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

[Sehkmet <tbogard1@MYhome.com>]

Jonas Bevren wrote:
> 
> On Mon, 24 Jan 2000, John & Anne Le Febvre wrote:
> 
> > Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 22:06:04 GMT
> > From: John & Anne Le Febvre <lefebvre@klatch.demon.co.uk>
> > Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
> > Subject: All this talk of a new GS...
> >
> > OK, I have been reading about everyone's ideas for a new GS but read
> > something lately that may hopefully spark off some new ideas.  I read
> > with great interest that Transmeta are starting to produce their
> > processors.  These are software instruction set based, i.e. you can
> > program it to be an 80x86, a 680x0, PowerPC, ARM, whatever you like.
> > From what I've read in the PC press lately, they are making it as open
> > as possible and are positively encouraging people to write new
> > instruction cores for it.
> 
> For more droolings over the possible cores for transmeta's chip, follow
> comp.sys.c64. =)
> 
> > This is a venture with Linus Torvalds (of Linux fame) and I know IBM
> > are manufacturing the chips.  The current chip is Crusoe which is a
> > very low power x86 compatible.  The idea is that with very few
> > transistors and software instruction set means very low power
> > consumption and a battery life of days rather than hours.
> 
> Especially when run at a (very) modest 100mhz.  That would take the IIgs to
> previously unheard-of speeds =)
> 
> > Anyway, take a look at www.transmeta.com and discuss!
> >
> > What about a PC that can switch to native GS mode at a high clock
> 
> WOW!
> 
> > speed with one or two 8-bit Apple II slots and all the bits of a GS
> > built in.  Perhaps the latest Ensoniq chipset that is backward
> > compatible to the GS one, Second-sight or a newer variant, SCSI etc
> > built in?  I'm sure the hardest part would be getting the custom
> > chipsets for ie SWIM controllers.  Perhaps we could forgo the
> 
> I didnt think apple was too kind about letting us know about the SIWM chips
> (it's not swim; it's siwm - super integrated woz machine)..  I'd love to
> know some about the super ones. =)
> 
> > SuperDrive as many people can use ZIP drives as an alternative.
> >
> > If we were being realistic this is what I would like to see in a new
> > GS...
> >
> > Primarily a new modern architecture and new OS.  Perhaps based on
> > GS/OS, perhaps not.
> 
> If you have a look at http://www.clips64.de , you'll see what the c-64 and

That's impressive.  I guess there is still life in that old machine
left.

> it's 20mhz 16-meg '816 accelerator is in for.  All the author has so far is
> screenshots for public view, but I've had opportunity to play with the
> betas.  It's a VERY impressive OS that I'd love to see on more than just the
> c-64.  It'd feel quite welcome on a //gs, considering its advanced video
> system.  My programming group has been asked to port our module player to it
> once complete, so I imagine CLiPS will have some good support.  Some of us
> are even talking about tv-in-a-window (most likely in black/white but still
> a very cool concept given the machine's age).  See below =)
> 
> > Capable of natively running GS/OS software or seamless emulation.
> > SuperSerial port or GS-serial port (Appletalk)
> > ADB & USB
> 
> Oh, for an ADB port on my c64.. I love these mac keyboards =) For USB, I'm
> shopping about for host controllers to be used on a stock c64.  If someone
> hardware-knowledged in the apple2 realm would be interested in aiding a
> cross-port of the hardware so that you could have USB on your IIgs's and
> IIe's,  Let me know via email.  The primary interest for USB currently is
> the Happauge WinTV USB device that allows (currently) windows systems to get
> tv on their desktop via USB.  We intend on using such a device to do small
> video captures, possibly put video on a CLiPS desktop, and other cool fun
> things.
> 
> > IDE & SCSI connector (SCSI II enough?  Or U2W?)
> 
> SCSI-II is quite fast. =) If you could use FAST scsi, you could reach
> 20meg/sec.  Quite enough for a //gs environment, where 8 megs ram is the
> max. (am I wrong here?)  I've decided my project, at 1meg/sec, is speedy
> enough for our 15.5meg max super64's, so I sit next to a prototype adaptor
> equipped with the same chip that powers the vintage macs' scsi system.
> 
> > SmartPort
> > Hmmm... Would we really need 8-bit slots if this lot was built-in?
> 
> Of course! You never know what one might find that would be fun to have in
> the ol' apple =)
> 
> > Perhaps yet another way to approach this is a peripheral card for PC
> > or Mac which has the missing ports on it.  Then an emulator could be
> > written to use that card.  Whats the chances of a PCI peripheral card
> > sporting ADB, Smartport, SuperSerial and perhaps an Ensoniq?
> 
> A-la the Siamese systems Amiga card for PC's.  I hear it's quick, but I also
> hear of scads of compatibility problems.  However, it's more likely to see
> one of these than a PC that's designed to run a vintage computer's software.
> Dont let me discourage you though!! It's possible, and I'd love to see it.
> 
> > Just my GBP 0.02  ;-)
> 
> Plus another 4 cents or so =)
> 
> > --
> > John
> >
> 
> -jonas


-- 
Michael Wicklund
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