Welcome!
Welcome to the EazyLink2 User Guide. This is displayed when you have selected the Help > User Guide menu item from the desktop application. You may also have arrived here through our project wiki navigation system. The words EazyLink and Eazylink2 are used interchangeability throughout this document.
This user guide is written for all the Desktop versions of the EazyLink. Where necessary, specific details of desktop operating system features will be mentioned by displaying the OS icon.
This user guide is being written at the moment, while we work on the Beta releases. We anticipate to have this work completed when EazyLink2 has reached final release of V1.0 .
Feedback is most welcome, to help us improve EazyLink
History & Introduction
In 1987, there were many computers, but no established standard to connect them together, unlike today with the internet. The Z88 connected to other computers using the RS-232 serial port to connect with a cable to the Desktop Computer. Data transfer was achieved using its own Imp-Export program. Cambridge Computer produced BBC and PC Link which included the cable and software to run on these computers. Other computers were supported Amiga, Nimbus and QL (just to mention a few) by third parties.
Imp-Export is reliable, but is slow, limited in functions, and requires the user to have access to the Z88 and Desktop keyboards. Larger memory devices and the use of directories needed more commands.
PC Link II and the following programs require an additional program to be run on the Z88. This is supplied on a 32K EPROM pack or a Flash card. Commands are sent from the Desktop Computer. It was used with the PC and Mac.
Eazylink introduced faster transfer, additional commands, character translation was done on the Z88 during the transfer eliminating conversions as a separate operation. It was supported on the PC running Windows 98 and was retired in April 2014 together with Windows xp.
Eazylink2 has been completely re-written for the Desktop. Computers running different operating systems, Windows XP and above, Mac and Linux can be used. Previous software protocols, Imp-Export and PC Link II allows the user to start transferring files straight away. The restricted transfer speed of 9600 baud on the standard Z88 has finally been broken by using OZ 4.5. The theoretical maximum speed of 38400 baud has now been achieved.
This user guide is organised in pages of topic.
Click on one of the links in the navigation bar to the left to read the page in this area.
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