Mutant_Pie started a thred discussing the expired Apple II Patent situation.
It got me to wondering...
If it were possible and someone where inclined to (or crazy enough) to want to build an updated and modern Apple II; what would it look like and what components would it contain?
Would you be able to licence the ROM from the current Apple Computer?
Would it look like a IIe Platinum, IIgs, a IIc, or would it have a new body style?
Would it use current components, or would it still be 8, 16, or even 32 bit?
Would it use SCSI, IDE, or SATA Hard Drives, or maybe even SSD's?
Would CFFA type storage (ala Rich Dreher) be a way to go?
My own partial list would be:
1. A IIgs type body style, except built as a Tower (kinda like a PowerMac 9600).
2. Modern keyboard and mouse capabilities.
3. A 32 bit Bus.
Just for giggles...what would everyone like to see in a "Modern" Apple II?
Steven 
My $0.02. I would be happier if modern hardware incorporated some of the Apple ][ ethos. Modularity, expandability, backward compatibility. An emulator for Apple II's, and for that matter Atari's & Commodore computers would be possible to create on say, an iPod Touch or iPhone. But Apple won't allow the release of such software, within their system. They've also dropped Rosetta from the new Lion OSX, shutting of whole libraries of software to modern users (again). But they still have software support for folks switching from Microsoft's OS. That's the screwed up pursuit of the big bucks at the expense of the established user base.
Oddly, Apple has it's current slim and all-in-one design ethos, however there are modular battery packs for the iOS line, as well as other plug in peripherals, like credit card swiper's, etc.... Unfortunately, Apple tends to change the main hardware interfaces used by these devices, so they become incompatible across the product line within several years. BluTooth is big exception to this.
Mutant_Pie
I think my answer is the same as it was on 28 Mar 2007 19:44:33 -0700
I'd be looking for an Apple II clone that is very small -- the size of
a handheld calculator (or a Gameboy), submersible and totally solar
powered (so very low-power consumption.) The RAM (banks) and ROMs
(including text character sets) would be in a configurable file or
files on an SD RAM with no memory limits imposed. A single chip would
integrate all of the (16 to 64)-bit 6502 dpu cores, timing, memory
access and I/O. Today, I would want these connectors...
- Four USB ports: drives, keyboards, mice, joysticks, audio ins/outs,
video outs, USB hubs, more...
- yellow RCA jack: NTSC video out
- 3 headphone jacks: cassette out (stereo line out), cassette in
(stereo line in), and (stereo headphone out) speaker out
- a single Apple II bus slot connector along the edge (that could also
accept an 8 slot daughter board)
- possibly an RJ45 jack for ethernet connector (or wireless)
- possibly include
Included on the face of the handheld sized Apple II clone there MIGHT
be:
- a small color LCD screen: 560x192 (maybe 640x480)
- touch screen
- a small keyboard
to really complete my handheld Apple II clone wish list include:
- an unlimited ham radio transmitter (integrate the WIFI)
- an antenna jack
- a built-in speaker
- a built-in microphone
Make this all open source (no proprietary pieces), and easily
programmable.
mmphosis,
That almost sounds like an iPad. lol
Just as food for thought, here's what's been done to make a modern implementation of the Atari ST:
http://www.experiment-s.de/en/boards/suska-iii-t/
No mention of licensing issues, but as far as the hardware goes, given the minimal storage requirements of older 16-bit/8-bit computers, SD card seems sensible.
I think all that would be required for my modern Apple II is a USB box with a couple of Apple II card slots that could be addressed by an Apple II emulator.
That would enable the use of original expansion cards that have not been emulated and would allow hardware tinkering, but wouldn't try to reinvent the wheel. The current crop of emulators is great - it would just be nice to bridge the gap between software and original hardware.
I was wondering if i was the only one who wanted something like that. with a device that could use original cards, and an emulator on a pico motherboard, tied to an emulator that can address them, you can basically boot off of the devices.. I'd even add an interface for an original apple II (IIe or ADB) keyboard to emulate an HID keyboard. What does that mean? Well for me, my dream "Modern II" would be one that looked like an original apple II, but could boot into a modern O/S and use the old keyboard, I would run Linux, and either boot directly to the emulator, which in turn would boot off one of the legacy cards, floppy disk for example, or any other emulated hardware in the emulator app.
Not sure if this made any sense or was clear.. But I would definitely pay for a device and emulation software that had these features.
"Thought"
It occured to me that the disk drive in a IIc may have what amounts to an IDE type connector (40/44 Pin). Although I am not sure about that I can certainly take one down and pop it open to check.
If this is true; then I should be able to use an ADDONICs CFFA Adapter like I placed into my PB 5300cs. I could use the external IIc disk drive to load software to the CFFA card inside the IIc.
This would solve the problem of being able to place a hard drive into the IIc.
Steve,
Have you seen this: http://www.spvhd.org/ ? You might be interested in checking this out. I've got a CFFA 3000 on order for my GS but I'm also thinking about getting one of these for my IIc.
Dean
I'd heard about them, but I didn't have a link. The price is right and it sounds like it would be a perfect fit for the CFFA 3000.
Load software to CFFA, then to USB, then to IIc.
YES!
I'd like to know more about the "Avatar" machine that Burger was working on a few decades ago. What was it going to be, and what became of it?
This is the first I've ever heard of this "Avatar" machine. Any clues or ideas what so ever about it?
http://www.textfiles.com/messages/avatar.posts
That is what we call "vaporware."
Thanks for the link, David. Yeah I kind of thought it was some sort of vaporware, but was still curious as to what it was. Too bad nothing ever came of the discussion, it sounded like an interesting GS clone with some good upgrades to the GS. Of course for all we know had they gone through with it Apple surely would have tried to sue them out of business.
I made this 1 years ago if you want to check it and build by yourself you can find information here: Modular A2
it can be similar to the modularity of the Jonathan computer.