# I just purchased a Cambridge Z88!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-purchased-a-cambridge-z88/350435>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 29, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-purchased-a-cambridge-z88/350435 "2006-03-29T18:51:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MessyPaint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@MessyPaint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MessyPaint)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-purchased-a-cambridge-z88/350435/1 "2006-03-29T18:51:12Z")

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Oh, man. I hate to be mundane and pointless, but I had to share this. I’m entirely too excited and I spent way too much money on it, but I’m hopping through the screen. 🆒

Here it is, a [photo](http://www.homecomputer.de/images/machines/Cambridge_Z88_Large.jpg) of the [Cambridge z88](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Z88).

> [@](#):
>
> Wikipedia:  
> The Z88 is a portable computer based on a low-power CMOS version of the popular Z80 microprocessor. It comes with 32Kbytes of internal RAM and 128Kbytes of ROM containing the Operating System (called OZ), but can be amplied up to 3.5Mbytes of RAM, which is non-volatile thanks to the batteries.
> 
> Despite the lightness of the Z88—it weighed 0.9 kg—its construction was surprisingly robust, including its membrane/chiclet keyboard which was both comfortable and almost inaudible (an optional electronic “click” could be turned on if it proved too quiet for the user’s taste).
> 
> Though the LCD display had only eight lines, it was clear and surprisingly effective. In Pipedream, a miniature view of a whole page appeared to the right of the display, giving a good feel for the overall layout, and compensating for the inevitable “letterbox” effect.

It’s the size of a sheet of paper and runs 20 hrs on batteries. Now I can tread through the woods, tour the town’s coffee shops, and write while at stop lights with great portable ease, immediate bootup, and no flipping of monstrous winged screens. And its membrane rubber keyboard is not only waterproof, but is also silent so I can sit in the back of the booming chamber halls, cheerfully riding along.

Now I have to go figure out what this paypal business is in order to get it.  
And damn the Great Britian Pounds. They look so nice as dollars, but then you cross the atlantic and their twice as much.