Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!nrl-cmf!ukma!rutgers!deimos!uxc!tank!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!madnix!rat
From: rat@madnix.UUCP (David Douthitt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: The Future of the Apple II
Message-ID: <458@madnix.UUCP>
Date: 1 Feb 89 22:27:09 GMT
Reply-To: rat@madnix.UUCP (David Douthitt)
Distribution: usa
Organization: ARP Software, Madison, WI
Lines: 42

Seems to me that there is a lot of things that Apple could have
done to make the IIGS more powerful to start with.  Like:

       - faster speed (10Mhz or more)
       - coprocessors (graphics, sound, io)
       - more standard memory
       - lower price (with more features, price is higher, obviously)

And Prodos could stand some improvement:

       - ability to pull commands off disk (CMD files?)
       - name for "parent" directory (no matter what the current directory)
       - method to add drivers to Prodos itself, drivers that ARENT in IO ROM!

For the future?  How about:

       - a Prodos16 which will run on an Apple II (any variety) with the 65802?
       - a IIGS running 10MHz+ with a 65832 and floating point coprocessor?
       - an *AFFORDABLE* unix or unix clone for the Apple II?
               ..note: if the II is *powerful* enough, unix WILL work!

I'm also disappointed with the state of Apple peripherals today.

       - Zip Chip: any such product not using the 65802 chip is shortchanging
              the user
       - The AE CP/M Card: my obsolete and 2-3 yr old PCPI Applicard runs 3x
              faster... and I've heard rumors of a 10Mhz CP/M card for the II
              (a homebrew project)
       - My modem, the Novation AppleCat (again, very obsolete) has not been
              matched since it came out 5 or more years ago.

Well, that's enough of my soapbox.  Any other ideas/comments?

Flames > /dev/null

          [david]

-- 
======== David Douthitt :::: Madison, WI :::: The Stainless Steel Rat ========
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