15 Nov
2001
15 Nov
'01
4:28 a.m.
--- "Eric J. Korpela" <korpela(a)ssl.berkeley.edu> wrote:
Then again, I don't join my fellow Apple ][ collectors in claiming that
the 6502 was the best processor on the market either. Like all
religions,
the true believers will always shout down the
heretics.
Well... For the era and for price/performance I think it _was_ one of the
best processors on the market in 1977 (the field being so small, it's
easier to be the best ;-) Of course, best at _what_ is always the
question. It was hardly the best for running CP/M, so if that's what
you wanted, it wasn't even a contender. It was the best at doing what
it ended up doing - being an inexpensive general-purpose processor at
the heart of consumer machines. Plus at it's initial $20/each price,
it was hard to approach from an Intel or Motorola standpoint. Make it
very attractive for the <$1000 market.
Personally, I've always liked the Commodore machines, but, then my
first experience was with a 4K PET. Made lots of money on the Apple ][
(and the C-64), so does _that_ make it better? Maybe. In any case,
if I have the time to play with 8-bitters, I prefer spending the time
on the PET and its relatives as opposed to "newer" computers, but it's
strictly a personal preference, not a ringing endorsement.
-ethan
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