Is the Z88 any good?

[Abmvk]

I stumbled upon a Z88 being offered for not to high a price. So now I am in dubio, it is not a system I have ever worked with, so it is beyond my collection scope. But on the other hand, it looks great and I have never seen one before, which makes it appealing.

Does anyone know this system and can you recommend buying it or leaving it alone?

 

[acollins22]

Hi,

I have a couple of these and I think they a lovely little machines.

To be honest, I don't use either very often but I do appreciate them. The software (Pipedream?) is thoughtfully designed and works well. The little preview of the page layout that uses a pixel per character is a joy to look at and I _think_ it has BBC Basic built it (but I could be misremembering)

Obviously, the choice is yours but I think it's a nice machine that isn't derivative of any other design and worthy of a place in a collection.


Cheers,

Andy.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Plugging a book for a friend: here

 

[Abmvk]

I am afraid someone else wants it more then me Lost the bidding war.

 

[Abmvk]

So, the competition lost after all. Seller just told me I can come and collect the Z88!

 

[cj7hawk]

I like the z88. It was a truly portable machine with a good battery life that operated off of normal batteries at a time when portable computing on-the-go was in it's infancy. It was the first tablet computer and they did a great job, even though some pen based systems came out shortly afterwards.
Despite the weird keyboards, it's pretty useable. It had a lot of potential and got copied by Amstrad and a few others.
I guess it took the Pandora concept where Sir Clive wanted to go, even though he originally wanted to go with a flat screen CRT. It certainly would have been more usable than his original idea, although I also would have loved to see how his clamshell idea came out had he continued it.

 

[wmcbrine]

It was the first tablet computer

Eh, not what most people would think of as a tablet.

I put it in the same category as a TRS-80 Model 100, slightly smaller and lighter, but functionally similar.

 

[acorn_1401]

Eh, not what most people would think of as a tablet.

I put it in the same category as a TRS-80 Model 100, slightly smaller and lighter, but functionally similar.

Half the depth but half the screen size. I would say only slightly bigger than gen 1 iPad.

While z88 is British I prefer the 100.

So, the competition lost after all. Seller just told me I can come and collect the Z88!

Was it what you hoped for?

 

[Abmvk]

Yes, it is. A strange computer in many ways, the rubber keyboard I used to hate from SInclair (my ZX Spectrum had another keyboard within months after buying it back in the days), the ingenuity I used to love from Sinclair, all in all a gem for the collection!

 

[oktology]

I love mine. I have a Model 100 and a 102 as well. I love them to bits too, and I think the Z88 is in many ways their direct successor. Faster, more versatile, more complex software, and expansion ports built in. The rubber keyboard is something I was prepared to hate, but it’s actually not bad at all once you get used to how incredibly sensitive it is.

Eh, not what most people would think of as a tablet.

I put it in the same category as a TRS-80 Model 100, slightly smaller and lighter, but functionally similar.

“Slabtop” is the term!