Since recently there seems to be some initiatives on building new MSX systems or upgrades, it seems interesting to poll the MSX community about some important aspects.
As it's difficult to ask so many questions on a traditional voting poll, maybe some more broader questions on megapoll style may achieve better results. If you like the idea, please answer the following questions:
1) How much would you pay for a new MSX system?
Examples for answering:
- Less than $300 - "I can buy a good used MSX2 for less than this!"
- $300~$700 - "MSX computers were meant to be cheap!"
- $700~$900 - "Those nice Turbo-Rs were sold for this price"
- Price? Just shut up and take my money
- I'm only interested on the good old MSX models
- No real hardware for me: I just want good emulators
2) Tell about your profile on how conservative on the hardware aspect you are:
Examples for answering:
- Very open-minded: Software emulated components are widely acceptable
- A bit conservative: No software emulation. But using FPGA/CPLD is acceptable for main chips like the CPU, VDP, PPI, PSG etc
- More or less conservative: Try to keep the FPGA implementation only for chips that are hard to be found or have to many speed restrictions
- Very conservative: Only real chips are acceptable. FPGA/CPLD should only be used for gluelogic and bus control
- Purist: Only real chips, TTLs and MSX-Engines, Just like the good old days. Even if that causes it to be more expensive.
3) How much flexibility you find acceptable on changing the hardware
Examples for answering:
- Purist: A real MSX can only have a Z80A from Zilog running at 3.579545MHz with a waitstate on M1, a Texas TMS9918 VDP, an Intel PPI 8255 and a General Instruments AY-3-8910, just like the MSX Redbook states since 1983! And it must have a cassete port and built-in Paddle support!
- Very conservative: Chips can only be changed by perfectly compatible equivalents, even on timings. Newer generations are accepted only if they perfectly match every single aspect of the previous generation, even if this means accumulative costs (i.e.: Cassete port/paddle/lightpen support must be present). The hardware interface and timings must be exactly as stated by the MSX Redbook.
- More or less conservative: I'm open to some innovation, but the legacy hardware must be present and their old interfaces must be identical. I accept that unused interfaces are removed (cassete port, i.e.) If a speed improvement is done, there must be a way to change back to traditional timings. I accept new ports to be added only if there's a translator running in the middle (for mouse, keyboard, joystick, paddle, lightpen, etc). Even if all this results in added cost to include so much legacy requirements.
- Open-minded: It's like the MSX Technical Handbook states: "MSX manufacturers may change some of the hardware from the standard MSX system and maintain software compatibility by rewriting BIOS. The hardware differences would thus be transparent to the software". I want a modern MSX. Innovate and change anything you need speed things up and cut costs on legacies (cassete/keyboard/mouse/joysticks/paddle/lightpen etc). Exact timings were never mentioned on the specs and thus are not important. My only requirements are that the CPU must run all the Z80 opcodes properly and the BIOS provide the layer to hide such differences from the user programs. Software that didn't followed the coding guidelines were buggy and their software-houses shouldn't have decided to pass this cost to the hardware design and this decision will finally face their consequences. Having to patch the software to fix such bugs is an acceptable price for having a more advanced machine.
- Very open-minded: Just like the open-minded, but even the CPU may have some opcode differences if this mean that a faster and more modern CPU can be used. I want the machine as modern as possible. Software can be patched to compensate any opcode differences.
4) An what about the BIOS?
Examples for answering:
- Purist: Only the unchanged original MSX BIOS is acceptable on a real MSX computer
- Conservative: Only the original MSX BIOS, but patches are acceptable
- More or less conservative: A compatible BIOS, like the C-BIOS, is perfectly acceptable. But there must be a way to change to the original BIOS, even if this means added costs and copyright issues.
- Open-minded: A compatible BIOS, like the C-BIOS, is perfectly acceptable. I don't want to buy a machine with any copyright issues.
- Very open-minded: I'm such a big fan of C-BIOS that I even installed it on my old MSX hardware.
Some important rules must be followed:
1) Keep in mind that such market survey has only the intention to serve as a base for hardware developers on their design decisions if they want to, but by no means should be used to try impose anything. We're talking about a hobby here, right?
2) Be civilized, respect other people opinions. Keep in mind that this is a survey, not a discussion. Don't badmouth or disagree on any answers posted here. If you disagree with any answer, keep it to yourself. Be rational, control your emotions. This is a technical hobby, not some religious cult.
3) Try to use the example answers above, so the results can be better summarized. But fell free to add comments after your answers too. You may add an option if you feel like none of the profiles reflect anything barely close to what you think, but try to keep the custom answers at a minimum.
So, let's begin! Have fun answering the survey!
Moving forward, 5V I/O should be dumped I think, 3.3V I/O peripherals are everywhere. A newly yet-to-define expansion connector wouldn't hurt.