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/  Forum Index
   /  General Technology (No Console Threads)
      /  Colour Maximite computer anyone?
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Poll : Interested in the Colour Maximite?
Interested? I bought / built one!
Nah, too retro to be cool
Never heard of it before, but this seems neat!
Never heard of it before, not interested
 
PosterThread
Dave73 
Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 8-Mar-2017 19:07:41
#1 ]
Member
Joined: 21-Sep-2016
Posts: 42
From: Toronto, Canada

I'm really tempted to put together one of these Colour Maximite computers:

http://www.geoffg.net/maximite.html

This computer is the result of a magazine article gone wild, created as a demonstration of how one might implement an eight-bit era home computer with a handful of modern components. It ended up being a computer with modern interfaces (VGA, mouse+keyboard) and hardware hacking I/O capability, plus an MS BASIC compliant operating system/programming environment. The latest version, the Colour Maximite, is especially cool with 128KB RAM, colour graphics, sprites, etc.

It's a much different beast than a Raspberry Pi, and in some ways more interesting. Anyone else interested or taken the plunge?

Last edited by Dave73 on 08-Mar-2017 at 07:08 PM.

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pavlor 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 8-Mar-2017 19:19:29
#2 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 10-Jul-2005
Posts: 9578
From: Unknown

@Dave73

Looks like nice hobby project. What about software? It seems compatibility with older home computers was not their goal.

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iggy 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 8-Mar-2017 19:36:47
#3 ]
Super Member
Joined: 20-Oct-2010
Posts: 1175
From: Bear, Delaware USA

@Dave73

Neat, I have always been interested in the PIC32 series of microcontrollers.

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g01df1sh 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 8-Mar-2017 19:39:40
#4 ]
Super Member
Joined: 16-Apr-2009
Posts: 1777
From: UK

@iggy

Would prefer this

http://mega65.org/

_________________
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iggy 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 8-Mar-2017 19:53:07
#5 ]
Super Member
Joined: 20-Oct-2010
Posts: 1175
From: Bear, Delaware USA

@g01df1sh

That will definitely have a market.
I won't be part of it though.

I don't have much interest in 6502 derivatives.
Too many lame Apple II memories.

EDIT:Actually, looking at the mega65 again, that IS pretty cool (even if the processor is 6502 derived). Maybe that would be worthwhile. After all, it should be C64 and C65 compatible, and the high res graphics and DMA functions will add greatly to that mix.

Last edited by iggy on 09-Mar-2017 at 03:11 PM.

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Dave73 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 2:48:32
#6 ]
Member
Joined: 21-Sep-2016
Posts: 42
From: Toronto, Canada

@pavlor

Software is one of the interesting parts. Of course there is no binary compatibility to older machines. But the developer has put a lot of effort into recreating a functional derivative of MS BASIC -- including GW BASIC and those shipped on Commodore machines. That opens up the world of BASIC program listing books and magazines.

There does seem to be a community writing software, including games. The developer has even brought the BASIC interpreter to Windows. It's called MMBasic.

For folks who learned to code on MS BASIC, it's a return home. That also makes it appealing as a hacker/maker platform. It offers I/O like the Pi, but can be programmed directly in a familiar language - instead of learning Linux + Python.

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Raffaele 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 9:29:32
#7 ]
Super Member
Joined: 7-Dec-2005
Posts: 1906
From: Naples, Italy

@g01df1sh

CommodoreOne by Jeri Ellsworth is far better superior to the two previous rivals and more expandible with processors slots and modern peripherals...


http://c64upgra.de/c-one/


I wonder if Jens Shoenfeld still has some motherboards of it (or was Vesalia selling it?)

I hope that sooner or later someone would produce a new batch of this cool motherboard...

Last edited by Raffaele on 09-Mar-2017 at 09:33 AM.

_________________
"When the Amiga came out, everyone [at Apple] was scared as hell." (J.L. Gassée, former CEO of Apple France and chief of devs of Mac II-fx, interviewed by Amazing Computing, Nov 1996).

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Rob 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 10:17:04
#8 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 20-Mar-2003
Posts: 6344
From: S.Wales

@Raffaele

It depends on what you want to use it for. Maximite has a lot of provision for connecting to different interfaces and protocols. If you want to do some kind of industrial control or automotive project the Maximite is far better suited than the C-One.

I was looking at this and wondering how easy it would be to use this with 6-7" screen a make a digital dashboard. It would certainly be a lot cheaper than something off the shelf from AIM or Race Technology.

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iggy 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 10:20:16
#9 ]
Super Member
Joined: 20-Oct-2010
Posts: 1175
From: Bear, Delaware USA

@Raffaele

Did the CommodoreOne actual get into serious production?
It has been almost six years since the last news update.

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Samurai_Crow 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 10:24:28
#10 ]
Elite Member
Joined: 18-Jan-2003
Posts: 2320
From: Minnesota, USA

@iggy

The CommodoreOne was the basis for the first prototype of the NatAmi whose development lead to the Vampire board.

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iggy 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 15:16:44
#11 ]
Super Member
Joined: 20-Oct-2010
Posts: 1175
From: Bear, Delaware USA

@Samurai_Crow

That's NOT reassuring Sam.
Since the Natami never made it to market.

I don't mean a few boards, I mean many, like Jeri's little C64 joystick.
Many, relatively bug free.

Although, if you are looking C64 (and C65) compatibility, I have reversed my original opinion, the Mega65 looks pretty doable.

But for fpga systems, I'll stick with my existing Altera De-1 or one of Mike's Replay boards.

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Dave73 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 20:30:23
#12 ]
Member
Joined: 21-Sep-2016
Posts: 42
From: Toronto, Canada

@Rob

Yeah, the Maximite seems perfectly suited to jobs like a digital dashboard. Like the Pi, there are also simplified versions of the Maximite for these kinds of permanent installations.

Here's one on the author's website, that was also the result of a magazine article:

http://geoffg.net/BoatComputer2.html

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Dave73 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 20:43:39
#13 ]
Member
Joined: 21-Sep-2016
Posts: 42
From: Toronto, Canada

@g01df1sh

Things like the Mega65 and the C-One are cool.

But what I like about the Maximite is that it's a clean sheet design. The same way that the original Commodore products from the PET through the 128 were.

The Maximite isn't hidebound by retro compatibility. It's adopted the cheapest commodity components, making it easily usable in the contemporary world (i.e. SD cards, VGA monitors and PS2 keyboards.)

Considering the low cost / low component count, I think Jack Tramiel would approve of the Maximite!

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iggy 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 21:13:12
#14 ]
Super Member
Joined: 20-Oct-2010
Posts: 1175
From: Bear, Delaware USA

@Dave73

Quote:
...what I like about the Maximite is that it's a clean sheet design. The same way that the original Commodore products from the PET through the 128 were


But the 128 wasn't a clean sheet design, it was a kludge tacked on to the 64's architecture.
And some of the Pet series are merely advances on older system (still like the SuperPet though).

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Dave73 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 21:29:16
#15 ]
Member
Joined: 21-Sep-2016
Posts: 42
From: Toronto, Canada

@iggy

Fair enough. I thought that about the 128 as I typed it.

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Raffaele 
Re: Colour Maximite computer anyone?
Posted on 9-Mar-2017 23:26:50
#16 ]
Super Member
Joined: 7-Dec-2005
Posts: 1906
From: Naples, Italy

@iggy

I think they produced and sold an unimprecised number from 50 to 200 motherboard units...

I have no certain precise data, but CommodoreOne was widely used in alternative hardware manufacturing such as suggested attempt on developing Natami.I heard of almost 3 or 4 projects started involving CommodoreOne (not all related with Amiga Hardware Remakes).

_________________
"When the Amiga came out, everyone [at Apple] was scared as hell." (J.L. Gassée, former CEO of Apple France and chief of devs of Mac II-fx, interviewed by Amazing Computing, Nov 1996).

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