Re: New GS/new accelerator

[lefebvre@klatch.demon.co.uk (John & Anne Le Febvre)]

On Sun, 13 Feb 2000 16:46:15 -0600, Phoenyx <quazar@dcnet2000.com>
wrote:

>For the most part, I like my GS the way it is. At 7mhz, it runs
>quite well and I don't have to worry much about not being able
>to use my favorite apps. If I have to run a GS app at a faster
>speed, I'll use the program in KEGS. The Linux/Kegs system I
>have really flies.

I'd prefer a new PC-based machine which uses the GS as a peripheral.
Something like a ribbon cable connecting the two (perhaps to the CPU
socket, I admit I wouldn't know enough about it...).  This would mean
two physical boxes, but who cares if you get all the advantages?

>On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing a NEW gs compatible
>machine running at higher speeds. Or maybe a 65832 based
>system which could emulate the gs. In some ways, this sounds
>much more feasible than re-creating the gs as a faster machine.

Using the GS as a slow peripheral, the emulator could run full tilt.
The graphics emulations are quite good these days (assuming Fill Mode
can be sorted out).  Dunno about the VOC though... although if the
real GS was keeping up with what the emulated GS was doing through a
VGA card then it would still work.  You could have two monitors too!

With this method, you can still use an ADB kbd & mouse (if you
wanted!), but can use a PCI graphics card (emulating a SecondSight, or
the super new ThirdSight ;-) card) as well as Ethernet, UW SCSI and
anything else that a PC can do too.

The remaining obstacle would then be software.  Does anyone know if
there is any effort at all to write new FSTs for GS/OS?  Then there
would be QuickDraw, but assuming GS/OS 6.0.2 is still feasible (was it
ever recovered after the hard drive crash?) I'm sure something could
be done.  Again, I'm no programmer (not at that level anyhow) but a
start could be made and as new programs took advantage of the new
features of the upgraded OS, everyone would be happier.  OK, except
for the die-hards purists who would start to lose out!

If we want Apple II forever, then forever means onwards and upwards.
We may be using PC parts, but it is not a PC if it can natively run
GS/OS apps on it.  And upgrading would be a cinch!  ("My 200MHz
processor is getting sluggish, I think I'll upgrade to a 750MHz!!").

Make it modular, make it with common parts, provide the software for
it and you can't go wrong!  Easy!  Honest ;-)
--
John