26 Jun
2013
26 Jun
'13
6:13 p.m.
On Jun 26, 2013, at 5:19 PM, ben <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca> wrote:
PS. Why all this wanting of old hardware in FPGA's nowadays? At one time you could
get C-64's free with other assorted junk in a box for $ 2.00
Because every day, the stuff we love is getting harder to find. Sure, C64s and Apple
IIe's are still very very common, but they're getting less common all too quickly.
In 10 to 15 years, expect to pay real money for a working one. They're already going
for $40 to $75 now, depending on condition, and they often need repairs -- especially
replacement of filter capacitors!
But for anything less common than that, prices are up up up. Way up. My personal favorite
toys (DEC gear) are just not common any more at all. If you want a PDP-11, you can still
find them on eBay but they're $250 for the most common variety, up to $3000 for the
rare Unibus models. If you want a PDP-8/e, expect $2000 and up, depending on condition. If
you want a PDP-10... I'm just kidding, you can't have a PDP-10! :)
Those sorts of things are _perfect_ for FPGA. For right now, though, it's better to
have a real Amiga or a real C64 or a real Apple II, instead of an FPGA.
-Seth