Re: AnyCard project

["Smohn Jith" <khorster@optonline.net>]

It sounds fantastic, but the feature creep issue isn't just hardware 
related.  We're going to have this card that does everything with a million 
gadgets on it, but there is not software to support it.  Lancegs 8bit 
anyone?  Just getting USB and having drivers, etc to run that is a huge step 
forward for the Apple II.  CF and IDE solutions already exist.  The ability 
to replace our aging RGB monitors is great too, but I'd rather not sacrifice 
USB for months for a monitor solution.  Parallel cards are getting hard to 
come by and a serial to parallel adaptor is a bit of cash.  Being able to 
use new laser/inkjet printers would be fantastic.  I think it's amazing that 
people are willing to commit time and resources to a project, and I would be 
willing to buy one of these cards to expand the abilities of my Apple II.


"Obsbedia2" <obsbedia2@aol.com> wrote in message 
20041224174421.06323.00001757@mb-m26.aol.com">news:20041224174421.06323.00001757@mb-m26.aol.com...
> The CF slot was a point of disagreement with Hans and Jeri.  Jeri's 
> opinion
> seemed to be, "It'd be easy to add, so why not do it?"  Hans felt that the 
> USB
> option opened the world of solid state memory to the A2, so "why have a CF 
> slot
> on top of that?"
>
> Beside the little spacing problem with one of the prototypes (the CF would 
> have
> stuck up through the lid of the //e), the CF didn't seem to be a big issue 
> or
> stumbling block toward the completion of the AnyCard][.  There was some
> scratching of heads concerning the idea of properly displaying the IIGS 
> display
> on modern monitors, though.
>
> Why isn't it here yet?  There's the time aspect--finding it to complete 
> the
> project.  And then there's the motivation:  The room was filled with hands 
> of
> people who would buy the AnyCard--even it's early beta version (yes, both 
> my
> hands were raised), and hardware needs were met (Hans has plenty of ][s 
> and the
> loan of my 8x ZipChip so he can have the card work correctly with 8-bit 
> users
> that use a ZipChip).
>
> What Hans was, and I'll assume still is, looking for are people to write 
> the
> drivers that will be needed for some of the neat toys that come with USB 
> today.
> Someone wanted to finally have a flatbed scanner for their //gs.  Sure, he
> said, but someone is going to have to write the driver.
>
> The AnyCard][ will definitely change the look of the inside of the Apple 
> II.
> Unlike the SlotBusterII, the AnyCard doesn't share slots.  Using a USB 
> mouse?
> Say goodbye to the MouseCard in slot 4, but don't plan on installing 
> another
> card in slot 4--the AnyCard is using it.  Basically, picture your Apple II 
> with
> only the AnyCard in it (AnyCards, actually, the current design is for two 
> cards
> working together), running much cooler.
>
> JaY
>
>
> << I was looking through the AnyCard project stuff and I'm wondering why 
> it's
> going to have a Compact Flash slot?  There is already a product that does
> it, and if it's going to have USB you can buy a 8 in1 reader for like $20 
> to
> read Compact Flash.  I'm worried that this is going to turn into a Feature
> Creep project and never get released....
> >>
>
>
>