Re: IIgs VGA challenge

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Adam Barr wrote:

>Waht would be needed to make a new card similar to the second sight
>card? What would be needed to make a card that just output the vga
>signal like the second sight? I don't think some of the extras is had
>like the new video mode would be needed. I would be willing to put a
>few hundred dollars into an escrow account for someone to design and
>build some of these cards. I think there is still a market for this
>type of thing. Maybe others would like to join in throwing a few
>dollars into development. Thanks!

This would be a good way to embed an NTSC-scan to VGA-scan
converter in an Apple II, since the bit clocks are available and power
is provided by the Apple.  Further, you could avoid having to A/D
convert the video.

(BTW, making it another video card, like the Second Sight, would
be a huge mistake, as Second Sight proved, since the _only_
function that makes sense it to simply output native Apple II video
in VGA format.  It must be 100% compatible with all existing
software, and extensions are virtually guaranteed never to be used
in any beaningful way.)

But, you have to give up a slot--and if it has to be slot 7 then you lose
the slot ROM space, too.  And it adds to the system power consumption
(no free lunch ;-).

Of course, it still needs to cost less than $100 (see previous post).

Sounds doable, but not without sacrifices...

-michael

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