Re: Super GS

[Phoenyx <quazar@dcnet2000.com>]

The Meikle wrote:
> 
> The way I'm understanding this project the software/firmware
> would be emulated, but the hardware would be real.
> 
> Sheane

This is sometimes hard to tell due to the variety of methods
suggested here. I thought the original purpose was to create a new
CPU accelerator, but there has been mention of several other
things including a drop in replacement cpu and a complete mother
board replacement using a programmable cpu.

For GS users, I think it might be better to create a replacement
board for the GS which allows compatibility with the 16 bit GS/OS
software and offers expandability for any future hardware. Of
course this will probably cause the loss of 8 bit compatibility,
but this older compatibility is what makes this type of upgrade
so difficult. Part of the reason I mention this is the low cost
of PC hardware and it's easy availability. For most users, GS/OS
defines the GS and not the hardware it runs on. In fact, this sort
of upgrade would make GS/OS more responsive than it already is
while allowing for higher resolutions and greater memory space.

Now for the purist (like me) who think the hardware defines the
system, I'd rather see an upgrade for the 8 bit systems. While I
like the GS, I often think it was a departure from the Apple II.
There are a great many possibilities in expanding the 8 bit II and
the GS was only one of them. For one, a broader method of bank
selection for accessing aux memory coupled with a memory manager
and a new os which didn't try and follow (or lead) the Mac design
would have put the II in a whole new league. Yet it still would
have easily maintained compatibility while allowing users to
upgrade to the newer hardware. It has already been proven that
there are other (better?) methods of programming the GS than the
toolbox method provided by Apple.

To me the Apple II presents a challenge. It requires the user to
understand the machine at a greater level than most of the current
systems. For programmers, it requires more effort to create a
decent program. You must write efficient code and manage resources
in a controlled manner. I would love to see a IIe running at
100 mhz or better. Talk about processing power! Of course, I can
simulate this on my PC pretty closely (well, maybe not at 100 mhz)
and still use the original software I enjoy.

-- 

Cheers and best wishes,
Phoenyx

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