Posted By
MMS
on 2016-09-20
14:24:51
 |  Re: What would I do differently in the Plus/4
JamesD, Fully agree 
Just some thoughs:
Actually, highly probable it was the case. the design was ready, and marketing/management wanted to max out the profit from the project. So they created an expensive product with built-in 3+1 instead selling millions of TEDs just for 60 USD.
Well, the 3+1 ROM idea was not bad, but not in this form. A text editor only with 99 lines of text... It is maximum a notepad. And if SW runs from ROM, where is that 64K RAM? Or only 16K addressed, although only used only in the 64K machines ?
Also, making RAM extension sooo complex limited Plussy future possibilities, as far as I know, mimicing the C64/C128 REU would be a real challange (though once I read from someone that external SRAM memory expansion was easier than though by the guy. unfortunately I have no details, not reference to this module here. if it can be done without internal soldering, then I am in).
Soon after Plus/4 intro the Sinclair 128, the Amstrad CPC6128 and the Sinclair QL arised, and the 128K machines sounded more serious ones than the tiny 64K (treated as game machines at once). Also Apples could be ugraded with memory modules.
The internal memory expansion bay is a nice idea, but it would require a better MMU for eg 16KB bank switching, as 7501 can address only 64K.
I just checked the back side of the 364... Well, I though it is bigger Really no space for an additional IEEE-488. Not to mention, that insterion of IEEE-488 cables needed a LOT of space next to them.
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