[Coco] Re: [Color Computer] Is this a discussion about a new Coco?

[Roger Merchberger]

Rumor has it that Mark Marlette may have mentioned these words:

[snippage]

>I'll take as many of the SuperBoard's that you can make for under $100, 
>that includes all of the options, including the Ethernet. The Ethernet 
>chip alone costs well over $65...

[snippety-doo-dah]

There are a lot of Ethernet chips that are way under the $10/chip range 
(like the RealTek 8139) - they'd have to be to offer a $9.99 PCI Ethernet 
card. So some people may wonder why the Superboard can't be based on one of 
these chips...

... The reason: These chips would be more accurately called "WinEthernet" 
chips, along the same lines of "WinModem" chips - the host processor does 
*all* of the work; the chip is just a basic "bridge" to the interface. The 
6809/6309 could never keep up if it had to do all the work; especially at 
Ethernet speeds - so the design would have to be centered around a chip 
that does all the work itself - these chips are much more expensive.

If I had the money (and if preorders were still available) I'd be happy to 
pay $300ish for a Superboard (I would probably forgo a few other options to 
make sure I got Ethernet) but alas, at this time I don't. I *almost* have 
my wife talked into a SuperIDE (I'm pushing for 2, tho ;-) -- I think her 
new couch might help that argument, tho...
;-)

Hopefully, a happy wife might make a happy husband... and trickle-down to 
making a happy CoCo!

That's my $0.00000000000000002,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger

--
Roger "Merch" Merchberger  --  SysAdmin, Iceberg Computers
  _±±_                          zmerch at 30below.com
(©||®)  If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead
  _)(_   disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.