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16K and DOS?

D

dano

Experienced Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
114
Location
Metzger, Oregon
I'm hoping someone might have some experience with this combo. Many Model I machines came with either 4k or 16k or RAM when used without an expansion interface. Of course in that case is would be assumed that any programs loaded or saved would be on a cassette. Some of my other 8-bit machines are a little newer and require more memory when running programs from DOS, as the operating system uses up most of the memory when running with just 16k. I'm wondering if a 16K Model I can run software (such as that originally supplied on cassette) from disk? Will the OS use up memory needed by the program? Is there much of a software base that will work with this setup?

I should probably explain why I'm asking. Do to space limitations, I would like to use a FreHD without an expansion interface. If I do, I'm wondering if I will need to come up with some sort of 32k memory expansion as well, or if I can get by with a 16k system for the most part.
 
16K machines running TRSDOS 2.3 had about 6K left for basic programming... so small programs would run...

With FreHD we use LDOS 5.3.1 which is built around a 48K system, though people have (reportedly) used it successfully on a 32K or 16K system though there is even less space to load programs than a TRSDOS 2.3 system.

It sounds like what you are after is a solution arrived at by Dean Bear from Canberra, which installs the FreHD and M1 HD adapter inside the Model 1. While the Model 1 is open you would upgrade the machine to 64K (48K usable) using 4164 DRAMs and a lowercase modification. You finally replace the Level II basic ROMs with a custom auto-boot FreHD eprom (Model 1 version still in beta test) and you have a neat fully functional FreHD-based Model 1 system with no disk drives or EI.

The project is not for the faint-hearted but if you like I can put you in touch with Dean.

Ian.
 
Thanks for the info, the internal ram might be the way to go. I would love to talk to Dean about the work he is doing, though I definitely want to keep my interface and FreHD external, both for origionality and so I can share the drive with my other computers. Did all model Is come with 8 ram sockets? I haven't looked inside of mine for a long time!
 
Hi Ray,

I haven't checked the expansion interface, because honestly, I'm hoping I can avoid using it. I have enough desk space for 2 computers and way more than 2 computers to fill it, so I'm hoping I might be able to use the Model I by itself. I've got several programs on cassette but have had trouble getting them to load successfully - and it would be nice to have an SD card for file transfer to/from the 'net. A FreHD and a Model I hard drive adapter would be small enough that I could easily move them around no problem. Thanks everyone for all the ideas.
 
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