The Commodore 900 (also known as the C900, Z-8000, and Z-Machine)[2][3] was a prototype microcomputer originally intended for business computing and, later, as an affordable UNIX workstation.
[4][5][6] It was to replace the aging PET/CBM families of personal computers that had found success in Europe as business machines.
The project was initiated in 1983 by Commodore systems engineers Frank W. Hughes, Robert Russell, and Shiraz Shivji.
[12] Two versions of the machine were developed: a workstation with 1024 × 800 pixel graphics and a multi-user system featuring a text-only display intended to act as a server for a number of connected character-based terminals.
[17] Manufacturing of the system was to commence in 1985 at Commodore International's West Germany plant, with availability in the United States announced for the third quarter of the same year, and with pricing starting from approximately $2,700.