Product requests

[MbeeTech]

- Real Time Clock Kit

- SN76489a Sound Generator Kit (I do have a Beethoven, but would also like to try out the chip option that the Premium / 256TC has "onboard".

- Definitely interested in the Telnet adapter.... also been keeping an eye on FujiNet and things like that. Hope to see this on the Microbee one day. I really want a text-based email / messaging kind of system.

- Hard Drive image option for the Premium+ (would be excellent as a paid ROM upgrade)

- Mouse adapter, so I can play around with GUI programming

- Wi-Fi SD Cards (eg. Toshiba FlashAir) so we can easily add disk images to our Premium+ any time we want 

- High quality reproductions of Microbee books and Magazines to order on demand.

In regards to the RTC kit, if you have a premium machine, you should be able to source the parts yourself and install it.
I would not think the RTC would be of much use other than to have fun installing it.  It doesn't have a century byte so none
of the existing software would give you the correct calendar functionality. The Shell was the only place that time / date was 
displayed.  No other software, to my knowledge, made use of it.

Same issues exist with the SN76489 sound generator.  Different port map (If I recall correctly) and no software used it, as it
was never fitted in the factory.

Making use of Hard disk images in the premium plus / 256TC-SE is something I'd be interested in pursuing myself.

The Telnet adapter is something I've already done (hardware : WifiSer ) and need to finish off mods to Telcom and Videotex
software for it's release.



Mouse adapter.  This is something I am looking at.  I can duplicate the original Microbee Serial mouse adapter fairly easily,
but I would prefer to make a USB mouse adapter.  I'd like to have this ready for the Classic Plus release.

Wifi-SDcards - you can buy these already.  I haven't tried them, but I see no issue in using them.

In regards to the manuals, it is something I am considering for a select range, and possibly Online Magazine.

Appreciate your input.

 and put inside a sexy new case like Owen showed off at the March of the Microbee

First off, I know it's a bit confusing having Microbee originally owned by 'Owen' and now 'Ewan'
so I'd just like to clarify.. I am Ewan - the current owner of Microbee Technology (have been for more than 
a decade.)

In regards to the sexy new case, I assume you are referring to the right most one in the picture below:



That particular unit is my working PC and a test case for a modern Microbee PC.  However, the keyboard
and case are designed to be used with the up-coming 256TC-Plus which has the same innards as the Classic-Plus
that I've been talking about (and is in the picture above, 2nd from the right) with the exception that it has the
full PC style keyboard.   
The Classic Plus is designed to be the cheaper version without a case (to be used like that or to replace the 
boards in an existing Microbee), while the 256TC-Plus is the fully cased version with the deluxe keyboard.
See Here for more details.
While both these models have some parts integrated into an FPGA, there is very good reason for it.
Making original Microbees and even the Premium Plus has to rely on obtaining 30-40 year old parts :
in particular, the SY6545 screen controller (along with other items) which presents problems in sourcing
the components, and possible reliability problems / higher failure rates.
This is one of the reasons I've moved the video section into an FPGA. I don't want to be held at the mercy of
redundant parts suppliers.
And while it doesn't appeal to absolutely everyone, I am adding newer features to give people something to 
play with, program, investigate and learn with rather than just replicating an old model.  You don't have to have 
any knowledge of FPGAs to make use of the new features, and you can ignore them completely if you want as it 
still runs all of the original software. It's still a regular Z80 based machine, it's just that some circuitry has 
been implemented in programmable logic rather than individual chips.
That brings me to another point as to why some parts of the Microbee have been moved into the FPGA :
Cost & simplicity.  While still having A Z80, PIO, memory etc., as components to be soldered in to the PCB,
the FPGA enables me to reduce the chip count (hence cost) and make the board easier to get going for the 
constructor.

I hope this clarifies a some items for you.
All the best.