This board, like the agon light 2, is quite stable. The hardware improvements over the original mean you can expect it to remain stable. It has a usb-b connector for power (and esp32 programming) instead of a usb-c. It also has a PS/2 port instead of a usb-A port that expects a PS/2 keyboard. I like this better than the agon light 2 because of the ps/2 port alone. Unlike the light 2, there is no EXT port nor a battery backup connector, so if you need those get the agon light 2 instead.

Comparing the performance, they are identical. The light 2's _only_ noticeable difference are the extra connectors.

Heads up, the optional power supply looks to be Australian-only. Order it only if you have a compatible socket.

This system is amazing. The metal case for it is simple, yet functional and sturdy. While I would prefer a PS/2 connector, a standard PS/2 keyboard works fine via a dumb ps2-to-usb adapter. It's a little confusing as the USB port only supports a PS/2 protocol.

That minor gripe is no deal breaker, by any means, though. This board is the state-of-the-art in 8-bit computer design and it really demonstrates the power of the eZ80 line of microcontrollers. It can serve as a development workstation for a great range of zilog platforms, including both the growing hobby markets and the long-established embedded industry.

The software ecosystem is extremely approachable and well-established. With minor guidance from the community, I was able to add support for my custom keyboard layout the first day I had the device. The on-board ESP32-Pico-D powers VGA output, leaving the eZ80 free to perform to its fullest.

Some may think of it as cheating by using a 32-bit architecture to act as a gpu interface, but modern GPU interfaces for x86 systems often contain much larger data bus sizes than the 32 or 64-bit CPU on the same system, ranging from 64-bit to 256-bit internal GPU architectures on even common home systems.

In many ways, the agon-light2 represents the epitome of modern computing design for 8-bit computing platforms. It brings full system control, ease of use and programming, professional and open source tools, and long-proven Zilog technology together to create an 8-bit system the home computer pioneers would envy. It is a computer science education powerhouse and I love it!

No home should be without one!