"Toy" computers (was Re: Micro$oft Biz'droid Lusers)

From: Richard Erlacher <edick_at_idcomm.com>
Date: Sat Apr 27 02:16:56 2002

There are fast ethernet interfaces that attach to a USB2 port. I don't know
what they cost, but that may actually end up reducing the number of interfaces
we see on PC's of the future. USB2 is purported to have quite a lot of
bandwidth.

more below ...


Dick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ethan Dicks" <erd_6502_at_yahoo.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 10:49 AM
Subject: Re: "Toy" computers (was Re: Micro$oft Biz'droid Lusers)


>
> --- Cameron Kaiser <spectre_at_stockholm.ptloma.edu> wrote:
> > > > Sure, but my point was, for instance, the C64 had drives that used
> > > > what basically amounts to a straight serial (or is that parallel?)
>
> Serialized IEEE-488, essentially - Tramiel demanded that Commodore not
> be stuck not being able to buy enough connectors for the next generation
> of product. There was some sort of supply problem with them in the
> PET days.
>
> > And there's IDE64, which is also parallel through the expansion port.
>
> Yes. I have one. Got a 20MB HP Kittyhawk 1.8" IDE drive on it (talk
> about *tiny*) I did think of that, but I declined to mention it because
> it _is_ an external drive controller of the sort that Dick was railing
> against in the first place.
>
I'm not against the concept. I certainly was opposed to the way in which that
sort of thing was done, back in the '80's, however, and what it cost.
>
> I have no problem calling the C-64 a "toy" (it's been called much worse
> over the years, especially by Atari and Apple zealots ;-) Nevertheless,
> it was one of my favorite machines; it got me my first job 20 years ago,
> and I spent countless hours programming it, building doodads for it,
> etc. It took the Amiga to get me to shelve my C-64, and even then,
> for the first year, I used the C-64 more because I could get more done
> with it (Kickstart 1.1 sucked! I switched to the Amiga when KS1.2 came
> out and the market began to open up and disgorge useful goodies for it).
>
> It took a combination of the Web and cheap SPARC hardware to get me to
> give up the Amiga. I haven't powered on my A4000 in months. :-( I
> suppose the moribund nature of the Amiga market was a contributing
> factor, too, but AMosaic on a tiny screen just doesn't cut it. At least
> I had ethernet, or I'd have dumped the Amiga long, long ago.
>
> These days, my personal criteria is "no ethernet == toy" (for stuff made
> after 1990) The iOpener or Audrey as shipped is a toy; add USB Ethernet
> and it graduates to "potentially useful tool".
>
> -ethan
>
Received on Sat Apr 27 2002 - 02:16:56 BST