Re: [NTLK] Subject: Re: The future of the Newton: A course tobring it to new

From: Sealie Computing (bunnyboy_at_sealiecomputing.com)
Date: Tue Dec 03 2002 - 22:32:54 EST


On Tuesday, Dec 3, 2002, at 19:04 US/Pacific, John M. Powell wrote:
>
>> Here's what we CAN do
>> 1) At least one stock Newt exists with 11 (or 12) MB of internal RAM
>> a) let's figure out how this was made
>> b) have someone produce the memory board
>> c) extract, copy and disseminate whatever system patch let
>> it recognize the additional RAM
>
> OH YEAH! I've actually wondered why we haven't already done that.
> Fear of destroying the original? With Paul's ATA driver, we might
> need the extra RAM. All this extra storage we have... more programs,
> web surfing, etc. Yep. We need the extra RAM.
>

The additional memory is not RAM for running programs, it is Flash RAM
for storage. Upgrading from the 4MB built in to the 12MB of the
developer Newton is pretty much the same as putting an 8MB Flash card
in a slot. I already figured out all the info on the ROM board to
build a new one with more Flash RAM, but the cost is just too high.
Individual flash chips are more expensive than Flash cards, and PCBs
are expensive (just as PCBman). The 4MB RAM is a physical limitation
of the motherboard (and possibly chipset) which may be why someone
hasn't already gone past it.

Brian Parker
Sealie Computing
bunnyboy_at_sealiecomputing.com

NewtGlider - www.sealiecomputing.com/NewtGlider
MathFaster - www.sealiecomputing.com/MathFaster
Napalm - www.sealiecomputing.com/Napalm4.GIF

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