From: kr-lund@nogarbage.online.no   
      
   Roberto wrote:   
   > I'm new to this group, so sorry if it has been asked before.   
   >   
   > A little interesting story (may be) before...   
   > 25 years ago, I assembled a computer from a kit. It was a product published   
   > by an Italian magazine named "Nuova Elettronica".   
   > It had Z80, floppy disks, and an operative system that they named "NE-DOS".   
   > Now I completely restored that machine, that is fully working like new.   
   > I never knew anything about Tandy and TRS-80, but lately looking at the web   
   > I discovered that this machine is probably an unknown clone of the TRS-80.   
   > At least the OS seems to be, because it looks very similar, also in its file   
   > system and internals.   
   >   
   > After comparing it with all TRS-80 OS, I feel that they took NewDos 2.1,   
   > renamed it to NE-DOS, applied some patches, and sold it.   
   > I always was stuck with no software available for this machine, at the times   
   > it was not compatible with anything, and I never figured out it could be a   
   > TRS clone.   
   > Now, if it's true, after 25 year I could have plenty of software to run, and   
   > also the community knows about a "new" unknown clone... ;-)   
   >   
   > Anyway I am sure about at least one difference between them. Basically this   
   > machine has only 1 KB rom, that only contains the firmware needed to make   
   > boot and nothing else. Also, the ram mapping starts from 0000 hex, so there   
   > is no rom located at 0000 like in TRS-80. But on system disk there is one   
   > more system file named SYS7/SYS, that doesn't exist on NewDos. I feel that   
   > it contains the code to be put starting from 0000 hex, to replace the   
   > missing roms and to patch the OS with a few different hardware mappings   
   > (like video ram starting at EC00 instead of 3C00). I'll take a look at the   
   > rom disassembly to be sure, and may be to BOOT/SYS file.   
   >   
   > Anyway, I have a question.   
   > I am not able to find a copy of the NewDos 2.1 manual on the internet (not   
   > NewDos/80, that's different).   
   > Perhaps do someone know where to find one that's downloadable? I would like   
   > to check all available commands (and may be internals) to see all   
   > differences.   
      
   I have never heard of this computer so it is absolutely interesting!   
   When was this bought? If it was '81, with disk it was probably quite   
   expensive.   
      
   It is a pity they didn't tell about the compatibility. With the EACA   
   machine Video Genie they at least did that. But probably this here was a   
   problem that they had copied the DOS, where European laws protected   
   software on disks or cassette but not in ROM (unless it was an exact   
   clone). EACA had licensed the Microsoft part of the model I ROM but of   
   course they stole the Tandy part. It is kind of strange still that the   
   court case of the us/canadian PMC-80 went in favor of Tandy, as the law   
   was weak and us courts normally don't read between the lines (look to   
   the intention of the law).   
      
   Unfortunately much software for model I rely on the hardware to be the   
   same so a different video address would present a problem. But problems   
   are solvable, you could probably do like I did with programs. I searched   
   for certain addresses/instuctions and changed them then saving a patched   
   version to cassette (before I had disk) this is for the printer port   
   which is a memory port for model I while it is an I/O-port on the Video   
   Genie. The screen is a bigger target though and the variety of   
   instructions larger.   
      
   I was thinking, maybe this is a similar approach to loading the "ROM"   
   like the 4P (except it is a model I clone). Maybe the onboard ROM check   
   for the SYS7/SYS on it's own and loads it. 1K is more than enough, the   
   Pete Cervasio's 4P ROM replacement for emulators is only 504 bytes and   
   it loads the 14K modela.iii file.   
      
   Knut   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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