KAMAS (program)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Predecessor | Compusophic Systems |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Headquarters | Aloha , United States |
Key people | Adam Trent (President) |
| Products | KAMAS, Out-Think |
KAMAS, standing for Knowledge and Mind Amplification System, was created by Compusophic Systems (which later became Kamasoft, based in Aloha, Oregon) and emerged as the foremost outliner or outline processor during the 1980s. It was notably the first outline processor designed for the CP/M operating system. Functioning as a dedicated word processor, KAMAS enabled users to manipulate outline components with capabilities such as displaying, concealing, elevating, lowering, and rearranging branches within an outline. Each individual text entry was referred to as a "leaf." Although some contemporary word processors provide basic outlining tools, none rivaled the extensive functionality offered by KAMAS. While multiple outline processors were developed for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Mac systems, none achieved a comparable level of market penetration or customer loyalty.
The principal developer behind KAMAS was Adam Trent, who served as president of Kamasoft. Upon release, the software carried a retail price of $147.
KAMAS incorporated a threaded interpreter programming language resembling FORTH, although its complexity resulted in limited adoption among users.
In 1986, a streamlined edition named Out-Think was introduced, removing programming features entirely. This version was adapted to run on 8080 and NEC V20 and V30 processors (whereas KAMAS required a Zilog Z80) and was priced at $69.95. Concurrently, the original KAMAS price was reduced to $99.95.
Additional utility software disks were available for purchase separately.
Launched in 1984, KAMAS represented the final significant application developed for the CP/M platform, with the Kaypro serving as its primary hardware environment. A subsequent iteration for MS-DOS omitted the integrated programming language.
Output capabilities were restricted to either direct printing or generating unformatted print file images that demanded substantial editing prior to import into word processing software. Apart from some MS-DOS export compatibility allowing data interchange with other outliners such as ThinkTank, no export format preserved the outline hierarchy, nor were any third-party conversion tools created.
Further reading
- Jonathan Price, Outlining Goes Electronic, Bloomsbury Publishing, 1999
External links
- Program brochure
- Publisher correspondence including technical details, 1985
- Advertising flyer for Version 2 (MS-DOS), priced at $69.95
- [1] Review of KAMAS on TRS-80 Model 4 running Montezuma CP/M in 80 Micro
- [2] Preview article in Byte magazine featuring sample code