DICKSON@HARTFORD.BITNET (03/16/88)
First, the speed. Why must everything in the machine be replaced for the new speed? Accelerator cards don't have this problem, and they seem to do a good job for other machines. If there's some reason the GS can't be sped up this way, please tell me, and help me stop being confused. The graphics: Granted, a higher-res screen would slow the machine down, but only while in that mode. I see no reason to withhold the option. IBM EGA is 640x400, if I remember correctly, and not too shabby at it. Even if the enhanced graphics were an extra-cost option, as they are on the IBM, the availability of the better res is what's important. The upgrade: Changing the ports would not eliminate the upgrade path, since you just replace the bottom of the machine (as they did with the //e). AS for the cost, I'm not looking for an entire machine swap (IE, including the great new monitor I'm told I'll need.) A motherboard swap for a reasonable cost (less than the //e to gs upgrade, certainly, since it's not a complete machine change but an update of the new machine) is all I ask. I'll go looking for a good monitor, and 1.6 meg drives, and whatever else I need afterwards. Actually, I was hoping that this could be done without a motherboard swap at all. Please tell me if any of what I'm about to say is unreasonable (I've never designed hardware...) Again, the speed: Just a Processor swap, or an accelerator card? The graphics: An optional Mega-super-high-res card? The new ROMS could hopefully just replace the current ones. It seems to me that the GS can survive for a couple years at least, several maybe, by making use of those expansion slots that have kept my old ][+ useful. I've got 1.5 meg in my memory expansion slot, and I can add another 3 on there, so I'm not worried about more on the motherboard. I have some 5 empty slots in the machine. I don't know if those are completely useless due to ports pretending to use them, but they're there. It seems what I've asked for can be put in those holes. Bill Dickson.