ksattic (+2.5)
5/5/04 2:57AM |
It looks like it has a PC "game port", which says to me it's a PC clone with a copy of Virtual Acorn, but I could be horribly wrong. That's a really nice size for a machine. Even better if you get choices of colours! I would probably choose Phoebe Yellow (TM). |
fylfot (+1.0)
5/5/04 3:02AM |
If it is Virtual RPC, it would be cool if it's running on Linux - this being the most obvious choice of OS if it is not running on Windows.
Ooh, I'm excited! |
drjones69 (+2.5)
5/5/04 3:02AM |
OK, I'll byte (sic) since I'm still up when I should've been in bed some time ago 
A new RiscOS machine - name suggesting an A7500 based machine? License sticker showing RISC OS 4 licensed from Pace (should current ones also show Castle, or is Pace a sub licensee who also sell sub-licenses to sub licenees - never did quiet get my head around that one).
What are the 2 upper connectors? Parellel and something else (user/analogue port?) - datalogging beast for unfavourable terrain? Nice to see acticity on the hardware front from such an activite company whatever it is
And something else to have a nosey at come Wakefield of course
Regards,
Ryan
Disclaimer - This message is posted on Drobe Comments and may not be used elsewhere without asking nicely blah blah, spelling/grammatical errors a result of late hour and are to be expected. |
knutson (+1.0)
5/5/04 3:03AM |
Just how talk are those Lego men??? Looks like a very compact case.
With a colour like that it can't help but draw attention to itself Something we need more of! |
simo
5/5/04 3:33AM |
"If it is Virtual RPC, it would be cool if it's running on Linux - this being the most obvious choice of OS if it is not running on Windows."
Oh get over it - Linux VRPC is not going to happen [at least not for a very long time] Jesus! |
mikeg (+1.0)
5/5/04 7:31AM |
It has certainly got a PC Game Port, but as it's above rather than beside the audio ports, it doesn't look like a PC card. Moreover, this type of port has been around for MIDI for years; see the Audio Dynamics cards. If it is a PC, it's a very weird one, as there are no USB ports visible at all, just a couple of PS/2 jobs.
And where does the electricity go in? |
piemmm (+1.0)
5/5/04 8:27AM |
If you look carefully in the 1st picture you can see 3 atx format audio connectors below the audio port - looks like an A6 in a different case to me. |
piemmm (-1.0)
5/5/04 8:28AM |
s/audio port/game port/ |
md0u80c9 (-1.0)
5/5/04 8:36AM |
In reply to simo:
not even Jesus will be doing that for a while! Although if he's programming for RISC OS now, things are looking up |
1234
5/5/04 9:13AM |
Looks not quite as nice as mine!!
Pearl white clamshell with real RPC mainboard. 
Wait and see. |
Rimmer (+2.5)
5/5/04 9:46AM |
Looking at the length of the case (compared to the width) This looks quite big, the lack of power connector is interesting, batteries? |
NoMercy (+2.5)
5/5/04 10:10AM |
*pulls out a PC I/O shield* well the port layout is 99.9% PC land, but that doesn't mean it's a PC, after all [Link: www.simtec.co.uk] has exactly that layout of ports... and would fit in that box, and STD have worked with Simtec in the past.... |
cmj (+1.0)
5/5/04 10:22AM |
That 15 way D COnnector again - maybe its for Econet |
JessFranco (+1.0)
5/5/04 11:06AM |
From the headline, I thought this might have been a new Caslte A7000 replacement - perhaps Xscale based, but losing the podules and PCI for an all USB 2 thing. Pah! I would buy one of those.
7500 chips are the future, though. Who could deny that? |
egel (+2.5)
5/5/04 11:06AM |
Nomercy+cmj:
Standard I/O Ports: RS232, parallel port, PS2 Keyboard and mouse, *PC style game port* , 15 pin VGA
OS Supported: RISC OS 4.03, Linux
[Link: www.simtec.co.uk]
"Nothing special: STD is going to sell Simtec EB7500ATX evaluation boards in a colourful case."
An A11 would be special: http://www.simtec.co.uk/products/EB110ATX/
Than they have done something MicroDigital should have done. |
vshears (+1.0)
5/5/04 11:11AM |
My guess is also that it is some STD / Simtec collabiration in a small rugged case (probably made to meet a clients specific requirements).
If it turns out to be simply a off the peg wintel PC running Virtual Acorn I will be very disappointed. |
nunfetishist (+2.5)
5/5/04 11:16AM |
It's quite obvious it's the Simtec board - I noticed as soon as I saw these photos. Compare [Link: www.drobe.co.uk] with [Link: www.simtec.co.uk] and it becomes so obvious.
I imagine it's in a tough case for STD because the Simtec ARM7500 board is so difficult to kill.
Nice to see somebody sill trying to sell the same stuff as RiscStation, though |
JessFranco
5/5/04 11:23AM |
Maybe this is based on Simtec's own new Xscale board and RISCOS Ltd have doubled their already strident efforts to bring a hardware-abstracted 32bit ROS to market in time for Wakefield. |
nunfetishist (-1.0)
5/5/04 11:34AM |
*cough* |
Stewy (+1.0)
5/5/04 11:48AM |
In reply to ksattic:
The Omega has a PC game/MIDI and joystick port
In reply to the call for headlines:
Money for old rope?
STD on the ropes?
It's a very amusing and creative 'tease'. Full marks to STD! |
quatermass (+1.0)
5/5/04 12:02PM |
Naughty Chris.....not suppose to release this info this early.
I wonder which market STD is aiming for? Hmmm bright orange, rugged box, blues ropes. These are all clues.
Who uses blue ropes and I'm not talking about a Soup Dragon and Clangers?
|
cynic (+1.0)
5/5/04 12:16PM |
The only new hardware we really need at the moment is a portable RISC OS solution. I believe a well specced portable would outsell the desktop option - and is prefect for RISC OS/Xscale. ATM it is Intel who are doing the right stuff with Centrino - but a RISC OS solution would be very attractive.
Without this Virtual RISC OS will soon exceed the use of real hardware. |
john (+1.5)
5/5/04 12:39PM |
There's no USB port, it is laid out just like the RiscStation connectors.
If it's a PC where are all the ventilation holes! And how have they fitted in the CPU?
So my money's on it being possibly a RiscStation board, or perhaps something updated, but with it being RO4 I'd hesitate to say that it could be XScale based. The NC was done by Acorn years ago so I shouldn't expect they'd just do a RiscStation in a small box.
As for power maybe you shake it for 5 minutes and it works for half an hour? |
john (+1.5)
5/5/04 12:45PM |
See [Link: www.thedeathzone.free-online.co.uk] for the relative size (with apologies for linking to someone else's image). And note the same layout, and the presence of the activity/link LEDs on the network port. And don't PCs normally have 2 serial ports, not a serial and a 15pin video?
My money's strongly on a RiscStation type or variant, rather than a PC. |
Mendosa
5/5/04 1:27PM |
Quatermass wrote:
"I wonder which market STD is aiming for? Hmmm bright orange, rugged box, blues ropes. These are all clues."
Bright orange ? Blue ropes ? Nope I can't work it out ! Who is it ? Am I being dense ? |
egel (+1.5)
5/5/04 1:35PM |
In reply to Mendosa:
It's a give-away:
Britain's Marine and Coastguard Agency (or at least they should)
[Link: news.independent.co.uk] |
JWCR
5/5/04 1:49PM |
"and RISCOS Ltd have doubled their already strident "
"efforts to bring a hardware-abstracted 32bit ROS to "
"market in time for Wakefield."
:rolleyes:
And I'm a little pink pig called Jeremy.
RISC OS Limited's whole business stratergy is devoted to 26 bit RISC OS. Changing horse in mid-stream now for them would be suicidal. Good luck to them. Someone needs to keep the old technology going. |
mrchocky
5/5/04 1:49PM |
Yay, classic space Lego.
</flibble> |
j5m1th
5/5/04 1:51PM |
In reply to john:
PCs don't necessarily come with 2 serial ports. PC manufacturers are generally trying to retire RS232 and rely on USB, the PC I'm using at the moment only has one serial port.
The size would certainly suggest it isn't a wintel PC, as these generally need a greater height for the CPU heatsink and fan, plus clearance for air.
I would have thought that, as others have said, it is probably built around Simtec's ARM7500 board, it would make sense. |
The Doctor (+1.5)
5/5/04 1:59PM |
Feel free to mod this post down if you want but,
It would appear to be using the same / similar board as the RiscStation Lite in a smaller less expandable case, albeit an orange one!
I can only hope that ST Developments have identified a new market for this, since no-one bought the RiscStation (or at least, not many).
Still, I'm hoping to be surprised by it and look forward to seeing it in the flesh (so to speak).
Cheers! |
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