Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!TRINCC.BITNET!REWING
From: REWING@TRINCC.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Things the ][gs should have, et al.
Message-ID: <8803030922.aa26897@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA>
Date: 3 Mar 88 14:13:00 GMT
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 50

I'd like to respond to Jeremy Mereness [jm7e+@andrew.cmu.EDU] requests
for ][gs enhancements as I see them or reasons that I know for Apple's
decisions:

1) 512K RAM Standard : Yes, indeed the ][gs could probably use a full meg,
but Apple is well known for putting too little RAM in their machines.

2) Support for full 16megs : Actually, this should be 15megs since 1 meg
is reserved for ROM, but this is feasable.  But then nobody is beating
down the door at the 8 meg limit now, and remember once upon a time in
development for the ][gs, the limit was 4 megs.  Be thankful.

3) 128+K sound chip RAM : A definite maybe here, since the Ensoniq chip
only accesses 64K at a time.  I know there are 128K RAM applications of
the chip, but these machines don't have the main memory that the ][gs
has either.

4) a SCSI port built in : I agree here.  This was axed for cost-cutting.

5) Two SHR screens or virtual screens in memory : Even ][gs designers will
agree with you on this one.  Look for this to maybe change in the next big
version of the machine.

6) A faster version of the 65816 : Apple *did* try on this one, but was
forced down to 2.8MHz for reasons that the higher rate chips didn't work
well in the 1MHz compatibility mode.  I'm sure that Apple has had more time
to iron this quirk out...  Graphic coprocessors, though generally not
cheap, are not out of the question, especially if Apple builds one of its
own, ala Amiga.

7) A faster loading ProDos16 : Coming soon, ProDOS-16 2.0.  Someday...

8) A GS-Basic Interpreter bundled : Since Apple got out of the languages
bundling business, I doubt if you'll see this happen.  I suppose that
Apple figures that the people that really want to program in it will buy
it from APDA.  Programs that need it only have to use a runtime version.
BTW, HyperCard is coming to the ][gs soon, and will probably be bundled
the same way as the Macs.

9) An Appletalk toolkit : Your prayers have been answered on this one.
Apple is just ready to introduce its Apple ][ Workstation card for
//es, and its Appletalk toolkit software for the ][gs.  Apple is really
committed to shared Mac/Apple][/IBM/DEC networks.  Someday, we'll all
be on the same Appletalk, and its sooner than you think.

Oh well, that's all I have to offer.  As usual, I know no more than
the next guy, and standard disclaimers apply *sigh*.

--Rick Ewing
  REWING@TRINCC.Bitnet