mdj wrote:
> On Mar 4, 11:28 am, Alex Freed  wrote:
>> mdj wrote:
>>
>>> I love this idea too. The only thing 'better' would be a CarteBlanche
>>> motherboard, which replaces an existing IIe board. In this case, the
>>> slots that it implements can be dedicated purely to supporting
>>> original hardware, and all new "CarteBlanche" cards
can be implemented
>>> virtually.
>> This describes perfectly the NanoBoard with PB10 - plug-in board with
>> Apple slot connectors. The "motherboard" is my FPGApple
implemented on
>> NB. There are 2 issues:
>> 1. Cost. NB is rather expensive but this might change.
>> 2. Several 6502 cores exist but not a single (free) core is accurate
>> enough to boot ProDOS without errors. One implementation uses a real
>> 65C02 and the Xilinx FPGA is almost empty.
>>
>> It would not be difficult to create a motherboard with a real 65C02,
>> 128K of a (static) memory and logic to connect a PS2 keyboard plus a
>> smallest and cheapest FPGA for glue logic, say S3AN - 50. Plus the most
>> expensive part - the slot connectors.
> 
> Yeah, the slot connectors are a price killer.
> 
>> One reason not to do it is the fact that A2e is worth about $20 on e-bay
>> and there is no shortage yet.
> 
> True. That said, an Apple IIe, plus Zip Chip, plus CFFA isn't cheap.

That's a good point.  But we must consider the possibility that many
of those who want that configuration already have it--in other words,
it's a "sunk cost".

-michael

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