How do the economics work out on this sort of project? I've seen, for example, $8000 raised on KickStarter for a CP/M machine — http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2057605091/p112-single-board-computer-kit— but that was just for a new run of a fully designed machine that had been produced in the past and that is in many respects less complicated than a Sam (no video output, for example) and definitely an easier target to hit (eg, no specific bus timing is required).
I feel that if you're going to produce a new Sam, whether upgraded or merely shrunk down, the way to make it an appealing product is to package it in its entirety into a thumb stick with, say, HDMI and USB ports for a TV and an optional keyboard, and either bundle every piece of software you can license onto a built-in ROM or give us an SD slot and hope that the market provides. Actually, Bluetooth is so cheap nowadays, maybe don't even bother with the USB port. But then you get to: why not just do it in software and install it on last year's mobile phone? On 3 May 2013 12:00, david brant <[email protected]> wrote: > Yes but Bob wanted us to buy a ROM thing to sort out BASIC which I thought > was pointless. Most of the time it works fine unless you write a very long > program or use lots of DIM in it. But I've never written such big programs. > > If he come up with new hardware he may got better input or at listen to us > coders!!!! > > On 3 May 2013, at 19:49, Gavin Smith wrote: > > A super SAM-type project has been talked about since Bob Brenchley kept us > all going about his SamSon idea! If it's ever to happen, it will take > someone to do it off their own back and just see it through because most of > us on this list will be too skeptical and jaded to lend much support! I > think such a project might even have had a wider market if it had been done > years ago, before the Raspberry Pi. > > Colin has already got a 20+MHz Sam working with his prototype mayhem > accelerator and the last time he mentioned it in his mag, he was looking at > CPLD to reduce logic. He has also hinted in SR that a special issue would > cover a secret project he was working on so maybe it's related to a Quazar > Super Sam? > > Sent from my iPad > > On 3 May 2013, at 19:30, Leslie Anderson <[email protected]> wrote: > > Would anybody buy it ??? How many SAM users would want one ?? And I'd have > to do costings to see how much the final unit would cost ! But if there are > people interested just let me know. > > > On 3 May 2013 19:13, david brant <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Well what you waiting for if it that easy! No idea with hardware myself. >> >> On 3 May 2013, at 18:46, Leslie Anderson wrote: >> >> > Perhaps it's time for someone to design a NEW SAM COUPE..... SAM II + or >> > Super SAM. What was done on the original SAM in dozen of chips could >> now >> > be done in about 8 distinctive ICs.... Then everyone could have a Super >> SAM! >> > >> > Z84C0020 Z80 CPU.. 20MHz >> > K6T4008 512Kx 8 bit SRAM >> > W27C010 128K EEPROM >> > MAX EPM7512 CPLD 512 macrocells >> > SAA1099 Sound (PSG) >> > >> > >> > The MAX EPM7512 would be used to generate video, perform I/O, Memory >> > Decoding etc. The original ZX Spectrum ULA used about 144 macrocells, so >> > 512 should be enough. >> > >> > >> > On 3 May 2013 18:03, david brant <[email protected]> wrote: >> > >> >> >> >> How about some means that you need the hardware to work on the PC,Mac >> etc >> >> > >
