TRS-80 DOS – MultiDOS: Part 5 – ZDOS and ESOTERIC

Z’DOS

Released:

• September 30, 1982 (Model I/Single Density)
• November 19, 1982 (Model I/Double Density)
• November 20, 1982 (Model III)

Versions:

• Model I (Single and Double)
• Model III

Download Links:

• Model I/Single Density
• Model I/Double Density
• Model III

Background:

Vernon wrote and released Z’DOS as an attempt to get people into something other than TRSDOS at a reasonable cost. Z’DOS v1.0 was never updated.

Contained the following files:

Contained the following library commands:

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Esoteric

Released:

• July 11, 1998 (Preliminary)
• December 13, 1998 (v1.0)
• November 25, 1999 (v1.1)
• January 1, 2001 (v1.2)
• August 12, 2002 (v2.0)
• August 1, 2004 (v2.1)
• November 29, 2004 (v2.11)

Version:

• Model 4

Download Link:

• v2.11 for the Model 4

Background:

ESOTERIC is essentially Model 4 MULTIDOS using the Model 4’s Memory Maps III and IV. MULTIDOS uses Memory Map II. The only benefit (if any) of Model 4 MULTIDOS over ESOTERIC is that Model 4 MULTIDOS can operate in both the 64×16 screen and the 80×24 screen, whereas ESOTERIC is only a 80×24 screen system.

In a March 1983 San Francisco computer show, LOBO came to Vernon’s booth and they talked about the MAX-80. In April 1983 a MAX-80 arrived in Vernon’s office and he began to convert Model I DOS to work in the MAX-80. The MAX-80 was capable of either 64×16 or 80×24 video. Vernon cobbled a version of BASIC using fragments of the Model I ROM and his Model I/III disk BASIC. The primary purpose of the dual video was to enable an easy transition of Model I/III BASIC programs to a faster machine (5.06667 MHz) without having to rewrite display code. And, the 80×24 screen could be used for new developments and/or converted 64×16 stuff. Programs such as “Android Nim” execute flawlessly in Model 4 MULTIDOS – provided, of course, that one is in the 64×16 video mode.

Vernon did not want to do a Model 4 MULTIDOS; however, many customers wanted the ‘easier’ transition to a 4MHz/80×24 capable machine. Therefore, Vernon converted his MAX-80 version of MULTIDOS to the Model 4. To be clear, first came the MAX-80 MULTIDOS, and second came the Model 4 version of MULTIDOS. ESOTERIC would have been the Model 4 version of MULTIDOS if Vernon had planned on competing with TRSDOS 6 in either late 1983 and/or early 1984. MAX-80 MULTIDOS hit the streets in September 1983, and Model 4 MULTIDOS was not released until February 1985 – customers were begging. One of the ‘easier’ transitions the Model 4 MULTIDOS provided is the exact matching of 115 of 124 keywords (the nine mismatches are minor).

Vernon created ESOTERIC in June 1998 (as he had nothing else to do with his Model 4) to gain the 2048 bytes consumed by the permanent address space used for the keyboard and video in Memory Map II. The primary difference between ESOTERIC and Model 4 MULTIDOS is the video (80×24 vs. either 80×24 or 64×16) and ESOTERIC is mapped significantly different than Model 4 MULTIDOS. The mapping of the Model 4 is very similar to the Model I, Model III, and MAX-80 version of MULTIDOS. ESOTERIC’s mapping difference was desired to keep the DOS in contiguous memory (0000H through 1AFFH). Under ESOTERIC, one can ORG applications at 1B00H.

Contained the following files on the DOS Disk:

Contained the following files on the UTILITIES Disk:

Contained the following library commands:

Esoteric v2.12

Released:

• July 11, 2011 (v2.12)

Version:

• Model 4

Download Links:

• v2.12 for the Model 4
• v2.12 w/High-Res BASIC for the Model 4

Contained the following files on the DOS disk:

Contained the following files on the UTILITIES disk:

Contained the following library commands:

Esoteric v3.00

Released: February 23, 2021
Version: Model 4
Main Changes: Updated BASIC/CMD, Library3/EXT, MEMDISK/CMD, MODULE/CMD, MONITOR/CMD, RA/CMD, SORT/BOL and UTIL/BOL.
Download Links:

• Single Sided / Double Sided 40 Track / Double Sided 80 Track
• High Resolution Program Disk for Esoteric v3.00
• Updated Manual in DOC Format

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Part 6: Q & A with Vernon Hester

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Part 1: MultiDOS
Part 2: ULTRADOS Page
Part 3: MultiDOS v1.0 – v1.72
Part 4: MultiDOS v2.0 – v6.00