 | | Cambridge Z88 | | Type | Portable computer | | Released | 1988 | | Discontinued | | | Processor | CMOS Z80A @ 3.2768 MHz | | Memory | 32 KB, 128 KB or 512 KB depending on model | | OS | OZ | The Cambridge Z88 was an A4-size, lightweight, portable Z80-based computer with a built-in combined word processing/spreadsheet/database application called Pipedream, along with several other apps/utilities, such as a Z80-version of BBC BASIC. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1842x1347, 546 KB)The Cambridge Z88 portable computer. ...
A Portable computer is a computer that is designed to be moved from one place to another (in other words, it is a computer that is portable). ...
A comparison of different paper sizes A4 is a standard paper size, defined by the international standard ISO 216 as 210×297 mm (roughly 8. ...
A Portable computer is a computer that is designed to be moved from one place to another (in other words, it is a computer that is portable). ...
One of the first Z80 microprocessors manufactured; the date stamp says well before July 1976. ...
A BlueGene supercomputer cabinet. ...
Word processing, in its now-usual meaning, is the use of a word processor to create documents using computers. ...
Screenshot of a spreadsheet made with OpenOffice. ...
The term database originated within the computer industry. ...
BBC BASIC was developed in 1981 as a native programming language for the MOS Technology 6502 based Acorn BBC Micro home/personal computer, mainly by Roger Wilson. ...
The machine was designed by Sir Clive Sinclair and released by his company Cambridge Computers in 1987 (Sir Clive having been unable to market the computer as the Sinclair Z88 after selling Sinclair Research's computer business to Amstrad in 1986). Sir Clive Marles Sinclair (born July 30, 1940), is a British entrepreneur and inventor of, among other things, the worlds first pocket calculator, in 1962 and the beloved ZX Spectrum computer in 1982. ...
1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Sinclair Research Ltd was a home computer company founded by Clive Sinclair in Cambridge, England. ...
Amstrad is a manufacturer of electronics based in Brentwood in Essex, England and founded in 1968 by Sir Alan Michael Sugar in the UK. The name is a contraction of Alan Michael Sugar Trading. ...
Technical description
The Z88 is a portable computer based on a low-power CMOS version of the popular Z80 microprocessor. It comes with 32Kbytes of internal pseudo-static RAM and 128Kbytes of ROM containing the Operating System (called OZ), but can be amplied up to 3.5Mbytes of RAM, of which the contents are preserved thanks to the batteries. An integrated capacitor prevents the Z88 from losing its data for a limited amount of time while changing the batteries.
Despite the lightness of the Z88—it weighs 0.9 kg—its construction is surprisingly robust, including its membrane/chiclet keyboard which is both comfortable and almost inaudible (an optional electronic "click" can be turned on if it proves too quiet for the user's taste). The U.S. National Prototype Kilogram, which currently serves as the primary standard for measuring mass in the U.S. It was assigned to the United States in 1889 and is periodically recertified and traceable to the primary international standard, The Kilogram, held at the Bureau International des Poids et...
A membrane keyboard is a computer keyboard whose keys are not separate, moving parts, as with the majority of other keyboards, but rather have only outlines and symbols printed on a flat, flexible surface. ...
A chiclet keyboard is slang for a computer keyboard built with an array of small, flat rectangular or lozenge-shaped rubber or plastic keys that look like erasers or pieces of chewing gum. ...
Powered by four AA batteries (giving up to 20 hours of use), the computer has three memory slots; each of which can be used for RAM expansion, removable mass storage, and proprietary program use. Since the slots use RAM, EPROM and ROM for their data transfer, the transfer speeds are usually very high. Although RAM cards of up to 1 MB capacity were available, they were expensive. Most users used one or two 128K cards. This does not cite its references or sources. ...
Random access memory (usually known by its acronym, RAM) is a type of data store used in computers that allows the stored data to be accessed in any order — that is, at random, not just in sequence. ...
In computing, mass storage is the use of devices specifically designed for the storage of large amounts of data which may, or may not, be needed immediately. ...
EPROM. The small quartz window admits UV light during erasure. ...
Read-only memory (ROM) is a class of storage media used in computers and other electronic devices. ...
A megabyte is a unit of information or computer storage equal to approximately one million bytes. ...
A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to either 1024 or 1000 bytes. ...
Though the LCD display has only eight lines, it is clear and surprisingly effective. In Pipedream, a miniature view of a whole page appears to the right of the display, giving a good feel for the overall layout, and compensating for the inevitable "letterbox" effect. Reflective twisted nematic liquid crystal display. ...
Living on in the new millennium The Z88 had something of a cult following, and is still used by a few enthusiasts. A variety of software is available including games and utilities. Also, there is a 1MB Flash EEPROM now available which provides convenient non-volatile storage. Once written to the card, files are safe and not reliant on a power supply. Unlike traditional EEPROM cards, this one can be erased and reformatted in the computer. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
A USB Flash Memory Device. ...
Non-volatile memory, or non-volatile storage, is computer memory that can retain the stored information even when not powered. ...
It is also possible for an experienced user to replace the built-in 32K RAM chip with a bigger 128 or 512K static RAM chip. However, the latter requires some extra board modifications, and 512K is actually the biggest size that can be addressed by the Z88 for the internal RAM.
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