Re: NTSC stops to exist on Apple //e?

[heuser.marcus@freenet.de]

Bryan Parkoff schrieb:
>
>     What if NTSC monitor and television become obsolete?

They will be obsolete - in several years.

> The manufacturer stops making NTSC.  It is going to replace HDTV.

You surely mean: "It is going to be replaced by HDTV."
Which is true.

> How can we overcome NTSC problem?  The answer is to use VGA monitor.

No they are not.
VGA monitors are going to be obsolete, too. IMHO even earlier than NTSC
or PAL video formats.

Of course you'll be able to buy old VGA monitors on ebay in the next 20
years or so, but that's not the point.


>     We have enough information what we use schematic for Apple //e's
> motherboard.  We should be able to redesign Apple //e's motherboard.  NTSC
> circuit will be removed to replace VGA circuit.  Apple II 8-bit slots can be
> replaced to PCI slots.  16MB RAM will be built in motherboard.  It is to be
> 658C16 MPU.
>
>     Video RAM will be located higher RAM above $E0 bank.  $400-$BFF for TEXT
> and $2000-$5FFF for GRAPHIC ceases to exist and they will never be directed
> to video.  We may use special routines to read video data from $400-$BFF for
> TEXT and $2000-$5FFF for GRAHPIC before they are translated to video RAM in
> $E0 bank.  Games in 658C16 code can be written to fill the RAM memory from
> $200 through $FFFF as long.  Softswitches on $C000 through $CFFF will be
> moved to higher RAM like $FF bank.  It has special switch to use
> softswitches in $0/$1 bank for compatibility with Apple II.
>
>     We can change the 14M crystal oscilloscope chip to 28M crystal
> oscilloscope.  We know that NTSC has 15.7K horizontal freq and 60Hz vertical
> freq (262.5 * 60Hz).  We want 640x480 resolution.  We are going to have
> 31.4K horizontal freq and 60Hz vertical freq.
>
>     28M crystal oscilloscope chip can cause 658C16 MPU to be 2 MHz and RAM
> to be 4 MHz.  It is a problem.  I have a good understanding of timing
> generator in HAL16R8 chip.  I should be able to modify timing generator to
> run 1 MHz on 658C16 MPU and 2 MHz on RAM.
>
>     We need to have a good understanding how VGA monitor work first.  What
> do you suggest with my idea?

Bryan, you are describing a completely different computer than an Apple
II, whatever revision. I may sound too purist here but software
incompatibility kills your design (ideas).

Who will write your "special routines"? Who will write new games for
the GS? For how many users?

And think about how slow games would be, even with an accelerator and
all software problems solved. With a frame buffer this large - a
640x480 resolution with 8 bits/pixel uses more than 300 KB - nearly ten
times the amount of a standard GS screen.

So you'll need an video accelerator with bit blitting functions. Sounds
like you want a Second Sight card badly...

And a final note: Apple II (compatibility) already lives forever - in
the form of software emulators. On PCs or Macs. With VGA capability.
And DVI. And HDMI in the future.

bye
Marcus