SEWALL@UCONNVM.BITNET (Murph Sewall) (05/25/88)
If this isn't legit, someone is going to a LOT of trouble...
First, a brief extract of what was posted earlier this month -
/Board #4/36
/Developers Only
/05-02-88
/Jonathan Deacon
/the gs+
////////////////////
I got a wonderful little package from apple this afternoon: the
long-awaited GS+. Boy, this machine is AWESOME!
I don't know how fast it is, as big A didn't include much technical
information with the machine. it looks like it is about 3 times the
speed of the normal gs.
...text posted earlier deleted...
graphics. apple has given us three new super hires modes. a 320x200 mode
with 256 colors/line, a 640x200 mode with 16 colors/line, a 320x400 mode
with 16 colors/line and a 640x400 mode, with 4 colors per line. the new
400 resolutions flutter quite a bit on my sony rgb monitor.
...remainder of previously posted text delted...
Now some further info... which was uploaded to the Bit Bucket BBS
(203) 569-8739 (originated elsewhere and transferred).
////////////////////
/Board #4/38
/Developers Only
/05-02-88
/Paul Scott
/EGA for GS?
////////////////////
That's a toughie, Arni. The GS can handle the horizontal resolution and
the color capability, but not the vertical resolution, 320 plus or minus
a few. Extracting the pixel information would be no problem since the
PC Transporter card can act like a //e style memory card. I would
imagine that you could just bank switch and pull the stuff out. The GS
has the processing time available to it since the PC Transporter support
software on the 6502 side of the machine works fine at 1MHz. If you
can't patch it, just throw up an interrupt-update CDA.
Paul Scott
////////////////////
/Board #4/39
/Developers Only
/05-03-88
/Robert Mancini
/the new gs
////////////////////
Jon? Are you there? Or are you too enthralled with your new gs to
think straight?
Some things don't make sense in there.
How many new graphics modes are there? THREE (like Jon says) or FOUR
(like Jon describes)? Also, how do these new modes work....they won't
fit in the allocated 32k or even 64k?
Also, could you clarify what you said about the new slot I/O? What do
you mean native mode of the GS?
I'm not a "SEEDED" developer for the Apple IIgs, so I won't get a new gs
for a while, but I'd like to know as much as possible about it. So
please clarify what has been said.
////////////////////
/Board #4/40
/Developers Only
/05-03-88
/Mark Arzeronian
/Technical Specificat
////////////////////
Well, my GS plus came with a great wad of technical information, but at
the expense of the pricing info, but knowing apple, that pricing info
will be much different come release.
The technical information I have has no copyright message and no clauses
of confidentiality. I have editted the parts that get repetitive (you
wll understand what I mean when you see them) I will use '<' to denote a
comment of mine.
------------------------------
The following information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Any
or all of the following is subject to change at any time without
notice.
GENERAL ARCHITECTURE
>a bunch of stuff about the 65C816, IWM, and so on.
>The only new information is the clock speed: 7.8 MHz resulting in an
>effective speed of about 7.4 MHz
The 'Slotmaker' has new expanded capabilities which have been
implemented in the ProDOS 16 Operating System.
Slot shadowing allows a peripheral card to be in a physical slot
and be mapped to another slot. The main uses of slot shadowing are most
likely peripheral cards with "piggyback" cards, large components, and
cards with inconvenient or numerous connectors, although this type of
design is discourages. Slot shadowing was implemented in order to allow
ProDOS 16 a more expandable and less restrictive environment to operate
under.
Slot shadowing allows for selected devices to be mapped to no
slot. Devices connected to the smart port and ADB (the mouse) will not
be directly hardware accessible when this feature is turned on. It can
be turned off via the Control Panel or softswitch due to a large
software base which makes direct hardware calls to such devices. The
main purpose if InvisiSlots is to expand the number of active
peripherals at a given time.
The SCSI port is no longer independant as it previously was,
with the independent SCSI card. It is now part of the Smartport device
chain.
The Video Graphics Controller (VGC) has been improved as some
problems with older VGC models were repaired. In addition, four new
graphic modes were added.
< a few notes: for VGC/graphics info, see the SHR section
< the connectors on the back are rearranged. The ADB connector is now
< on the side (both left and right) of the GS. Looks like a new case
< for the new GS, but how will apple work the upgrade path?
---Continues---
////////////////////
/Board #4/41
/Developers Only
/05-03-88
/Mark Arzeronian
/Tech continued
////////////////////
MEMORY
Internal system memory is divided into three categories: ROM,
Main RAM, and I/O RAM.
256k of ROM now holds the most of the toolbox <more later> as
well as support routines for emulation of Apple //c software.
Main RAM or "fast RAM" is now 512k. This is not only an
increase in capacity, but do to the faster operational speed of the
computer, it is necessary to use higher grade memory components. 150ns
memory will NOT work at the 7.x operating speed. 120ns does work, but
90ns is strongly suggested to prevent errors.
I/O RAM, "slow RAM" is now 256k. This is only an increase in
capacity.
< more later on I/O RAM in SHR technical information does not
< mention sound RAM. It appears to have 64k, but there are bare
< sockets which can hold up to 192k more. I do NOT know if
< this is for Sound RAM or for other purposes as the prototype
< motherboards are poorly labeled
---continues---
////////////////////
/Board #4/42
/Developers Only
/05-03-88
/Mark Arzeronian
/GS+ SHR
////////////////////
EXTENDED SUPER-HIGH-RES...
The Video Graphics Controller now incorporates four new SHR
modes labeled XSHR for eXtended Super-Hi-Res.
1> 320x200 w/ 256 colors/line
2> 320x400 w/ 16 colors/line
3> 640x200 w/ 16 colors/line
4> 640x400 w/ 4 colors/line
Due to the amount of memory these modes require and to facilitate ease
of use for the programmer, a new method of data storage has been
employed which also increases the capabilities of the machine. Data is
contained in memory banks $E2 and $E3.
Shadowing capability from banks $02 and $03 is selected by
writing a '0' to bit 5 of the SHADOW register ($C035).
In order to invoke XSHR, you must enable the SHR screen, make it
linear, and enable the XSHR screen. This can be done by writing a $D1
to the NEWVIDEO register ($C029).
Scan-Line Control Bytes have been expanded. If bit 4 of the
current SCB layout is set, then the XSCB (extended SCB) is used for
palette data. The XSCB is a single byte containing a palette from $00
to $ff. When using XSHR, XSCB must be set, otherwise, the output is not
guaranteed to be correct or incorrect.
< Palette data is stored in the same way, just more of them.
< 512 bytes/256 colors
The Basic Map for XSHR:
bank $02/$E2:
$0000-$F9FF: pixel information
$FA00-$FBFF: reserved
$FC00-$FDFF: SCB information
$FE00-$FFFF: XSCB information
bank $03/$E3:
$0000-$01FF: Palette $00
$0200-$03FF: Palette $01
....
$FE00-$FFFF: Palette $ff
< I won't type out all the pixel information because I'm getting
< tired. The layout should be very obvious -- it's basically
< identical to the old SHR modes. For mode 1, use a byte per
< pixel; modes 2 & 3 get a nibble, and 4 gets 2 bits.
< Modes 2,3,4 use only the first 16 colors of the designated
< palette....
< Mode 4 will do the 4 color groups like the old 640 SHR did.
---continues---
////////////////////
/Board #4/43
/Developers Only
/05-03-88
/Mark Arzeronian
/GS+ toolbox adds
////////////////////
the memory manager now has
SetXGraf
GetXGraf
which allow for the allocation and deallocation of memory which
would otherwise be used by an application
QuickDraw has:
SetStandardXSCB
GetStandardXSCB
SetXSCB
GetXSCB
the functions of these should be clear. Also, the spec sheet has a
RegToExt which converts a regular SHR to an Extended, but it's crossed
out. That operation isn't a very difficult one anyway.
Toolsets now in ROM:
Tool Locator
Memory Manager
Miscellaneous Tools
QuickDraw II (all)
Desk Manager
Sound Tool Set
ADB Tools
SANE
Integer Math
Text Tools
Window Manager
Menu Manager
Control Manager
LineEdit
Dialog
Note Synthesizer
and...Font Manager
Mark Arz.
---continues---
////////////////////
/Board #4/44
/Developers Only
/05-03-88
/Geil Sheppard
/GS+ & PC Trans
////////////////////
There be no res. prob. now... Also, no proc. speed prob.
g.
////////////////////
/Board #4/45
/Developers Only
/05-04-88
/Paul Scott
/Odds 'n Ends
////////////////////
So EGA on a GS is a given, eh?
I take it that you don't have the new version of ProDOS 16. Ever since
that demo we had I've been itching ot get one.
With HFS, high speed, most of the useful toolbox in ROM, and a computer
with dazzle power this new GS is going to take over the remaining 2%
non-apple non-IBM market.
Then, when Willy finishes the 65C832, the GS will have FP
co-processing. It stands a good chance of overtaking the lower end
business market. Too bad it'll be another year and a half for the 65832
to come out.
Paul Scott
---------------------
Disclaimer: The "look and feel" of this message is exclusively MINE!
(subject to change without notice; void where prohibited)
ARPA: sewall%uconnvm.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu Murphy A. Sewall
BITNET: SEWALL@UCONNVM School of Business Admin.
UUCP: ...ihnp4!psuvax1!UCONNVM.BITNET!SEWALL University of Connecticut