Well what got me thinking about adding DB-specific support was I was thinking of things like ya-basic+yaroze that never really stuck, cos the machine was ultimately only good for one thing and sufferred obsolescence. The X-box could have been the turning point but MS were too greedy, the Console-PC would be a computer which can run existing pc software of any kind, yet have a front end gui which would encourage development in db, though of course you could run practically any .exe or on the machine.
The way I see it, if you go rewriting the kernel for windows and calling the thing a console, you enter a world of pain with microsoft lawyers as your torturers.
So my thought is to stick with developing a console-PC which does infact fill this gap in the market, without really charging for it, perhaps with a company like nvidia contributing in the way of providing units at reduced cost to the kit supplier etc... The frontend would flash up their logo so they'd get advertising in return. No-one from DBS has posted here or emailed me about it so I'm pretty sure we can rule out a whole rewrite of DB!! But once the thing is more than a collection of ideas in text on a screen perhaps the project will gather interest...
This way the front end can include existing software such as:
mame
netsicle
bleem
or better emulators
for
every single console/handheld ever made!!!
And of course directx/opengl as part of the windows o/s which runs in the background so regular windows games and even dos games can be played. Part of this function would be in limiting the speed of the machine so that these old games ran at a reasonable pace!!
Finally the machine can exit to windows proper, so that it can also be used as a standard pc.
The other part of the front end is a net gamimg menu with links to gamespy etc (I'm not up with net gaming so someone else can take care of that!!)
And Also, part of the menu would encourage development, with links to related forums, such as apollo and rgt, but also other languages.
This keeps the thing as open as possible.
If anyone is to make money out of it, it will be the folks who work with me on the menu/frontend, and anyone who would provide a kit for a reasonable amount.
Whoever provided the kits would really need direct access to hardware distributors, not retailers.
Without going the way of the X-box (proprietary formats etc) I don't see how the machine would be able to accomplish all of the above.
Keeping it a simple frontend and kit ensures that existing software can be included without copyright infringement.
Put it this way, if we were to develop and market a console which is pc/windows/directX based we'd be charging for microsoft products...
I started in computers in a time when they were actually available as kits, and quite cheap with a built in basic. People wrote their own development tools and games, then released them either at fetes, any shop that'd have 'em, and computer magazines which would put them on the covertape.
When the PC took over and the real computer revolution began, this cool small but expanding scene was crushed by the limitations of machines that were designed with buisness users in mind, and the rising price of computers no longer available in kit form.
However, I think scripting Languages like DB are kinda rekindling that early bedroom coder spirit, but the problem is most kids these days prefer to play games on their consoles, and rightly so 'cos it's more comfortable to eat chips and drink in the loungeroom on soft couches and play your games on the largest screen in the house
That's really the reason for a console-PC.
ZX Spectrum 48k Issue 3, Radio shack Tape drive, Rank arena 12" T.V. set.
