What Makes the Zilog Z-80 So Versatile and Sought After?

[Intrepid_Chef]

Yup, that was it, except it had its own separate color monitor, which was not good to be attached to anything but this.

I had people telling me to chuck it. I put it on Freecycle and gave it to the first taker. Then I had people angry at me telling me I should have given them a chance. SHEESH! It was just an ancient computer, willed to me by my late aunt who thought I was gonna write the great American novel on it!

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

There are people who think old computers are like old cars but they just aren't. Other than a few nerds who really love that old junk, no one even wants to fire one up.

 

[chefann]

That's why I don't understand why DH keeps the 2 Trash-80s he's got. They haven't even been plugged in since before we got married. But he still has them.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

If I remember right, those are Zilog Z-80 based. If that's true, he's keeping them in case he needs the Z-80 for a computerized car.The Z-80 was used in everything from Cadillacs to Pac-Man to Scud missiles. Yup - during Desert Storm, Americans recovered a failed Scud and took it apart to see what made it tick. The guidance system had a processor, so they popped it open to see what it was. Not only did the Russians steal the Z-80 design, the actually made a direct copy of it. The Russian processor even had the Zilog designers' signatures on it!