We're all taxing our grey matter to work out what the Raspberrypi
won't do, or stretching it to the limit, but we shouldn't forget
that the developers are firmly on track to provide a cheap means of
enabling the new generation to develop programming skills from the
fundamentals. However they do express an interest in what folk
envisage trying to do with it. But we should avoid implied
criticism of the facilities unless it directly relates to the
objectives. Let us concentrate on getting a QL+ built round it and
forget hungry Windows. My QL with XCHANGE from romdisq is
brilliant and that is what I would like in more compact up to date
form.
Bryan H
Whilst I agree with most of what you say, Bryan, the likeliest
scenario for using it as a "QL" is that it will have some form of
native OS with which a QL emulator would have to be run. Knowing what
it can and can't do will most likely influence what sort of "QL"
system we can make of it and plan ahead for, to some degree. If, as
seems likely, it only comes with Linux (Ubuntu) then the likeliest
scenario is that either an existing or modified uQLx would be the QL
initially at least. I didn't mean to criticise it, in fact I'd hoped I
was being enthusiastic (apart from the comment about clutter of
cables).
The only reason I mentioned Windoze was that IF it was found to be
capable of running any version of Windows, it opened up even more
possibilities as regards using it is a "QL" emulator etc.
The developers have expressed an interest in getting some form of
programming language on board and BBC BASIC and QL SuperBASIC have
been mooted as possibilities, but also as one of the developers said:
"We'll be supporting at least C, Perl and Python. Programming's not
for everyone though; the device makes a pretty good general-purpose
computer too."
They've made it clear they want to find a way to implement BBC BASIC
if they can - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_BASIC - it says
there's even a version of that for the Spectrum, not to mention just
about every platform except QL, although Wikipedia says "a GPL clone
of BBC BASIC named Brandy written in portable C is also available" -
now it would be nice to have BBC BASIC for the QL if a C programmer
fancies the task.
What I'm getting at is there's little chance of Raspberry Pi running
natively as a "QL" unless it's powerful enough to run a 68000
emulation. Would be happy to be proved wrong of course!
Now what did Marcel once say about being "unable to resist a
challenge..." :-)
Dilwyn Jones
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