The Commodore 900 (also known as the C900, Z-8000, and Z-Machine) was a
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
microcomputer
A microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive computer having a central processing unit (CPU) made out of a microprocessor. The computer also includes memory and input/output (I/O) circuitry together mounted on a printed circuit board (PC ...
originally intended for
business computing
An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems are composed by four components: task, people, ...
and, later, as an affordable UNIX workstation.
It was to replace the aging
PET
A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence, ...
/
CBM families of personal computers that had found success in Europe as business machines. The project was initiated in 1983 by Commodore systems engineers Frank Hughes, Robert Russell, and
Shiraz Shivji
Shiraz Shivji (born 1947 in what is now Tanzania) was the primary designer of the 1985 Atari ST computer, and one of the engineers of the Commodore 64.
Biography
Shiraz Shivji, born 1947 in what is now Tanzania, was of Indian Ismaili heritage. ...
. Manufacturing was to commence in 1985 at
Commodore International
Commodore International (other names include Commodore International Limited) was an American home computer and electronics manufacturer founded by Jack Tramiel. Commodore International (CI), along with its subsidiary Commodore Business Mach ...
's
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
plant, but only fifty prototypes were made and sold as development systems before the project was cancelled.
The C900 was a
16-bit
16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors.
A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two mos ...
computer based on the segmented version of the
Zilog Z8000
The Z8000 ("''zee-'' or ''zed-eight-thousand''") is a 16-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog in early 1979. The architecture was designed by Bernard Peuto while the logic and physical implementation was done by Masatoshi Shima, assisted by a ...
CPU.
It ran
Coherent
Coherence, coherency, or coherent may refer to the following:
Physics
* Coherence (physics), an ideal property of waves that enables stationary (i.e. temporally and spatially constant) interference
* Coherence (units of measurement), a deri ...
, a
UNIX-like
A Unix-like (sometimes referred to as UN*X or *nix) operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, although not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification. A Unix-li ...
operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also in ...
.
Two versions of the machine were developed: a
workstation
A workstation is a special computer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by a single user, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems. The term ''workstat ...
with 1024×800
pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the smal ...
s graphics powered by a
MOS Technology 8563 VDC, and a
server
Server may refer to:
Computing
*Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called clients
Role
* Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers and su ...
with text-only display.
The C900's case is similar to the
Amiga 2000
The Amiga 2000, or A2000, is a personal computer released by Commodore in March 1987. It was introduced as a "big box" expandable variant of the Amiga 1000 but quickly redesigned to share most of its electronic components with the contemporary Ami ...
's but slightly larger.
References
External links
C900 page at 'The Secret Weapons of Commodore' website– By Cameron Kaiser and The Commodore Knowledge Base
– By Bo Zimmerman
– color photos of a prototype unit
Commodore C900 product announcement*A running CBM900 has survived a
datamuseum.dkand several of the ROMs have been reverse-engineered.
Commodore Microcomputer magazine coverage of the 900's announcementCommodore 900: The Unix-like workstation/server that was eclipsed by Amiga
Commodore 900
The Commodore 900 (also known as the C900, Z-8000, and Z-Machine) was a prototype microcomputer originally intended for business computing and, later, as an affordable UNIX workstation. It was to replace the aging PET/ CBM families of personal com ...
Computer workstations
Prototypes
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