Now *this* is cool

From: Iggy Drougge <optimus_at_canit.se>
Date: Fri Aug 10 21:43:22 2001

Cameron Kaiser skrev:

>> >Because it allows us to still be using Commodores and hopefully repair any
>> >future problems with open-source, current technology. It's not merely a
>> >modern C64 anyway; it has a '816 core, SDRAM controller, SVGA output and
>> >she's even talking Ethernet in the spec.
>>
>> The day when sourcing a C64 becomes difficult is the day when finding VGA
>> monitors will be equally difficult. Besides, the way most C64 people use
>> their C64s is very dependent on all manners of hardware "features" which
>> would make any simulation quite a difficult task to accomplish.

>Which she is still attempting to do, and so far with success, even with
>tricksy things like VIC-II badlines (for the untutored, this is taking
>advantage of the VIC-II's DMA cycle every eighth raster line and tricking
>it into new and different behaviours/timing).

I still don't see the point. It's just a hardware emulation (and a mess of
wires =) when you could just as well use the real thing.

>Besides, I think the coolness factor fits more into this project than the
>practicality factor, n'est pas?

Agreed, but then I'd rather she'd put that effort into something which could
be put in or onto a real C64. Adding ethernet capability to my C128D wouldn't
be that objectionable. =)

>> OTOH, if you regard it as a new 65816 computer (which may happen to be C64
>> compatible in some ways), it doesn't seem to bad.

>It will of course have its own native mode, and at least on the discussion
>list there are many ideas for a new OS specifically for this native mode as
>well.

How about CLIPS? That seems to be 65816 native and rather advanced at this
stage. The real limiting factor in that case is the C64 resolution. IOW, a
65816 with VGA graphics /and/ resolutions would seem like a nice little thing,
though I suppose it needs some kind of selling point, which would be the C64
compatibility.
Mind you, you said "'816 core"; does that mean that there isn't a real 65816
in there, just a FPGA simulation? The fact that it is supposed to have a slot
for a SuperCPU seems to indicate that.

--
En ligne avec Thor 2.6a.
Sagt, ist noch ein Land, au?er Deutschland, wo man die Nase eher r?mpfen lernt
als putzen?
--- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Received on Fri Aug 10 2001 - 21:43:22 BST

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