M. Pender wrote:
Do you mean $10K just for a production run of the ASIC, not even for a production run of completed Zip cards? How many chips are in a production run? $10K for 100 chips is pretty bad, but $10K for 1000 chips is a bit more attractive.
I mean just the ASIC. I recall a few postings on the subject either here or on Delphi but I didn't pay much attention except the $10k stuck. A google search might come up with something. Still what people post isn't always correct and new technology sometimes changes things dramatically. The cost of a production run might be considerably less now.
I've been thinking about the computer-on-a-card approach since I posted that note about the Zip GSX and TranswarpGS. At some point it does become less expensive to incorporate the logic and functions of the motherboard into a single chip. It would probably cost less to design a new Apple II-type computer with an FPGA or ASIC that incorporates the functionality of a 65816-20, two serial ports, a display driver, an IDE disk driver and an ethernet adapter, than it would cost to add comparable functionality to the IIgs. It will be interesting to see how things play out with the new C-one (the Commodore-64 uber-clone) which uses the same old 65816-14 chips, but overclocks them to 20 MHz. IIRC the new motherboard design incorporates some IBM-compatible features, like PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors. I haven't heard anything about USB ports, a hard drive or ethernet capability though. Of course, the C-one has some kind of user-definable coprocessor, which may make it a more attractive machine for a hobbyist who is willing to forgive the lack of amenities (no case, no power supply, no disk drives, etc.) - Mike
A whole new IIgs built anong the C-One has some attractions but Commodore and Apple II users are a bit different. Comodore users don't really expect slots and the Apple II users that don't are already using emulators. A multifunction card would likely sell better and an acellerator would be a good card to add other functions to since it only uses the slot for DMA. Upgraded video would likely be a worthwhile addition. I suspect in a dozen or so years it'll be hard finding a working IIgs monitor and with the move to LCDs there likely won't be too many shops left that can repair CRTs. A lot more could be added but every time you add a function the cost and complexity go up. Wayne