Forum - As for the new DOS and BIOS settings for the Spectrum.

ZX Review #7-8-9-10
(C) Didenko, g.Eysk Krasnodar


   Hello, Dear Editors ZX REVIEW! I write to you about the 
article in the sixth P. Fedin magazine. I fully agree with the 
suggestion of the author to develop a new DOS and BIOS for 
Spectrum. But in my opinion, in This project has several 
shortcomings. Firstly, and DOS, and BIOS not fit into 16 KB 
occupied by the BASIC-128, and delete from ROM

TR DOS can not, because we lose
all software.
Offered for access to DOS and
BIOS to use two bits of port # 7FFD (in principle, by
four bits can be obtained
access to the fifteen banks in 16
Kb).

   Second, the most significant
shortcoming of the project is
that it is aimed at owners of Scorpion, Profi, ATM and totally 
unacceptable to the owners of Spectrum-128, as there there is 
no extended memory, no hard drive or other gadgets. Of course, 
in the pages of ZXRevyu "printed a lot of schemes various 
devices, but if everyone starts to improve his Spectrum as he 
pleases, combining various development

then such a mess can not cope any BIOS. You can regret to say 
that there are now (at least): Four options to increase memory, 
three controller for hard drives of various types, three musical

card type Covox, a video processor and a huge number of mice, 
ROM-discs and other devices (as necessary and unnecessary). 
Most of these devices is not sufficiently programmatic support. 
In addition, I do not understand why Spectrum'u

nonvolatile memory clock?
And what BIOS-y to work with your printer? Is not it easier to 
write program (which, incidentally, we have

is). And in general, 16 KB - it is not
so much! A pro support
video processor in the article does not say a word. In general, 
it is unclear what should be connected, and that there is!


   Since DOS is also not clear. Why work with segmented
files? The benefits of this little, but the problems will be 
through the roof. Who does not believe me, let him work with 
the program in Speedisk ISDOS (I thought my drive explode after 
fifty minutes continuous use)! As for files of great length, it 
is reasonable to increase the total sector size. And anyway, in 
my opinion, the new DOS must be

focused on Spectrum, but not
"Lapped up" with IBM!


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