REWING@TRINCC.BITNET (03/03/88)
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
lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) (03/10/88)
Whoops! Rick, you said that 'apple has gotten out of the language business'; is this a new move? As far as I have heard, Apple is still 'in' the business of system support; that is why applesoft is in the rom, Apple Pascal is still sold, etc. Granted that Apple has farmed out the GS assembler, GS Pascal and GS C - I was under the impression that this was due to lack of time. Since GS Basic IS an Apple 'product' (APDA sells it for apple, not for someone else), surely they COULD put it on one of those nifty new 1.6 meg 3.5" disks as a par of the GS system disk... -- Larry W. Virden 75046,606 (CIS) 674 Falls Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 864-8817 osu-cis!n8emr!lwv (UUCP) osu-cis!n8emr!lwv@PSUVAX1 (BITNET) We haven't inherited the world from our parents, but borrowed it from our children.