Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!ucbvax!ANDREW.CMU.EDU!jm7e+ From: jm7e+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU ("Jeremy G. Mereness") Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: GS+ and next generation //s {actually ][s :) } Message-ID: Date: 29 Feb 88 01:53:34 GMT References: <8802271745.AA00234@ATHENA.MIT.EDU> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 75 the way to improve the GS is simply to adjust the limitations that people discover hampering its potential. I feel it should have.... -512K RAM standard -support for the full 16 Megs (not 8, c'mon! That limits the future!) -256+K ROM standard (put those damned tools in ROM! not on disk) -128+K sound chip RAM -stereo outputs for the Ensoniq (no excuse; this takes no effort at all) -a SCSI port built in (I mean, why in hell not?) -either two SHR screens, that can be combined, like double-hires is a combo of main and aux hires pages (this is to enable the possible use of page flipping) OR Virtual Screen Memory, which means the SHR screen can look at any 32-64K bank of memory as color graphics -a faster 65816, like 7.5 MHz or so. Selectable speeds. a graphics co-processor would be nice, or better yet a Quick Draw processor, but that gets close to hardwiring again, and flexibility is lost. If there was some way to make such a thing software transparent, like shadowing is, then maybe. I feel if the desktop refreshes 3 times faster, it will be no worse than a Mac 512, which is what we compare these routines to. (and no, this does NOT mean I am only looking for a cheap Mac //) -a faster-loading, more efficient, Prodos 16 and Loader!!!!! -GS Basic interpreter bundled STANDARD!!! (for God's sake, the Mac has Hypercard bundled, and part of the ][ is the fact that you can access everything right out of the box. We had to LEARN to be dissatisfied with Applesoft, remember? -an Appletalk Toolkit (like the old DOS toolkit) containing LQ and Laser support routines, and Mac-Prodos/Prodos-Mac conversion utilities (Apple put its foot in this one; if you're going to support Appletalk, support it 100%!!) None of this is really that difficult or too much to ask foror too expensive to implement. None of this did not come simply from observations of how the present GS operates. The capabilities of the 65816 scream for more memory and more speed. It is a good chip; let it do its job. Let the software gurus take it from there, like a Switcher that can go between Prodos 8 and 16 would be a godsend. I hope Apple does not make the mistake of incorporating all devices as virtual memory like in the Mac. It is ridiculous that the Mac w/ a Meg keeps looking at the disk for system routines and such (hard disks are not a good solution to this, either). Finally, although some people despise how the reduced instruction set of the GS is a s.o.b. compared to that of the 68000, the 65816 is more flexible, and therefore has more surprises; more potential. And as PS/2's and Mac //s move the technology toward hardwired, institutional, $5000 BIG-business machines, a wider niche opens for the GS, a capable, flexible computer that has firm roots but modern capabilities (a.k.a. windowing) with a decent price for the small business, the school, and the inventive home users, who may not know WHAT they want a computer to do But... bet your bottom buck, they'll think of something. It's up to Apple to deliver; either that or the Amiga, which is cheap and powerful as sin. ============================================= Capt Albatross jm7e+@andrew.cmu.edu disclaimer: my opinions are subject to change utterly as I run head first into further enlightenment on whatever subject I may be going on about. any kind of feedback is not only appreciated, it'll probably make me less stupid in the long run.