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

[Ryzome <lawncare@weedcontrol.org>]

I felt as though I needed to throw in a bit on this subject.

You wouldn't have much choice on the CPU because the older the chip,
the harder it is to get. Designing with the latest allows you to get
production quantities with manageable lead times so inventory can be
kept to a minimum. The older the chip, the more you have to buy at one
time to assure you have it when it is in short supply or no longer
available.
Also, you have to use larger memory blocks/chips for much the same
reason as above. If you can design and build with the most demanded
memory, it is cheaper to get but takes longer because of demand.
Compare the cost of 256 meg of: PC2400 DDR to PC133  EDO and you'll
see what I mean.

Much has been said in this thread about why some one would design or
buy such a computer rather than buy an intel type pc(PIII). IMHO, it
is more a question of following the group and being a MS slave or
trying something new and different. Perhaps even doing so while not
filling bill gates pockets with even more money. I'd mention apple but
MS has got its fingers in that pie too.

My old Atari (400 w/flat keyboard through an ST) were reasonably
stable, fun to use, great learning tool (both for hardware hacking and
software) and were ahead of their time(well not the ST<GRIN>)..
 
I'd gladly trade my Athlon based PC for a good, fast, up to date Atari
type computer. But unless it had software that is "compatible" and up
to date, it really is a "pipe dream".

I'll step off my soap box. That's for the chance to express my
opinion(s)


On Mon, 16 Jul 2001 08:41:18 GMT, "william strutts"
<wrstrutts1@nospam.home.com> wrote:

>
>
>"Byron Desnoyers Winmill" <wbdesnoy@acs5.acs.ucalgary.ca> wrote in message
>news:9itqpg$poi$1@nserve1.acs.ucalgary.ca...
>>
>> 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
>>
>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>
>--