The Zenith Data Systems Z-100 was a pre-assembled version of the Heathkit H100 electronic kit. Configured as a family (Z-120 was an all in one model, with self-contained monitor), the Z-110 (called the low profile model) was similar in size to the cabinet of an IBM PC, XT, or AT, but a bit shorter, and configured with a raised cabinet molding on the top surface within which one placed one's display monitor, designed to keep it from sliding off to either side or back. Both models had a built in keyboard that was tactilely and in appearance modeled on an IBM Selectric typewriter, the premier office machine of the day.

Dual processors: 8085 and 8088. Available with CP/M and Z-DOS (non-IBM compatible MS-DOS variant). Five S-100 expansion slots. Two 320 KB 40-track double-sided 5.25-inch floppy disk drives. Socket enabled direct plug-in of external 8-inch floppies. 2× serial ports (2661 UART), one Centronics printer port (discrete TTL chips), light pen port. 640×225 bitmap display. 8 colors (low-profile model), or monochrome upgradable to 8 greyscales (all-in-one). Base 128 KB RAM, expandable to 192 KB on board, to 768 KB with S-100 cards. (Video RAM was paged into the 64 KB block above 768 KB). The Z-100 was a "near-compatible" system to the IBM PC, using standard floppy drives. It ran a non-IBM version of MS-DOS, so "generic MS-DOS" programs would run; but most commercial PC software used IBM BIOS extensions and would fail.[3] Several companies offered software or hardware solutions to permit unmodified PC programs to work on the Z-100. The Z-100 had unusually good graphics for its era,[3] superior to the contemporary CGA (640×200 monochrome bitmap or 320×200 4-color), IBM Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA) (80×25 text-only), and arguably even the Hercules Graphics Card (720×348 monochrome). Early versions of AutoCAD were released for the Z-100 because of these advanced graphics.[4] Aftermarket vendors also released modifications to upgrade mainboard memory and permit installation of an Intel 8087 math coprocessor.

Model: ZW 111-30

Manufacturer: Zenith Data Systems
Date: 1982

This exhibit has a reference ID of CH44090. Please quote this reference ID in any communication with the Centre for Computing History.