We have updates to ZRDOS, DSD, B/Printer, and TERM III, as well
as a few rumors.
NEW ZRDOS RELEASED
ZRDOS 1.7 has successfully passed it's beta testing and is now
available to the general public. ZRDOS 1.7 includes all the
previous version's features, such as PUBLIC directories, no need
to ^C when changing floppies, complete compatibility with CP/M
2.2 application software, etc., and adds an important new
feature.
The new feature is best described as being a "fast warm boot".
Under CP/M and earlier versions of ZRDOS, a disk reset operation
(performed on warm boots) can take up to ten seconds. This
problem isn't normally noticed on floppy disks, but when you are
using hard disks, it can be annoying to type ^C and wait until
the disk reset operation is complete.
ZRDOS 1.7 handles disk reset operations in a different way that
permits an enormous speed-up. You can type ^C and get the system
prompt back almost immediately. Like other Z features such as
the ZCPR3 PATH function, it is a feature that is unimpressive on
the surface, but one you rapidly become accustomed to and
eventually wonder how you ever lived without it!
The ZRDOS 1.7 release also includes several additional utility
programs. There is LOGGED, which gives you information about
which drives are currently active, and their status; DISKRST,
which permits users to override ZRDOS' fast warm boot function as
needed after an UNERASE or DU3 session; DOSVER, which reports
what version of ZRDOS is presently in use on your system; SRO and
SRW, respectively Set Read Only and Set Read/Write for disk
status, and DRO Displays Read/Only drives.
Of course, a list of all the ZRDOS utilities includes AC, VTYPE,
DIR, DFA, SFA, DUMP, MOVE, PUBLIC, and VIEW.
ZRDOS 1.7 is available at the same low price of $59.50; previous
Echelon customers who purchased ZRDOS (whether by itself, or with
Z-Com or the Bootable Kaypro Disks) may upgrade for $20.
MAJOR DSD UPGRADE
DSD is Echelon's professional full-screen debugger. The new
version (version DE) handles Hitachi HD64180 mnemonics and
opcodes. In addition, the manual has been rewritten and
reformatted for easier usage.
Now, users of HD64180 processors can enjoy the benefits of the
world's best debugger. It cannot fail to impress, with it's
full-screen/multiple-window display, extensive command set (more
than 60 commands), simulation mode, back-trace, and extensive
customization features. Although available from other sources,
Echelon's version of DSD is the only version that uses the ZCPR3
TCAP for terminal configuration information, so virtually no
installation is required.
DSD is available for $129.95; previous Echelon customers may
upgrade for $30, which includes the new manual.
B/PRINTER ADDS "VERBATIM" OPTION
B/Printer v1.1 adds a new mode of operation useful for situations
where complex ESCape character sequences are contained in files
to be "background" printed. This can occur when using (for
example) Echelon's I/O Recorder to capture NewWord or WordStar
output to sophisticated proportional spacing printers.
The "verbatim" option makes B/Printer transparent so that it will
pass through all characters to the printer without modification.
Or, you can use the "normal" mode so that B/Printer can expand
tab characters as required for assembler PRN files, etc.
B/Printer is available for $39.95, and requires ZRDOS 1.1 or
later to operate. Upgrades for previous Echelon customers are
$20.
TERM III UPDATED
An update to TERM III has been recently released which fixes all
reported minor problems with the system. A complete list of the
problems is contained on the update disk.
TERM III is available for $99. Previous Echelon customers may
recieve the upgrade for $20.
RUMORS
The development of Echelon's "C" compiler for the HD64180,
capable of using memory beyond 64k-bytes, is progressing. With
any luck, it should be available by the end of the calendar year.
The spreadsheet, word processor, and database manager discussed
in Z-NEWS 506 for the HD64180, also all capable of using more
than 64k-bytes memory, is also progressing. A significant recent
development was an agreement by all parties on how to design the
programs to be portable to any HD64180 environment, no matter
what configuration of RAM is used by the hardware and operating
system.
