Michael J. Mahon wrote:
Rob Steinmetz wrote:Michael J. Mahon wrote:I suspect that the cost of the LANceGS is part of the problem, too, since most //e owners see it as too expensive for the benefit that they are likely to receive from it.I don't really think that is the problem. Contiki was written to use a serial port and could connect to a serial tcp/IP network or through a modem. I think many people would be interested in connecting their Apple][ to a home network or through a modem.So you think that a lot of Apple //e owners would be willing to pay $150 to do this?
I would, I think. I would even be willing to spend money to connect my old Apple//c's to a network. But you have to remember that there is really no practical reason for using an Apple][ at all anymore. Now you can get newer, more powerful computers pretty easily for free. The only reason for undertaking any project for the Apple][ is as a hobby, an educational exercise, a nostalgia trip, or for sentimental or historical reasons.
I would like to see Contiki ported to the Apple][ because it would be cool to surf the net with my first computer, an Apple][. I think if it was ported then other people might take to developing applications for that OS, including the possibility of developing a less expensive ethernet card. There is an ethernet card for the Commodore 64 based on an embedded ethernet controller which Contiki supports. It could be pretty easily adapted to the Apple][, but it would make sense only if there were an operating system with a TCP/IP stack.