Released Windows 3.0, or basically at the release of Windows 1.0/1.01!
@robertkixmiller1459
3 ай бұрын
At the time though, while character applications weren't all that attractive, the limited computer resources of the old platforms really didn't permit for GUI's. Even by the middle to late 80's, computers weren't all that capable of running such environments. Could the Intel 8086/8088/286, the 6502 and original Motorola 68000 run such environments? They could. Did they do a good job at running them though? Not really. While GEM was the most capable, even that fell short. It didn't matter how good the environments were as long as they would still be limited by their hardware. It wasn't until PCs with the 386 became a lot more common (and the higher speed ones at that) until Windows could really take off. Even the original Macintosh, which was designed with such environment in mind, could be sluggish depending on what was running. It didn't help that in the early 80's, graphics were associated with games. Such, by 1984, Apple had to downplay gaming on the Macintosh otherwise people would associate it with an expensive toy computer rather than a professional tool for business. Andy Hertzfeld, one of the original Macintosh designers, mentioned this on his Apple Folklore site. IBM, which in the early 80's was basically the tech equivalent of the Vatican, could simply decree that business graphics was now a thing with the PC/AT with a EGA graphics adapter that would alone establish graphics within the business world. But with that mentioned, the text-based programs have their own charm to them. WordStar had its keyboard shortcuts while SuperCalc was much more usable than VisiCalc. CP/M would set the stage for MS-DOS. They would contribute to the rise of personal computers as business machines and setting the stage for the graphical applications that would come later.
@sm-ftve
3 ай бұрын
@@robertkixmiller1459 Oh hmm, alright. Ok!
There is an error in your description. The 6502, which powered the Apple II, early Atari home computers, and the Commodore 64 (among others) was not in fact a product of Motorola. The 6502 was produced by MOS Technologies, later known as CSG (Commodore Semiconductor Group).
@robertkixmiller1459
2 жыл бұрын
You are right! The 6502 Processor was created by MOS Technologies, which was later purchased by Commodore. MOS licensed out there processor designs to other manufacturers to clone. The 6502 Processors used in the Apple II were made by Synertek, with WDC making a later 16-bit enhanced version. Right after the release of the 6502, Motorola sued MOS, and as a result of the lawsuit, both companies entered into a cross-licensing agreement. I don't know if this result in a Motorola-branded 6502, but many have swear by it. It must be the Mandela Effect at play! www.cpu-collection.de/?tn=0&l0=co&l1=Synertek cini.classiccmp.org/pdf/Apple/Apple%20II%20Reference%20Manual%20-%20Woz.pdf www.applelogic.org/files/AIIEREF.pdf apple.fandom.com/wiki/MOS_6502 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synertek en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WDC_65C02 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_6502
INTERESTING VIDEO!!!!
@robertkixmiller1459
2 жыл бұрын
I don't know why I just saw this comment. Sorry for the very late response, but I'm glad you find this video interesting. One witnesses how far we came in the evolution of software from the late 70's/early 80's compared to today. Progress is never-ending!
I was hoping to see a few games for CP/M.
@robertkixmiller1459
2 жыл бұрын
There were many interesting games on CP/M. I haven't explored Apple II CP/M beyond the applications (a side effect of when one gets distracted by learning how to operate a lemonade stand or surviving dysentery on the Oregon Trail). However, I'm hoping that down the road, I can cover CP/M games when exploring this OS in more detail. There was a good text-based Pac-man clone along with Othello and many text adventures.