The logical step of implementing CP/M on a chip is to be made by the two companies with the assistance of American Microsystems (AMI); Personal CP/M will be integrated with the Z80 using AMI's automated chip design software.

Digital Research will provide technical support, and Zilog and AMI will manufacture and sell the operating system/processor chip. The development will probably cause weeping and wailing throughout the micro world where micro makers have struggled to add CP/M, a Z80 and disk drives to their products at the lowest possible cost; but it could be good news for users, putting CP/M-style systems within range for many more than has been the case.

Personal CP/M is a ROM-based version that DR claims is enhanced and easy to use in conjunction with the well-established disk-based CP/M. It features help screens and prompts for inexperienced users, and offers more scope for natural language communication between you and your machine, DR says.

John Rowley, DR's president, predicts that the integrated chip will have a considerable impact on home computers in the lower price ranges and that the first systems to feature it could appear within six months.

The company is also tackling another problem relate to natural communication - the tendency of different races to use different languags. To simplify matters it has announced International CP/M, a software product that is intended to let system builders in various countries implement CP/M and derivative operating systems in their native tongues.

With the International CP/M kit not only will manuals be translated but also help files, menus, error messages, prompts and responses. Details like the style of times and dates are also included.

Personal Basic and DR Logo have received the same attention from DR, which is in the process of translating DR Graph and DR Draw. International CP/M is available to systems houses in France and Germany. Italian, Swedish and Danish are on the way. The one-off price is $2,500.