After posting the poll-results where 54.2% of the voters stated they wanted to see new games for MSX and 26.5% of the voters wanted new hardware for MSX to arrive, a small discussion started in the newspost-reactions system. Maybe it's a smart idea to continue that discussion here (thx for the suggestion, BiFi). So far there has been stated- People already know there is new hardware coming up, like the CIEL3++ (Algorythms)- Voting for one option doesn't mean you don't want the others

Well I voted more games, of course. - People already know there is new hardware coming up, like the CIEL3++ (Algorythms) What is a ciel3++- Voting for one option doesn't mean you don't want the others (snout) It just means we want more games more than anything else...- You need lots of software (games) to justify the existence of new hardware (Leo) If you want new hardware to be more than just another toy for programmers, there should be software support.- It's amazing th

I figured there will be much more people having a say in this and I don't think the reactions part isn't the best place to list or comment about this. Let's start with a list of hardware that's already released:



- GFX9000

at the moment used most of the time to view a selection of PC format image files like BMP and GIF using more colors and a higher resolution. It comes with Power Basic and a bunch of drawing applications apart from some impressive demo's. At the time it was introduced a very impressive game was in development for it (as one of the very first) but strange enough it wasn't finished. I for one am still waiting for it to be released but I think that would be wishful thinking by now. It's really a shame X-Tazy didn't make the release state. I'm sure it would be a very helpful start to both the sales and development (and thus better support) for it.



- VIDEO9000

GFX9000's bigger brother. Because of the time needed to add it to the GFX9000 and the costs there is a limited number of Video9000 owners. There aren't many people who use MSX for superimpose and image digitizing nowadays. PC can do it much faster, but Video9000 is very impressive. Even less applications have Video9000 support like the Sony HB-F900x system and Philips NMS-8280 have, but the results are asstounding.



- MOONSOUND

widely used by many groups, games and applications. The FM-part of it is somewhat behind the WAVE-part when it comes to further development. I've heard things about using the 24 wave channels and enable choice of FM channels to use as well (maybe limited on 24 channels maximum or something). I agree there too little music programs to create music with for MoonSound. A bit of competition or something for MoonBlaster would be a good idea. The MoonSound support for Meridian done by Michiel de Vries is a very good thing to start with.



- SCSI INTERFACES

funny how SCSI is pushed away on PC for fast IDE and USB. A shame, as SCSI can do things totally apart from the computer itself. Downside are the more pricy SCSI devices. That's no difference for MSX. There are many (not so different) SCSI Interfaces for MSX.



- IDE INTERFACES

as it seems there are quite some IDE devices. Recently it was discovered Compact Flash memory cards can be quite easily used on MSX as well using the IDE Interface. Even now the BIOS is still in development. I've heard they're even busy with making a tool to make full use of the FlashROM the IDE Interface has (I'm gonna get trenched saying this, as I'm supposed to make that tool and it's still not finished).



- MEGARAM AND FLASHROM

these two pieces of hardware can be used to load MegaROM images in, but they can be used to load your own stuff in to test with. FlashROM only supports ASCII mapping and I thought MegaRAM supports Konami mapping as well. Not that widely supported but that's because it not such a big deal. You load something into it and basically, that's about it.



That was a bit oldskool kinda stuff, but few things never got really popular and I hope this post will explain why and if and how people are still working on that.





GreeTz, BiFi

Hey BiFi, thanks for pointing out that there are indeed quite some succesful hardware developments. Sunrise IDE and CompactFlash are perfect examples of cool new hardware that instantly improves the overall MSX experience

What I want for MSX was not in the poll:



- C compiler with the layout of Compass.

- DOS 3.

- Nemesis 4!

And of course applications for InterNestor Suite!

Nestor, are u sure to keep your IP suites using for the new msx? Wouldnt it be better to start a NEW development of such software? Since the specs will change, i believe starting over with an entire new design, based on the limits of the specs, would be a good idea.



anyway, i would love to code some communication soft by then!

Quote:

Nestor, are u sure to keep your IP suites using for the new msx?

Well, as long as the new MSX can run DOS 2 and still having mapped memory, NestorMan and INS will work on it...

Quote:

Wouldnt it be better to start a NEW development of such software? Since the specs will change, i believe starting over with an entire new design, based on the limits of the specs, would be a good idea.

Yeah, of course, but aren't you going too fast? You are assuming that a new MSX will actually be produced!

Indeed, it might take quite some time before we actually have our one chip MSX'es. I think you should develop for the oldies in the mean time, Mark

No snout, i won't start coding for the old MSX hardware anymore.



And for nestor, i dont believe the nw MSX will actually be produced some day. And it's too early indeed to design new software for it. But it isnt to early to talk about it.



It will need a lot more then just a MSX magazine for me to start believing. I do believe in the revival because it has already started. I will just wait and see, and in the meanwhile i like to talk about possibilities in the future.

If you would make software for the current MSX system (or even for Gfx9000 and/or Z380) you would actually increase the chances of a one-chip MSX being made



Imagine that, you would actually contribute something useful



What's wrong with the current MSX hardware that you don't want to program for it anymore? Program it right and MSX is still a very potent system! (And nobody has gotten the most out of the turboR yet!)

Heh, Nestor, so you want DOS3, eh? ;p



~Grauw

Finally!



I was waiting for this reply.

Well , it is not mandatory to wait new hardware to develop softaware, if they are well

programmed they can be ported on new platform definition.



For that C programing may help instead of basic/asm.



BTW the new hardware/os would still running dos2 , even if the main OS can change.



Dont you think ?