HINTS-33 Z88 RAMs, ROMs, etc The great majority of Z88 computers have an internal 32K RAM and OZ3 ROM but yours might have a 128k RAM and/or an OZ4 ROM. The RAM is memory; the OZ is the operating system. Although the internal RAM is small, and only about 20k of it is available, one would usually have a 128k RAM in slot 1. So, for all normal purposes, there is plenty of memory and one need not upgrade the internal RAM. Besides, unsoldering/soldering this chip is not a job for the faint- hearted or the ham-fisted ! The OZ chip plugs in so this does not present a soldering problem. But first you need to know what OZ you have in your Z88. Press the HELP key, then the left arrow key and read the top line. It will almost certainly be version 3.0 . What are the advantages of changing this to a version 4 ? Cambridge Comp. claimed - 1) it prevents "in use" errors in the Filer. 2) It switches the machine on if the front flap is opened - a precaution in case you intend installing or removing a ROM card. 3) Updating the Printer Ed will not cause a FAIL. 4) The PrinterEd has another 28 "translations" 5) Files left in RAM.- will not cause any problems. 6) a machine is "expanded" wherever a RAM larger than 32k is located, in version 3.0 the larger RAM had to be in slot 1. I do not have an OZ4 ! Every time I've tried one I got more trouble in one day than I'd had in many months ! Now you may be wondering "what is an expanded machine ?" Well, one that allows the use of a larger Basic workspace, and permits a larger map space in Pipedream. I never bother to use the map so I set "No" againgst "Map" in the Panel. One can, so the manual says, set its size (i.e. its width) to 92 but if you want a greater width than that - up to 200 - you need to fit an OZ4. -------------------------------- I've said that one would normally have a 128k RAM in slot 1. Of course this could be a 512k RAM if you feel the need. But remember that anything and everything you have in RAM has to be backed-up on EPROM or disc. If it's EPROM then you need as much EPROM as you have RAM. An EPROM goes in slot 3 so that leaves slot 2 vacant. You could have an additional RAM cartridge in here or you may want a ROM - probably a PC Link or a Spellmaster. These are the most common but there are others. An alternative to the EPROM is a FlashEPROM, a recent addition to the Z88. This has a capacity of 1 Megabyte. Saving to, and loading from it is very fast and at only £59.00 it is comparatively cheap. Whilst one can use the Z88 away from your second computer, or your disc drive, to which you have saved all of your files, you cannot - realistically and practically - carry this storage media around with you. It's either too clumsy or too "fiddly". Jack Lawrie 15,Sycamore Grove, Southam, Warwickshire. CV33 OEY Back to HINTS-INDEX