[FWD] Sprinter News

============================================================================== * Forwarded by Wladimir Bulchukey (500:95/462) * Region : ZX.SPECTRUM (Speccy - rulez!) * From: Alex Goryachev, 2:5030/529.48@FidoNet.org (22 Mar 01 17:42) * To: All, * Topic: Sprinter News ============================================================================== Greetings, All! Answering questions about the Sprinter computer that appeared in the conference, I hope for your understanding and friendly attitude. At the moment, the "Sprinter" project (by the way, you need to write exactly according to English, because - Trade Mark :-) is actively developing. Considering the well-known situation with personal computers and distribution of software in our country, we now hope for interest in Sprinter from foreigners. At the current stage of work, we want to present to the world a computer capable to interest primarily software developers 8 and 16-bit computers, consoles and slot machines with any market for its programs and related products. Such teams exist because they pay money for software abroad, there are clubs and regular users. And therefore our distributors in the West will be able sell your new software along with Sprinter. By Western standards Sprinter is not expensive (considering the capabilities and ease of use of the peripherals),so serious business is possible here. Provided that software for Sprinter is created in the West, our computer can be in demand in the domestic market. We hope so. We have now established relationships with two potential distributors (in Spain and in the USA). They have already purchased test copies, active The correspondence and prospects are quite encouraging. There are also private individuals who ordered Sprinter. Therefore, work on the project is now being carried out in three levels: finalization iron; optimization of basic software that allows you to use hardware and create it contains application software; promotion of Sprinter on the foreign market and active PR. The basic software in our view includes: DOS, file manager, text and graphic editors, assembler, language compilers programming, a set of utilities (converters, viewers). As for hardware, we are currently testing a new Sp2000 PLM board EP1K30QC208-3 (with three times the volume), which should become the basis Sprinter model line. Here it is necessary to separate the concepts of “computer board” and "computer model". By board we must understand the board itself, as hardware, and by computer model we must mean a set of configurations, performed in Altera. If we talk about the potential of the Sp2000 board, then we can List the new things it allows you to implement:1. 16-bit architecture for pairing PLM with main memory and IDE (will increase the speed of work with the HDD and the speed of the accelerator) 2. Separate layout of the main RAM block, IDE, FDD with the block processor, ROM, Cache-RAM, ISA. Allows: - organize direct memory access for IDE, FDD and more; - further increase the speed of the IDE; - organize fast parallel operation of the IDE and processor; - organize video modes with the location of data in the main RAM; 3. 16-bit two-channel audio DAC. And this is full 16-bit sound. 4. And some additional features: - connection of 72-pin SIMM from 4 to 64 megabytes; - ROM up to 256Kb - full printer port. The fundamental difference between the Sp2000 board is that it allows upgrade your computer model without replacing the board. This is done using program launched on the Sprinter itself and rewrites information in board chips. The cost of such an upgrade will be low. Sprinter will do it a truly flexible all-purpose computer. Today's Sprinter model has added full LPT port and 16-bit audio DAC. The cost of such a configuration is $95. The Sp2000 board is currently undergoing testing and is not yet ready for use. sales to final users. It implemented many new products, which does not allow the releaseit is sold without careful testing and fine-tuning. Taking this into account, we decided to expand the line of Sprinter boards and are ready offer users the Sp2000-Light board. The difference from Sp2000 is the absence of ISA slots, a second IDE connector and video RAM limitation to 256Kb. This allowed us to reduce the cost of hardware to $85. In this case the fee retained the ability to software upgrade the computer model. We hope that the new board will be of interest to users who like Sprinter interesting primarily as an “advanced” Specrtum. If you want to order the Sp-2000-Light board or have any questions write: FIDO: 2:5030/529.48 e-mail: peters@atlant.ru Images of the new boards are available on our website http://www.petersplus.da.ru Also, if you live in St. Petersburg, you can get acquainted with the computer Sprinter if you go to the office of the company "PETERS Plus" at Vosstaniya St. 35, office 31 (4th floor), (on weekdays, only from 17 to 19 hours) tel. (812) 327-3531 Good luck everyone! Alexey Goryachev (Sprinter project manager) ================================================================================ Greetings, All! Rulez! With the best - Wlodek. mailto: wlblack@chat.ru http://www.wlodeks.boom.ru [ZX] [Golyanovo] [Radio "Retro" 72.92 MHz]