potential PPC Amiga REAL CHEAP

[Louis Dias]

adolescent wrote:

lou_dias wrote:
IBM proved that you can have a mini-hard drive in the parallel port expansion.  Toshiba makes an 80GB 1.8" HD.  Heck they got a .85" HD that will hold 20GB.  This could come as a future expansion.

In your words, "bullpoo".  IBM has never had a HD developed or in development for the GCN.  Add this to the many rumors of zip drives, HDs, and other removable expansions for the GCN.  

I posted a link a few pages back to a planetgamecube.com page announcing that the product was in development.

F.Y.I: the GBA player for the GC is jut a fancy data I/O device that specifically reads GBA roms and writes to them as well.  The included disc is the actual emulator that reads and writes to the hi-speed parralel port.

So don't say it's not possible.  BTW, what color troll are you again?

[Louis Dias]

if that were the case, the GBA player would cost as much as a GBA.

The GBA player application draws a selectable border around the GBA display and allows you to swap carts without shutting off the GC and rebooting.

Your saying the parrallel port is lightning fast now, yet you've previously said it wasn't fast enough for anything.  If the parrallel port can do 30 frames per second of video as well as audio while receiving controller input, then hard drive access is trivial through that port.

How do you explain getting back to the cartridge swap screen?  The GC can emulate the GBA in it's sleep.  The included GBA hardware is the catridge connector and ROM reader.  If anybody knows how to emulate Nintendo hardware - it's Ninetendo.  Next you'll be saying that "Revolution" is going to have GC, N64, SNES and NES hardware in it because it will emulate all those machines.

Tell you what, open up yours and show me the GBA cpu+gpu+spu in there and I'll retract my trolling statements.

[Louis Dias]

adolescent wrote:

Sashmoto: The boot disc has the image processing software as well as the security software. It's possible to update the disc to improve certain aspects of the Game Boy Player, if needed.

What does that tell you?  It's not 100% GBA hardware.

[Louis Dias]

@Waccoon

Can you solder?

[Louis Dias]

_ThEcRoW wrote:
Why don't you realize that os4 on the gc will never appear?.

While on GC was originally the point, I'd just like to see the ability to put it on any platform as an option.

It's higly unlikely that nintendo would beg for a license to Ainc.

It would/should be the other way around.

And not to mention the memory limitations of the console itself.

Limitations?  24MB of main ram is 12x more than any Amiga shipped with.  16MB of secondary ram as a 'ram disk' is nice too.

It would be more realistic to get a full linux distro on the gc

that's almost done now

OS4 is dead already if nothing changes, they have blocked  the OS to this state, sadly. :madashell:
Only with a release for x86 systems could refloat the os, maybe...

Yeah, and they thought Linux would quickly dominate the x86 platform. :lol:

Honestly, a console port is probably the best way to introduce the public to 'another PC' option.  Apple shot itself in the foot by choosing to be overpriced.  I'm not going to pay more money for a platform with less to offer...same goes for A1.  You need to run it on a game machine because most people aren't gong to dual-boot there Dell's, Gateway's, Compaq's, etc... because if they knew anything, they wouldn't have bought those and had built their own.

So having a disc they can buy for $50 and can just pop in ther 'game' machine and have it work right away is the only way to make this long-dead market grow.

Better off selling it as a new toy than the 8-track tape it's viewed as now.  Hey, my mom might still have an 8-track collection.  Interested?  I thought not.

[Louis Dias]

seeing as how image processing is 80% of a video game and that's sent to the GC, I don't feel any need to retract any statements.  As bloodline pointed out, an old 8/16-bit cpu costs pennies to throw in there to get the game code to run on time and properly, the bulk of the work is done on the GC...hence applying some of those Super Sai video modes that the PC emulators have could have always bumped up the image quality to 640x480...hence the patch comment to improve the player.  If it's already 100% GBA CPU+GPU+SPU, what could a software patch improve upon? - fancier borders around the 256x224 image?

BTW,

For all the non-trolls:

I've found an alternate 5v power source for my qoob chip.  Turns out the controllers have a 5v signal to power the rumble motor.  So I just tapped controller 4's source and my qoob screen came up right away.  I'll be doing a linux run this weekend when I have the time.  And this is much easier than the source mentioned in the docs.  They should change the docs to use this source as the one they use requires a steadier hand and a magnifying glass.  

Oh and the latest Linux build supports hot swapping memory cards and 1GB SD cards using the SD Gecko or a home made adapter.  Enough memory for you yet?  www.gc-linux.org for anyone who is interested.

[Louis Dias]

As I recall, Z80's are 8/16 bit cpu's and while ARM7 is a "32-bit" cpu, it doesn't outperform the 16-bit era cpu that was in the SNES because it's designed to be a low power mobile cpu.

Who cares?  You still admit video processing is done on the GC.  Give it a rest it's a stupid point just as your comment about GBA Player exclusive content - like that would make sense.  It's a novelty item and didn't sell enough units to warrant an upgrade that, for instance, would use the BBA as a "link" cable for multiplayer GBA games...but that would mean that it was emulated again now wouldn't it.

About the SD cards:
Yes, I know it's EXI.  The 4 controllers, RTC, and 2 memory cards are all on that interface, again - so what?  Tell me OS4 wouldn't fit on a 1GB SD card for booting?  And the core bios could reside on my 2MB qoob chip's flashram that could boot using the SD card as a ram drive - just like my linux build will.

It would boot in seconds.  And it's looking better all the time.

BTW,
Progressive scan mode games such as Metroid Prime (and most of the others I have) look incredible on my widescreen DLP HDTV television using the GC - the detail in the texturing is amazing.  It would certainly made a worthy display for an Amiga OS.  Leaps and bounds better than any 1084-like monitor I've ever seen - and 50" to boot.
Soon I'll be running GC-homebrew native as well as linux SNES and Genesis/Masterdrive emulators on my GC off of an SD card using the 'Cube's controllers.

[Louis Dias]

@Waccoon,

I was going to ask you to come look at my soldering since you don't live to far away.  That's why I asked.  But I've got my qoob chip working now.  My qoob chip is on-topic as that is what is allowing me to boot to linux in less than a second.  You are still welcome to come over this weekend and instal linux on my GC and linux apps like the mfe etc...

My interests in the qoob chip are not about piracy, but about running homebrew code and linux.  I've also bought and installed the case mod that lets me fit 12cm discs in the cube.

I'll be ordering a batch of SD Gecko's and selling them to the GC mod community and on eBay as that wonderful (and promised) product never made it to the states.  It is compatible with many GC games as it is so it's not just for homebrew software.

In the end, I'm doing my part one step at a time instead of just sitting here and complaining.  Soon I'll be compiling some code.  I have the source to an Atari 5200 emulator that uses SDL and since these tools (and gcc) exist on the GC, I'll make my contribution.

What most users want is an OS that just does what a user wants.  Win98 runs fast on an 800MHz cpu with 256MB of ram, Win2000 and XP don't.  Why?  Don't answer.  OS's are getting too complicated and are doing things to protect average users from themselves.  OS3.X is a good enough OS for a single user with some updates.  Hence I am looking at hopefully someday installing AROS native on my GC.

A while ago I painted a picture of what I wanted.  A GC running AROS and a web browser and email client and games.  I can check my mail from home, then hop in my car and plug my GC into a 7" LCD screen mounted in the car and hit the road.  Stop at Dunkin Donuts and check my email there via a BBA->wireless adapter I have.  Then play some games or surf the web to pass the time on long road trips.  All this running off of a couple of SD cards that I use for "storage".  The device is truly portable and there aren't any hard drives that would get banged around and ruined.  Get where I'm going?

Did I mention that the qoob chip comes with built in mp3 player that reads from the DVD drive?  That's alot of versatility in a small package.  That's the sweet.

[Louis Dias]

Waccoon wrote:

OS3.X is a good enough OS for a single user with some updates.

Good enough?  To do what?

To do what I mentioned.

A GC running AROS and a web browser and email client and games.

Well, the reason why your setup is so simple is because of your expectations.  E-mail is just text transfer.  Games don't need an OS -- they just hit the hardware.  The browser is complicated because of heavy multitasking, and I'd imagine AROS is going to give you some trouble in that regard.  Is there even a CSS web browser available for AROS?

You can do this stuff with a Windows machine, too, if you know how to select your parts.  I'd expect it to be just as cheap, if not cheaper, than your system.  How much did you pay for this qoob thing, again?  Didn't you have some trouble soldering it?  Why go through all the trouble of hacking when there's ready-built solutions available?  Amigans don't seem to get this at all.

the qoob was $55, it's 6 wires to solder and just screws to takes apart the GC.  It can be done in less than 10 minutes.  I used a 30 watt iron when I should have used 15, left heat on the pad too long.  Simple mistake if I had read the reviews of other people doing it, it wouldn't have happened.  My solution is better AND easier than the other way anyway.

there is no ready-built solution, a PDA is not a game machine and doesn't use DVD's, a laptop is too delicate to be bounced around in a car everyday, plus it's bigger than a GC.  And if the GC breaks (RARE) a second GC is $50 away, not $700 for a descent laptop.

The device is truly portable and there aren't any hard drives that would get banged around and ruined. Get where I'm going?

Oh, so you don't want a potential PPC Amiga REAL CHEAP.  You want a homebrew PDA.  I think the computer industry already released a slew of those devices a decade ago.  What's the point of insisting on an Amiga if you're going to spend all your time staring at an application that doesn't really care what OS is underneath?  I find it difficult to believe that AmigaOS (or AROS) is just "better" at e-mail and web browsing than any other small OS that fits nicely on a flash card.

[/quote]

An OS used to be an app launcher with a filemanager.  What they sell you now is a total user environment.  Things are so integrated that you don't get 100% processing power out of the machine because you have the OS layer there.  An OS should just control basic things like threading and memnory management - everything else is an add-on (read - slow down).  Sure the OS provides some standard api's to make things 'look' & 'feel' like they are part of the OS, but that should be it.  When I want to bang the hardware, I should be able to bang the hardware.  And it's not about being better, it's about being functional and doing what I want - nothing less, nothing more.

PS, the Amiga was only supposed to be a console.

[Louis Dias]

Update:

Linux boots on my Gamecube and connects to my PC's NDBserver for the filesystem...

However, I couldn't SSH the GC from my PC using Putty.  I think it's just a gateway setting though.  I'll play with it some more this week.

[Louis Dias]

Piru wrote:
@lou_dias

Regarding this daydream of your GC "Amiga"... Wake up already, nothing will happen unless if YOU do something about it. No one else will. Meanwhile, there is no need to try spam this thread further.

This OT discussion should be posted as new threads.

You woke me up for that babble? :-?
If you want the thread moved, complain to a moderator, otherwise, just stay out.

I'm going back to sleep now.  :-D

Oh and I can't seem to connect to my 'Cube using an SSH client.  It seems I need a better Linux distribution as some things are failing to initialize.  Although it does connect to my filesystem properly.  I think part of the problem is that I may not have my network settings properly set up on the PC side.  I don't know if I should assign the GC's gateway as the ip of the NIC that it's connected to or the ip of my DHCP enabled router...Or the ip of the card that's actually wired to the router...

[Louis Dias]

Karlos wrote:

Piru wrote:

This OT discussion should be posted as new threads.

And no, I won't take the bait. Artificially bumping the thread to top of the forum is {bleep}ing lame.

Sorry that was me. I wasn't really paying attention and just commented about the interrupt thing :-/

Actually I would say that was on topic.
There interrupts are the base of any OS.

The 1.7MB linux kernal boots up in my GC and connects to my ndbserver in less than 7 seconds total.

A much smaller Amiga OS 3.x ported to PPC or AROS PPC could do the same much faster...  Even combining the 512k 3.1 ROMS with the OS bootup, AOS3.1 takes up ~768k.  That's more than enough to fit on my modchip's flashram and that just gets copied to mainram on bootup...if it were ported...

Now, I don't know anything about WarpUp or any of those PPC hack-ons...  But are they running a AOS on the PPC side?  Or are they just a co-processor set-up?

[Louis Dias]

how to make a bootable disc on the Gamecube to run homebrew/IPL replacement code:

http://www.gc-linux.org/wiki/Building_a_Bootable_Disc

[Louis Dias]

Yeah, to say the GC's CPU couldn't be used to run an OS is just a trollish statement.  All CPU's have interrupts.  People critisize the GC's 486Mhz speed and power and completely ignore the ultra low latency T1 Mosys RAM that the GC has that obliterates SDRAM in performance.  I think it also has a 1MB cache.  The GPU has 3 MB of texture memory that allow for generating and texturing polygons in a single pass rather than the separate passes required by other GPU's.  The drive is lightning fast as well.  Again, it's about low seek times not raw max streaming that is rarely achieved when other platforms post there "theoretical" yet completely unrealistic system specs.

The GC was designed to be responsive.  To run at maximum efficiency at all times.  This seems like the perfect platform to run a multi-tasking OS.

[Louis Dias]

Well, you missed my posts about it being extremely portable and as the center-piece of a car's entertainment system at a low cost.

Also, you say it's low resolution, 720x480 in progressive scan looks great on my 50" DLP widescreen TV.  Also, 720x480 looks great on a 7" in-dash widescreen LCD.  Considering the Amiga was made for 640x200 or a flickering 640x400, going to 720x480 progressive doesn't sound like alot on paper but in the real world it's a world of difference.

Also, I'm not looking for it to be my main PC.  But it could be a way to re-introduce people to the Amiga and like I said be a baby-version of OS4.  Let them get their feet wet for the day when suitable hardware exists to host OS4.

You can purchase dedicated NFS devices that involve no PC at all

You can make or buy SD card adapter that read AND write to even the latest 1GB cards.  you can make one out of an old GC 4Mbit $5 memory card and an SD card socket.  Again, the idea here is portability and reliability.

The DVD drive is always there that holds 2CD's worth of reliable information, though some have claimed to write up to 3GB on full-size DVD's using the case mod.  It seems like the head has room to move all the way out to 12cm if you look at it.

A modded GC seems like quite a capable AROS box.  Isn't the point of AROS to moderize AOS 3.1 and move it to a platform that can expand the market?

Oh and personally, I'm not going to blow $400 on a new 360/PS3/Revolution and hack it to run AROS.  I'd much rather hack into a $60 Gamecube that I've owned for 4 years and I can take anywhere and not worry about theft or damage.

[Louis Dias]

Well, it comes down to preference I guess.  Linux is too 'ix for me.  The average lazy user (myself included) doesn't care for linux or anything dos-like that involves lots of config filed that need to be edited...etc...  Just give me a simple gui that works.  That's AOS 3.1, that's the vision behind AROS.

I'm playing with Linux as a proof of concept.  As I am a Windows developer using Visual Studio, I am quite put off my having to create these make files to recompile xyz to make it work with configuration abc.

And I'm for moving THIS platform forward, not Linux.