Re: 65c816 in a IIc

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Warren 'Llama' Ernst <wernst@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Apr 19, 6:02 pm, gids...@sasktel.net wrote:
> > > That somehow adding a 65816 added "efficiency" to your computer,
> > > somehow. There were less than 10 8-bit programs that could take
> > > advantage of that chip, and I don't think any of them had anything to
> > > do with AppleWorks.
> >
> > Do you happen to have a list of those programs, Warren?
> >
> > Rob
> 
> Rob,
> 
> Sorry I don't. I'm just recalling a conversation I had about 20 years
> ago.
> 
> The only program I remember right now is the Merlin 816 assembler,
> which could somehow take advantage of the chip.

Merlin 16 (which runs in ProDOS-8) requires a 65802 or 65816 processor.

If you have an 8-bit Apple II with a 65C02 or 6502, you are limited to
running Merlin 8. Installing a 65802 would let you run Merlin 16.

The main advantage of Merlin 16 over Merlin 8 is it is assembles about
five times faster. This is because it can use the native 16-bit
processor instead of Merlin 8's method of doing 16-bit calculations via
Sweet 16 (which is a virtual processor implemented in 6502 machine
code).

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz