AWCTTYPA@UIAMVS.BITNET ("David A. Lyons") (02/04/89)
>Date: Wed, 1 Feb 89 22:27:09 GMT >From: David Douthitt <astroatc!nicmad!madnix!rat@SPEEDY.CS.WISC.EDU> >Subject: The Future of the Apple II >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) Ummm...as I understand it, 10MHz 65816s are not available, or not readily available. NOW even, not to mention several years ago. It _has_ a sound chip. Re: more features --> higher price. Exactly. You've banged the funny-shaped piece of metal on the flat end. >And Pro[DOS] 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! ProDOS and GS/OS are operating systems, _not_ command shells! Command shells such as APW (Apple Programmer's Workshop, available from APDA), ECP16 and ECP8 (Extended Command Processor from Carolina System Software, by Don Elton), and Davex (DAL Systems, me) _are_ command shells and _do_ pull command files off disk. APW supports ".." for the parent directory; don't remember about ECP16; the next version of Davex to be released supports it under ProDOS 8. ProDOS has no memory management scheme available and there isn't much free memory on 128K machines not already used by ProDOS or by application programs, so RAM-based drivers present a problem. GS/OS, on the other hand, very definitely lets you have RAM-based drivers. See volume 2 of the GS/OS reference (APDA: 1-800-282-APDA). >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? Sure, but I'd rather at least wait until the 65832 has been completed before I put one in my machine. [From the June 88 issue of Open-Apple, front page: "Prototypes of the 65832 are expected in about 18 months; production is expected to start in 1990 with 8 MHz chips (the 816 in today's IIgs is rated at 4 MHz--a chip's MHz rating is how fast it _can_ run; the speed at which is actually does run depends on the design of the computer it's in [...]) [...] Mensch says he eventually will product chips capable of running 20 MHz."] I think a floating-point card is available now; it comes with software to make the SANE toolset use the hardware on the card. Anybody have a company/product name/address here? >======== David Douthitt :::: Madison, WI :::: The Stainless Steel Rat ======== >FidoNet: 1:121/1 or 1:121/2 {decvax|att}! >UseNet: ...{rutgers|ucbvax|harvard}!uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!madnix!rat >ArpaNet: madnix!rat@cs.wisc.edu {uunet|ncoast}!marque! --David A. Lyons bitnet: awcttypa@uiamvs DAL Systems CompuServe: 72177,3233 P.O. Box 287 GEnie mail: D.LYONS2 North Liberty, IA 52317 AppleLinkPE: Dave Lyons