Re: If you could design a $300 homecomputer today, what would you choose?

[Roy Miller <millers@inebraska.com>]

william strutts wrote:

>
> > > > Hardware:
> > > >  - 68000, about 10MHz
> > > >  - 4MB to 8MB RAM
> > > >
> > > You couldn't get that much ram on a 68000 because it only
> > > has a 24 bit memory bus.  You would have to go to a 68030
> > > or so to get the wider data path.
> > > <snip>
> >
> > WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!!
> >
>
> Dude. He said he wanted 64 meg to 256 meg of RAM. A
> 68000 with only a 24 bit address can't address larger
> memory schemes.  16 meg would be the limit of a 68000.

You didn't read what he said very carefully:

Hardware:
 - 68000, about 10MHz
 - 4MB to 8MB RAM
 - ROM based OS (patched in RAM)
 - 2 or 4 RS-232 ports
 - 2 parallel ports
 - an AD convert, with 4 inputs and 2 outputs
 - 8"x4" LCD screen, high resolution,
   high contrast, black and white is fine
 - semi-portable design (something which can
   be moved while I'm working, but not something
   which I work on while moving)
 - 64MB to 256MB RAM with battery backup, for
   storing documents.  Or use flash memory if
   it is cheap enough.
 - HD 3.5" floppy, for communicating with my
   other machines

And, in his reply he said:

> Then throw in some sort of decoder for the 64-256MB chunk.  Since
> it is not the main memory (that would be the 4MB chunk), it should
> not make much of a difference.
>

So, 4-8 as main memory, easily accessed by a CPU with 24 address lines,
and 64-256 battery backed RAM disk, which has little to do with address
lines.

68000, 80286 (or higher), or 65816 could do what he was thinking, as CPU.

Roy


>
>
> --
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> William R. Strutts - wrstrutts1@nospam.home.com - Whatever!
>
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