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The following description was posted by Richard
Kanarek in the comp.os.cpm newsgroups, in 1997
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The computer has a very nice keyboard.
All of the two (?) software packages which exist for the computer come
with audio tapes which the computer can play via its voice/data mini-cassette
tape recorder. (Having a software package explain itself to you via the
voice of a professional announcer is a unique and enjoyable experience
indeed).
Unfortunately the above is about all the good that can be said about
the unit.
The unit is about as "Portable" as a boat anchor except that
a boat anchor is unlikely to fall apart when subjected to the rigors of
a knapsack.
Of the two built in features I've used (the text editor & comm's
package) they seem horribly crippled by bugs.
The text editor becomes slower the more text you add; after a few paragraphs
it can take one or more seconds for it to process EACH key stroke! Its
print out was also corrupted when it was connected to printer-- of its
own vintage too!
As for the Phone/Comm program, it does have some air of utility about
it. On the other hand, it proved itself consistently unable to upload
a text file despite repeated trials.
Though it has a Z80 within, out of the box it is no more a CP/M computer
than a similarly Z80 equipped Texas Inst. calculator. The 1810 contains
no trace of CP/M anywhere about it.
You are free to attempt to run CP/M by purchasing the expansion box and
CP/M 2.2 package however:
- Make sure you don't rest the computer on top of the disk drive unit
when you do so as the computer's RF or magnetic emissions cause the disk
drives to malfunction. (Guess how many hours it took me to discover that!)
- Virtually all the CP/M utilities frequently either fail to work properly
or simply lock up the computer (ex. "Stat" locks it up every
time).
- Even if you got CP/M working on the computer (LOL), there is no hint
of the computer as supporting terminal escape codes (either the 80col/line
LCD or the 40col/20(?)line monitor).
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