Building a better "old" computer

From: allisonp <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Sun Jun 25 07:07:43 2000

>Based on what the current computer industry knows about building
computers,
>would it be possible to build a better Z80 based computer today, using
the
>same chips that the builders in, say, 1979 had available?


Yes. Though finding the parts would be hard.

>I heard someone say that the manufacturers did the best they could with
what
>they had to work with "back then," and I started to wonder if we could
do it
>better today. Has our understanding of how it all works improved enough
to
>do it better now, using the same chips, etc.?


For pre micro processor...
there were designs that did thig with transistors and later SSI that were
way ahead of the pack so the answer was yes and no also.

For the z80 case:
Yes and no. Some designs the designer was doing the best they could
though the parts were more capable. Many cases the goal was to meet
a price so that limits you. There were some very capable designs.

But, using the same parts you could have done better then assuming the
budget
(size, power, $$$$) allowed it.

Can you do better now using current parts and reusing old z80s, yes.

Allison
Received on Sun Jun 25 2000 - 07:07:43 BST