DOS ain't dead

86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support (Announce)

posted by Oso2k, 01.11.2013, 17:20

> > Unofficially, I've been told the November/December time frame. Exciting.
>
> > I got a few Raspberry Pi Model B's (2x256MB and 2x512MB) for sale. :D
>
> Huh, I never bought a Raspberry Pi because I knew something like it would
> come along which was compatible with the x86 architecture and therefore
> would run DOS in realmode! Not to say I wasn't tempted with the pi, but its
> ARM CPU architecture was the killer for me.
>
> A great Christmas present, indeed with the 86duino. If only I could get one
> with 512 or 1 GB of RAM instead of 256 mb.

The Pi aint so bad. It's just not great.

Pros
*Cheapest
*Great community
*Works with modern tools and improving all the time
*Awesome GPU for the cost

Cons
*A bit slow if you're application can't/won't utilize the the GPU (NAS, filesharing, ssh login server)
*Board layout is just friggin weird. You have no choice but to hack it. I would have prioritized putting all the ports on one side of the board like the Via APC or laid the ports along two/three sides. I don't know why they chose SD instead of microSD for storage but chose microUSB instead of a vertical USB or miniUSB. Power & Ethernet could have been on one side. HDMI and RCA A/V should be on one side.
*The board is tall for its footprint. I really do hate stacked USB ports. I would have laid three micro usb 2.0 ports side by side since the ethernet is only 10/100 anyways and is emulated over the dang USB chip.
* It's ARM so some of the great x86 code I like doesn't work. I sometimes use stuff from linux asmutils from asm.sf.net
* It's not "completely" open. I'd love to see DSI support and access to the low power GPU mode (it's the boot up mode of the SoC which then transfers control to the CPU).
* Not as low power as one might expect for the processing power you get.

If you really need 512MB RAM on the 86duino, you may be able to make a custom order by contacting soc@dmp.com.tw.

Complete thread:

• 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 17.09.2013, 14:20 (Announce)
  • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Zyzzle, 17.09.2013, 22:36
    • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 17.09.2013, 23:24
      • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Zyzzle, 18.09.2013, 23:23
        • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Brian_extended, 21.10.2013, 23:16
          • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 22.10.2013, 02:00
    • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Oso2k, 29.10.2013, 22:03
      • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 30.10.2013, 01:51
        • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RoBoardLab, 30.10.2013, 16:54
          • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 30.10.2013, 19:03
            • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RoBoardLab, 31.10.2013, 16:40
              • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Oso2k, 31.10.2013, 21:55
                • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 01.11.2013, 01:26
                • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Zyzzle, 01.11.2013, 02:48
                  • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Oso2k, 01.11.2013, 17:20
                    • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 02.11.2013, 01:42
          • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support-long filenames - Arjay, 01.11.2013, 23:41
  • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Ibidem, 06.10.2013, 08:08
    • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 10.10.2013, 22:27
      • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Ibidem, 12.10.2013, 07:21
        • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 12.10.2013, 14:37
      • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - Oso2k, 29.10.2013, 22:17
        • 86duino OpenHW project with DOS/DJGPP support - RayeR, 30.10.2013, 01:49