> The Z380-board in development will be a better buy than a turboR.
> It will be compatible to the MSX2 but not especially to the turboR. This
> means no standard PCM-unit and switching routines for Z80/R800
> RAM/ROM-modes. Anyway, I think these can be emulated very easily by just
> using another BIOS.
Sorry to say, but I think you should go for the Turbo-R. The Z380 project
is still under developement and I doubt if it will ever be finished. Over
here in Holland MSX is slowly dying (example was the fair in Tilburg, which
had a lack of visitors). I saw a booth where they where showing a prototype
of the Z380, but if it worked........ that's what they didn't demonstrate
as far as I can remember.
In the last 2 years many ppl announced they where busy with something
(especially software) and after a few months they leave it as is, without
releasing anything.
About the Turbo-R; the speed is ok but it still has it disadvantages (eg.
the slow V9958 and some bad written software doesn't run on it).
And about MSX2000.......... well I hope that we'll make it but as far as I
can see now the end of 1999 or halfway 2000 MSX is totally dead over here
(sad but true).
The main reasons:
- IBM compatibles have taken over the market
- MSX had it advantages, but it's slow and old (Be realistic, it's the
truth)
- Lack of widely distributed hardware for an affordable price (this also
includes 2nd hand stuff..... who wants to pay $500 for a Turbo-R nowadays,
while you shouldn't pay more than $100 for that bunch of outdated
electronics? And then I even won't mention the MSX2).
- Lack of software (have you seen anything really interesting for the last
few months??)
- There's still a lot of 'backstabbing' between MSX groups (those kids
never learn!)
- More and more real programmers leave the scene (nowadays it seems ppl can
only make music disks and call themselves 'programmers', because they can
make 'such a nice analyser').
I can continue this list, but ok, I won't make it even worse. MSX is still
fun, because it's a computer which can be programmed very easily, but
hey... it's not the ultimate.
When I have repaired my Turbo-R GT, I will be back in business too. I still
have some plans and unfinished programs (no, not a music disk :-] ). I
won't tell what it is, or when it will be finished, but if I finish it, it
will be freeware of course (if I wanted to get rich with MSX I had to have
released these programs about 8 years ago or so).
GreeTz,
Roberto (a.k.a. MTC)
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