I doubt any search engines will find me or the Q68, but that remains to be scene.
I was gonna create a web site for the Q68, Q60, and other things I am struggling to make. But I have not had time to do this.
Orders for the Q68 are taken via the QL Forum either by registering interest in the Q68 Message thread in the Hardware section
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2203#p20071
or sending Private Messgage.
I will try to respond to forum messages and PMs immediately.
But bear in mind there is a fault in the QL Forum PM message setup somewhere, where the system does not send an email notification of a received PM. And yes, before eberyone jumps on me to say have to set the correct setting in the USER Profile... yes of course.
The answers to your questions:
I am not sure what is cheap, the price for a Q68 board is £150 and had ever inreased in price since I built the first batch. The EU have tried to incurr extra costs for Import Tax, but I usually pay that and do not pass this on to the end user.Brane2 wrote:Is it cheap and open source ?
WIth regards to Open Source, the only part of the Q68 that is closed is the FPGA code and the PCB design details.
The operating system: SMSq/E, Minerva are Open Source, Applications Software are all supplied with source code (where available)
You can re-programme the FPGA with your own code, but since the Q68 FPGA code, which I only have a JEDEC file, is closed, I do not know how you would get the Q68 back without returning the Q68 to me for re-programming the FPGA.Brane2 wrote:Can I play with the code ?
The Q68 FPGA code implements a 68000 CPU, which like Motorola/FreeScale do not issue the core code of the 68000 CPU in the QL.
What implementations are you planning?
Please note, I am not creating an update job here, in general, I will reprogramme the FPGA with updated core code for minimal cost. I can hear you say, but I want it all for nothing...
If you buy the hardware you are free to modify it how you want. Since I do not know our skill level, I can not comment on your ability to perform the modifications.Brane2 wrote:Can I readilly dapt or modify the HW ?
Yes, the Q68 can run SMSQ/E and Minerva operating system, so can run the majority of all QL software.Brane2 wrote:If I run the original QL program, I want original experience.
But where the application software accesses the QL hardware directly, there is a problem. But on saying all that software written for the QL should use the operating system to access the hardware.
Why?Brane2 wrote:I want microdrives ( minus their unreliability) and want compact machine of the time.
Microdrives can store 100K of data, which is more like 80K on a good day.
If must use a Microdrive, you can create a network connection to the QL with Microdrives, using SerNET, EtherNET, QLUB
Personally, I stopped using microdrives in 1989, when I got a Trump card. It made a good computer computer an excellent computer.
Maybe an Q68 enhancment would be vDRIVEql, but the Q68 has dual SDHC card access of SDHC cards upto 32Gb
The SDHC card I supply is 4Gb, with SMSQ/E and all the QL software available in one place.also includes Black Phoenix, QL/E if you can set up your own environment. Where I supply sample boot files.
The Q68, is the same as a QL, there is an expansion port, I2C header, Serial port for possible expansion.Brane2 wrote:One of great QL's appeal is that the user was always close to "the metal" and soldering iron.
Yes I can usually fix most things.Brane2 wrote:I wasn't prevented or afraid to experiment with it in crazy ways.
If I managed to release the smoke out of something, it was easy to fix.
Well this is the problem, ask your self, how many people have a PC, how many can programme the PC, either Windows or Linux, how many use a Mac and can programme it.Brane2 wrote: Outside of that, we are in "compete with PC" territory.
And I can see none of them coming even close to competing with PC.
Relate this back to the QL community, I think the number of QL programmers are very few, as I do not see much new application software coming out.
Only in the last 10 years has most of all QL operating systems, applications software, games become freely available due the efforts of a few people.which I am eternally grateful.
Personally I have 5 working PCs running Linux or Windows, a couple of MACs - do not like operating system. And other retro computer in storage.
The QL seems to take presence...
Right back to sleep.