Reply 80 of 86, by MN_Moody
igna78 wrote on 2024-12-25, 00:30:MK1869 Extreme is amazing, the only thing I wish was different is the ability to use memory SIMs (I don't like soldered memory on sound cards) 😉
I don't miss the 30-pin SIMM thing at all, the sockets are bulky and prone to oxidation/failure, etc... The failure rate on modern memory chips is so low and they are so small I see no point in this particular retro throwback which was more a function of necessity (people were ditching old computers that used 30-pin RAM so it was more or less surplus.. today they are far rarer, more expensive and of wildly varying specs/quality). The BGA RAM chip is probably cheaper than the socket to accommodate a 30 or 72-pin SIMM and it also takes up way less board space, all of which means smaller/cheaper cards with greater reliability and simplicity for the end user.
I appreciate the efforts to modernize classic chipsets and card designs but the cost of these (for practical reasons, not a criticism of their designers) is still significantly limiting the potential audience that can afford them, as good as this hardware is. Pairing something like a PicoGUS with a WavetablePi is probably the most cost effective way to enjoy a huge list of classic sound cards and MIDI modules on the cheap, which gives people on the cost-focused end of the enthusiast spectrum a way to experience this old sound hardware as well. It really is a golden age for retro hardware & software as, ironically, advances in open source hardware/software converged with numerous emulation/DOSBox focused projects and have jumped the rails back into physical hardware solutions for old computers.
