Item — HN Reader

This.

I came in at the end of the CP/M era, with an Amstrad PCW9512. I loved it. Sadly a long-ago ex-G/F gave it away. :'(

I have 2 replacements, mind you. But CP/M is kinda dry. It's not much fun to play with. I am at a bit of a loss as to the new enthusiasm for it today...

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The Kaypro II is a case study in how I would design a computer if I were a competent person with enough technical skills to be successful outside of tier 1 ops or management. It is built from folded steel, the keyboard housing shows signs of having been hacksawed by hand, and all the parts are commodity THC that are still available 40 years later: it is serviceable. Same reason I still drive a 20-year-old car despite being expected to afford better, given my present station. I don't like disposable crap.

But CP/M...man, I wish the Kaypro ran something more interesting, because it deserves better.

:-) I know what you mean about CP/M. I am not sure I've ever touched a Kaypro, though.

There are or were some alternative Z80 OSes: SymbOS, Cromix, Uzi/Fuzix, S-OS, DR's own MP/M... Not sure if any would run on a Kaypro without significant expansion, though.

Some of the early-1980s Forth environments were impressive. I read of a replacement ROM chip for the Sinclair ZX-81 which could handle multitasking and windowing.