{"id":20452,"date":"2025-01-22T14:27:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T19:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/?page_id=20452"},"modified":"2026-01-22T09:43:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T14:43:54","slug":"vin48","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin48\/","title":{"rendered":"Zenith ZCF-2325-EY"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Zenith ZCF-2325-EY<\/h2>\n<p>[vin48]<\/p>\n<p>The Zenith ZCF-2325-EY was a vintage computer notable for its use of the Intel 80286 processor, likely running at 12\u201316 MHz, paired with around 1 MB of RAM and a 3.5&#8243; floppy drive, making it a powerful and advanced system for its time in the mid-to-late 1980s. Its claim to fame was delivering robust business computing capabilities-such as EGA\/VGA graphics, multiple serial and parallel ports, and compatibility with Zenith\u2019s proprietary DOS (ZDOS)-in a reliable desktop form factor, which made it popular in institutional and government settings rather than in homes. The Zenith ZCF-2325-EY computer was used at Carleton Universities library.<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-20435\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-160x142.png\" alt=\"Carleton U Logo\" width=\"160\" height=\"142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-160x142.png 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-240x213.png 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-400x355.png 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-768x682.png 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-1536x1363.png 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-2048x1818.png 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-360x320.png 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong>: Zenith Data Systems Corporation<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type<\/strong>: Desktop computer<\/li>\n<li><strong>Release Date<\/strong>: 1986<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost at release<\/strong>: ~$10,000 (adjusted for inflation)<\/li>\n<li><strong>MIPS<\/strong>: 1.28\u20132.66<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Hardware Specifications<a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-20453 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Zenith ZCF-2325-EY\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-160x120.jpg 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-2048x1538.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/PXL_20250122_190849631-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CPU<\/strong>: Intel 80286 CPU, likely running at 16 MHz.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Memory<\/strong>: Approximately 1 MB of RAM, with the ability to address up to 768 KB using Zenith\u2019s proprietary DOS (ZDOS).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Storage<\/strong>: 3.5\u2033 floppy drive.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Display<\/strong>: CRT graphics (specific resolution not detailed, but typical for the era would be EGA or CGA).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW136206418 BCX0\">Operating System &amp; Programming Languages<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW136206418 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"my-0\"><strong>Operating System<\/strong>: The Zenith ZCF-2325-EY ran Zenith Data Systems\u2019 version of MS-DOS, called ZDOS, which was a proprietary adaptation of MS-DOS for Zenith hardware<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"my-0\"><strong>Supported Languages<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Microsoft BASIC, FORTRAN-86, COBOL-86, Pascal, BASCOM-86 (Z-BASIC for ZDOS)<\/li>\n<li>Assembly language (with available assemblers and editors for ZDOS environments)<\/li>\n<li>Additional languages, such as UCSD Pascal, were also available for similar Zenith\/Heath systems running CP\/M, and likely could be run on ZDOS with the appropriate interpreter or compiler.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Notables<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Great example of squeezing as much life out of old expensive hardware as possible. Carleton&#8217;s library staff literally taped the floppy drive bay in place to make it usable.<\/li>\n<li>The Zenith ZCF-2325-EY featured an Intel 80286 CPU and was released around 1984, making it one of the early 16-bit business desktop computers.<\/li>\n<li>It ran Zenith\u2019s proprietary version of MS-DOS, called ZDOS, and could address up to 768 KB of RAM-an advanced feature for its time.<\/li>\n<li>The system used a 3.5&#8243; floppy drive, which was still relatively new compared to the more common 5.25&#8243; format in the early 1980s.<\/li>\n<li>Its place in history is as a representative of the transition from 8-bit to 16-bit personal computing, helping to set standards for business and educational computing platforms in the mid-1980s<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>Donated by<\/strong>: Carleton University Library<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-20435\" src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-160x142.png\" alt=\"Carleton U Logo\" width=\"160\" height=\"142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-160x142.png 160w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-240x213.png 240w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-400x355.png 400w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-768x682.png 768w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-1536x1363.png 1536w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-2048x1818.png 2048w, https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/wp-content\/uploads\/B_Logo_V-RGBRedBlackonLight150_130821-360x320.png 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 160px) 100vw, 160px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zenith ZCF-2325-EY [vin48] The Zenith ZCF-2325-EY was a vintage computer notable for its use of the Intel 80286 processor, likely running at 12\u201316 MHz, paired with around 1 MB of RAM and a 3.5&#8243; floppy drive, making it a powerful and advanced system for its time in the mid-to-late 1980s. Its claim to fame was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":19704,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Zenith ZCF-2325-EY - School of Computer Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Zenith ZCF-2325-EY The Zenith ZCF-2325-EY was a vintage computer notable for its use of the Intel 80286 processor, likely running at 12\u201316 MHz, paired\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin48\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin48\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/scs\/vintage-computing\/item\/vin48\/\",\"name\":\"Zenith ZCF-2325-EY - 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