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Pushing the limits of original 8bit computers with modern programming techniques

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Alex Eisenhut:
I humbly suggest that GEOS already pushed the limits of the C64 back in the '80s. With other '80s Commodore goodies like the 1581 3.5" floppy, 1764 256K RAM expansion, and 1351 proportional mouse it made the 64 into a Mac-Lite.

https://monochromeeffect.org/wp/en/2018/05/19/305/

OK OK that's a 128, still an 8 bitter!

m k:

--- Quote from: David Hess on August 06, 2022, 11:17:45 pm ---
--- Quote from: Kleinstein on August 06, 2022, 02:18:00 pm ---The Amiga1000 from the start included to option for expansion. It just got a little tricky with more than 1 card. However with all the basic functions on board, there was no need for an expansion card in most cases.  The original IBM PC needed extra cards for the floppy controller, Printer and usually RAM expansion - so not sure they had more than 1 free slot after that.
--- End quote ---

That is the same argument made by all of the other systems of that time which lacked card cage type expansion, especially the TI99/4A.  Even Apple relented and eventually released a Macintosh with expansion.  The commercially successful systems from that time are the IBM PC and Apple Macintosh, and Apple almost did not make it.

Was there some other reason that none of the other systems became the future standard?

--- End quote ---

I'd say that the primary reason was a wrong market segment, or missing pro segment.
IBM PC was a general number crunching thing and Apple found a publishing segment.
Animation was what Amiga world tried later but it was sort of officially unsupported event, and pretty small segment.

Now it's pretty obvious that special stuff can survive with higher prices but minimal volume must be reached.
Gaming have lifted some unusual or atypical programming areas onto their own feet, like landscapists.

Kleinstein:
With computers the more common systems have an inherent advantage of good software choices, available preriphery and more people knowing how to use it. So it is natural that there are only a few systems to really do well, even if others are from the technical side better.

The main advantage of the IBM PC was the brand IBM behind it and available periphery and later the software side. It was fortuous that the graphics was upgradable seprate from the rest of the system. So the graphis could get imporved while still keeping the old DOS compatibility.
The Amiga lacked a good flicker free graphics and was thus very limited for professional use (a few exceptions for video) - it just took too long to change this.

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