Re: Alltech Electronics-- full-speed accel?

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Joseph Lee writes ...
> 
> .... 
> As it's been said before, if it gets so easy to make a superior accelerator
> card today, why not just make a new GS? The costs and efforts into doing
> the accelerator could be better spent just making a new computer, ....


     Well, yes; that's pretty much what was intended by ...

>>

.... If we go to the trouble to put a fast uP, an osc module, an EPROM,
and 16MB of RAM on a card, why not add a decent video controller + SVGA
interface,
and better sound system? ....
 
<<


The reasons for suggesting a Slot card rather than a new MB are  1. It's
cheaper  and  2. We would still be able to run old wares.



> why bother?  PCs are finally at a state where the Apple IIs were 10 years
> ago.  Open architecture, plenty of hardware, lots of software, great sound,
> games galore, etc.
>

     Sure; today's PC's are nice machines. In terms of hardware
sophistication and available software, PC actually _passed_ Apple II
long ago, back in 1989.

     PC is not, however, "where the Apple IIs were 10 years ago" in one
important area: there is no such thing as a 'standard PC'. Game
developers must deal with competing graphics application interfaces,
non-expert users waste huge sums on graphics boards they end up quickly
dumping, and no one really knows which 'standards' will be supported
next year. And, video displays is just one of several problem areas.

     No PC user has anything like the hardware and system documentation
available to, even, GS users. Aside from a few users who over-clock
their motherboards (by swapping around a few jumpers), "hardware
experimentation" is swapping in a new video board.

     More important, PC is not where Apple II was _15_ years ago. As you
may recall, there was once a time when a large proportion of users could
easily write at or near 'state of the art' programs. Today, about the
most complex 'programming' task PC users even try is pasting together a
web page.

     The PC's message is that the vast majority of users must give up
any hope of coming even remotely close to mastering their machines.
Their PC is a black box crammed with other black boxes, none of which is
ever well documented because the user has no 'need to know'. At best,
these users can, maybe, learn to use a few applications without bombing
Windows too often.

     II users "bother" because they do not buy the PC message. As much
as possible, the user _should_ be the master of his/her machine. That,
really, is where you discover the power and the fun of being a computer
user.  


Rubywand