Re: All this talk of a new GS...

[Jonas Bevren <jbevren@burninghorizon.com>]

On Fri, 4 Feb 2000, Phoenyx wrote:

> Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2000 17:13:59 -0600
> From: Phoenyx <quazar@dcnet2000.com>
> Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
> Subject: Re: All this talk of a new GS...
> 
> Somewhere I must have lost the train of thought on this
> subject. I was thinking a complete motherboard replacement.
> Mainly because most PC parts are a dime a dozen. If you need
> older 386 or 486 parts, you can find them at most any PC
> repair shop. A few friends I know used to have a lot.

Yeah.  Cases are cheap and all, but it's just the cost of designing a whole
new board

> One benefit to a new motherboard design would the ability to
> use all the low cost PC hardware on the market. For instance,
> you can get a case for $20 including a 200 watt power supply.

Yep yep! especially when you look at all these el-cheapo network cards with
open-source drivers hanging about. =)

> It seems to me though, if you use the raw board, most of what
> you want to do can be done in software. With the proper coding,
> the PC board is very adaptable. In this case, it might be
> possible to use a flash rom type of system.
> 
> I remember a II clone I worked on a few years ago. It had a
> 6800 cpu (I think) and looked nothing like the II on the inside
> but it performed pretty well.

I dont believe the 6800 can run 6502 code.  They ARE closely related (same
creator) though =)

> So this brings up another question, how close to authentic do
> you want this to be?

There are a few classes of people in every community.  I've learned that
especially well in the Commodore scene (my most active spot), where there
are purists that believe anything beyond joysticks, one disk drive, and a
composite monitor is unneeded and removes the commodore-ism from it.  Of
course, there are the rest, who are open-minded and would love to see the
machine grow and evolve.  I gather you to be of the second group, which is
great.  

I dont know where the apple2 community stands on modification and
advancement, but given there is a standardized, modular extensible operating
system already in place, I imagine that it's just fine.. clue me in if I"m
wrong <:-) 

-Jonas