agentb
Experienced Member
Anyone know anything about OSM Zeus? I just saw one for sale and couldn’t find much info or any resources for it. Anyone have one? Sounds like an interesting machine.
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OSM Zeus
- Thread starter agentb
- Start date
Never heard of it so I did a little searching online.
Very little info out there.
OSM Zeus
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=1334
"
OSM Computer Corporation, based in Santa Clara California, produced several multi-user CP/M computers called Zeus.
The first Zeus system was released in 1981. It looks like a mini-computer with a fairly big case that can house mutimple user boards. Each user has a dedicated Z80A-base-single board that fits into the system mainframe.
The modular, stackable system can expand up to 64 users. To add a user, you need a dumb terminal and a user "microcomputer" module added into the mainframe.
The Zeus computer use modular hard disk storage giving a capacity from 34 Mb to 600 Mb. It also features tape backup and shared printers with spooling and queuing.
One singularity of the Zeus is that it is equiped with a battery/recharger system that provides up to 20 minutes of operating power in case of power failures, lightning ot voltage variations.
Zeus uses MUSE as its operating system, a CP/M compatible OS for multi-user computers.
One difference between OSM's approach and that of other manufacturers is that OSM does not require the individual CPU/memory cards to share the same S100 bus. The OSM design approximates that of a local network, in that the only real connection between the users is a data bus carrying information to and from the master CPU, which handles the disk chores.
OSM also differs from some of the other multi-user systems in that each user's CPU/memory combination also includes terminal and printer I/O. Thus, except for the disk drive, each user has a complete computer system responding to his commands, and the only contention among users is the disk drive itself. OSM resolves this problem by providing 32Kb of memory for the master processor, which acts as a buffer between user requests and the disk drive."
OSM Zuse 3
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1336
"The Zeus 3X was released in 1983, and is a natural follow-up of previous systems: Zeus, Zeus II, Zeus 3. The Zeus 3X was available as the same time as the Zeus 4, in which it differs in some features (more users, more memory, tape drive, real time clock, etc.) making it more suited for larger companies.
The OSM Zeus 3X is a Z80 based multi-user computer that supports a single hard drive (from 12 to 140 Mb) and up to 32 users (8 only for the Zeus 4) via dumb terminals plugged into RS232 ports. The ports supports several terminal emulations as well as serial printers and modems.
The Zeus computer uses MUSE (Multi User System Executive) as its operating system, a CP/M compatible OS for multi-user computers from OSM. It incorporates all the standard features of CP/M, while adding file management capabilities such as multi-user file sharing, password protection, print spooling, data security and auto-searching. Later, the ZMOS operating system, another multi-user CP/M compatible OS, was also available.
In the november 1984's issue of Computerworld, there is an article describing how Pepsi bought and used Zeus 3X computers to help them cope with orders processing through these multi-user file sharing systems."
OSM Zeus 4
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=1335
"
OSM Computer Corporation, based in Santa Clara California, produced several multi-user CP/M computers called Zeus.
The Zeus 4 was released in 1982, and is a natural follow-up of previous systems: Zeus, Zeus II, Zeus 3 and Zeus 3x.
The OSM Zeus 4 is a Z80 based multi-user computer that supports a single hard drive (from 6 to 25 Mb) and up to 8 users (4 on first models) via dumb terminals plugged into RS232 ports. The ports supports several terminal emulations as well as serial printers and modems.
The Zeus 4 supports the 3270 data communication protocol, which permits the system to exchange information with IBM or IBM-compatible host mainframes.
There are three electronic boards inside the computer. One is the disks controller, the middle one is the master CPU and the last one is the slave CPU board. On the slave board there are 2, 4 or 8 entire Z80 based computers. There are all "Networked" to the master board through a ribbon cable on the side.
The Zeus computer uses MUSE (Multi User System Executive) as its operating system, a CP/M compatible OS for multi-user computers from OSM. It incorporates all the standard features of CP/M, while adding file management capabilities such as multi-user file sharing, password protection, print spooling, data security and auto-searching. Later, the ZMOS operating system, another multi-user CP/M compatible OS, was also available.
When OSM went out of business another company purchased their stock and manufactured a new version called the Zeus 4x that supported 16 users."
Very little info out there.
OSM Zeus
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=1334
"
OSM Computer Corporation, based in Santa Clara California, produced several multi-user CP/M computers called Zeus.
The first Zeus system was released in 1981. It looks like a mini-computer with a fairly big case that can house mutimple user boards. Each user has a dedicated Z80A-base-single board that fits into the system mainframe.
The modular, stackable system can expand up to 64 users. To add a user, you need a dumb terminal and a user "microcomputer" module added into the mainframe.
The Zeus computer use modular hard disk storage giving a capacity from 34 Mb to 600 Mb. It also features tape backup and shared printers with spooling and queuing.
One singularity of the Zeus is that it is equiped with a battery/recharger system that provides up to 20 minutes of operating power in case of power failures, lightning ot voltage variations.
Zeus uses MUSE as its operating system, a CP/M compatible OS for multi-user computers.
One difference between OSM's approach and that of other manufacturers is that OSM does not require the individual CPU/memory cards to share the same S100 bus. The OSM design approximates that of a local network, in that the only real connection between the users is a data bus carrying information to and from the master CPU, which handles the disk chores.
OSM also differs from some of the other multi-user systems in that each user's CPU/memory combination also includes terminal and printer I/O. Thus, except for the disk drive, each user has a complete computer system responding to his commands, and the only contention among users is the disk drive itself. OSM resolves this problem by providing 32Kb of memory for the master processor, which acts as a buffer between user requests and the disk drive."
OSM Zuse 3
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1336
"The Zeus 3X was released in 1983, and is a natural follow-up of previous systems: Zeus, Zeus II, Zeus 3. The Zeus 3X was available as the same time as the Zeus 4, in which it differs in some features (more users, more memory, tape drive, real time clock, etc.) making it more suited for larger companies.
The OSM Zeus 3X is a Z80 based multi-user computer that supports a single hard drive (from 12 to 140 Mb) and up to 32 users (8 only for the Zeus 4) via dumb terminals plugged into RS232 ports. The ports supports several terminal emulations as well as serial printers and modems.
The Zeus computer uses MUSE (Multi User System Executive) as its operating system, a CP/M compatible OS for multi-user computers from OSM. It incorporates all the standard features of CP/M, while adding file management capabilities such as multi-user file sharing, password protection, print spooling, data security and auto-searching. Later, the ZMOS operating system, another multi-user CP/M compatible OS, was also available.
In the november 1984's issue of Computerworld, there is an article describing how Pepsi bought and used Zeus 3X computers to help them cope with orders processing through these multi-user file sharing systems."
OSM Zeus 4
https://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=1335
"
OSM Computer Corporation, based in Santa Clara California, produced several multi-user CP/M computers called Zeus.
The Zeus 4 was released in 1982, and is a natural follow-up of previous systems: Zeus, Zeus II, Zeus 3 and Zeus 3x.
The OSM Zeus 4 is a Z80 based multi-user computer that supports a single hard drive (from 6 to 25 Mb) and up to 8 users (4 on first models) via dumb terminals plugged into RS232 ports. The ports supports several terminal emulations as well as serial printers and modems.
The Zeus 4 supports the 3270 data communication protocol, which permits the system to exchange information with IBM or IBM-compatible host mainframes.
There are three electronic boards inside the computer. One is the disks controller, the middle one is the master CPU and the last one is the slave CPU board. On the slave board there are 2, 4 or 8 entire Z80 based computers. There are all "Networked" to the master board through a ribbon cable on the side.
The Zeus computer uses MUSE (Multi User System Executive) as its operating system, a CP/M compatible OS for multi-user computers from OSM. It incorporates all the standard features of CP/M, while adding file management capabilities such as multi-user file sharing, password protection, print spooling, data security and auto-searching. Later, the ZMOS operating system, another multi-user CP/M compatible OS, was also available.
When OSM went out of business another company purchased their stock and manufactured a new version called the Zeus 4x that supported 16 users."
agentb
Experienced Member
Thanks - that’s about all I could find online too. Sounds pretty neat and with that fancy lacquered wood top 
I wonder if MUSE is just re-branded MP/M? I think someone else is going to buy the Zeus so maybe they’ll pop up here.
I wonder if MUSE is just re-branded MP/M? I think someone else is going to buy the Zeus so maybe they’ll pop up here.