Video display and 40/80 columns

[Tom Wilson]

Hey, Chris. I saw your video the other day, and this project really looks like it's coming along nicely. I am eagerly awaiting seeing this come up for sale.

I did have a question about the video output... one of the things I've wanted to see, for a very long time, is a 6502 computer with a native 80 column output. We haven't really had one since the PET days, and this seems like a good opportunity to make that happen. 

Can the firmware in the MCU being used for video output handle 80 column text? Or, as an alternative, is there going to be a serial console on this machine that we can use with an external terminal (such as your terminal board for the Altairduino Pro)? 

On a somewhat related note, I'm wondering what other chips are going to be on the board, such as the 6522 VIA or a 6551 ACIA. I want to program for both of those chips for upcoming projects, so having something that can act as a development board would be fantastic. 

If those aren't in the cards, I can deal: I'll probably end up ordering a WDC development board. I just am not thrilled about that, because WDC has been totally unresponsive to queries about the board, so I know I'll get zero technical support if I have problems.