Os8088.com: IBM XT OS now has a Browser, CP/M 2.2 with Z80 core and MS Word 1.1a
Os8088.com: Expanding the IBM XT Horizon
New Software and System Capabilities
The os8088 project continues to push the boundaries of the IBM PC XT. This spotlight highlights recent additions that go beyond simple release notes, providing a deep dive into new tools, emulators, and hardware support.
🌐 The Web Browser
In a daring experiment, a functional web browser has been implemented for the os8088 environment. It is capable of retrieving actual web pages and rendering them as basic text and tables.
Connectivity Options:
- Directly via an Ethernet card.
- Via a parallel cable linked to a neighboring DOS machine.
Performance Note: Interestingly, the network speed is not the primary bottleneck. The process of drawing text to the window is actually slower than the time it takes to fetch the data from the web.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program Size | 13,889 bytes |
| Network Stack | ARP TCP |
| Hardware | 4.77 MHz 8088 |
💻 CP/M 2.2 Emulation
Before the IBM PC dominated the market, CP/M was the standard OS for small computers. Since the PC lacks the native processor required for these legacy apps, os8088 now includes a Zilog Z80 emulator.
This allows users to run classic CP/M software within a draggable window, including:
- The 1979 Command Processor
- Microsoft BASIC
- Text Editors
- Assemblers
Technical Detail: The emulator was crafted using 4,679 lines of C.
✍️ The "C" Word Processor
Historically, everything in os8088 was written in assembly language (one instruction at a time). However, with the introduction of a C compiler, development has accelerated.
To test the viability of C for "real-world" applications, a new word processor was developed. Because the resulting binary exceeded the available memory allocation for a single program, it was split into two separate pieces.
- Source Code: 8,350 lines of C
- Binary Size:
54,450 bytes - CPU: 4.77 MHz 8088
📄 Microsoft Word 1.1a
A nostalgic addition has arrived: a custom os8088 version of Microsoft Word 1.1a.
- Visuals: Features the iconic 1990-era menus.
- Rendering: Employs clever software tricks to simulate italics and bold text on standard PC screens.
- Compatibility: Fully supports saving files in the
.DOCformat. - Size:
47,212 bytes.
🖥️ Dual Monitor Support
os8088 now supports a "Two Monitors, One Desktop" configuration. Because monochrome and color graphics cards used different memory addresses, the system can drive both simultaneously.
Specifications:
- Total Width:
- Total Resolution:
- Behavior: Windows can span across the join, rendering partially on both screens.
🎮 Frotz: Infocom Gaming
The system now supports the Z-machine, a virtual computer created by Infocom in 1979 to ensure cross-platform compatibility for their interactive fiction.
The Interpreter:
- Written in
23,722 bytesof 8086 assembly. - Supports story formats
v1throughv8. - Can fetch approximately 15 different games.
Compatible Titles:
- Mini-Zork
- Colossal Cave Adventure
- Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
- Photopia
// Conceptual Z-machine loop
while (game_running) {
read_input(user_command);
execute_z_opcode(opcode);
render_text_to_screen();
}
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