Re: Which CPM systems are most popular?

On 2025-03-10, Kerr-Mudd, John <admin@127.0.0.1> wrote:

On 08 Mar 2025 02:53:09 -0400
Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
>

 
John <john@somewhere> writes:
 

But when I really started using computers was in college; and my
first was an Osborne 01. That started me down the CPM road.  After
reading 'The Soul of CPM' book, I was on fire.  Compared to what I
learned with the Osborne, I consider my college courses teaching me
the syntax of Fortran and Pascal to be a waste of time (and money!).

 
I got my first computer when I was in my mid-40s.  In 1987 the O1 was
already obsolete.  But I learned BASIC, Z80 assembler, K&R C and some
LISP on it, then used it as a terminal to connect to Unix and VMS
systems.
 
I'm really happy that I started with the O1.  Extensive O1 and CPM
documentation available, system simple enough to understand without
recursive rabbit-hole excursions.  All Linux now on hardware that I
don't really understand but I do understand the basic principals it
all works on.
 
(I check in on c.o.cpm periodically to watch for other O1 fans.)
 

My first works "PC" (shared) was a "SuperBrain" - you could get a
floppy drive with Classic Adventure (Colossal Cave), IIRC. - Properly
it was used for SuperCalc spreadsheets.
>

For most popular, I'd guess Kaypro, then maybe the Osbourne.

But perhaps it was really the Apple 2 series with a CP/M card that was the
largest user base.

I have nothing to base this on but opinion, I'm afraid.

All my pals had Apples w/ said cards.

At work we had an Alspa CP/M based computer: Z80A @ 4MHz and 64K of RAM with
a "double density" (512K) 8" drive (or two which was also available).

That CP/M computer ran our business for many years with home-written CBASIC
programs doing all the work until the IBMClones came along.

I ported all our programs over and they ran just as well with CBASIC86.

Pureheart in Aptos