Biggest drawback with the live-design kit is the lack of
configuration flash chip, or general flash storage.
The Altium software only has a 30day licence aswell, IIRC.

If you are keen to go Altera, it's difficult to go past the DE1 board
at the low end of the spectrum:
http://www.de1.terasic.com/
Cyclone2C20, plenty of SRAM/FLASH, SD-card slot, config flash etc.
Comes with a neat plexiglass cover too :)

Or if you prefer Xilinx, the Nexys from http://www.digilentinc.com/
is about half the (physical) size of the DE1.
By the time you add the PS/2, RS232, and VGA interfaces and select
the XC3S1000 variant of the board, you are up to about the same
price/functionality as the DE1.

Both are capable of handling the ZXGATE project.

I have one of each, with no particular preference boardwise.
QUARTUS is marginally superior to ISE (personal opinion), though they
tend to leap-frog each other with each subsequent release.

Cheers,
Leslie


--- In zxgate@yahoogroups.com, Tony <tony@...> wrote:
>
> Thinking of getting the board described in the below link. Its
inexpensive
> enough but wasnt sure if its big enough to be able to run the zx
core or
> not..
>
> I also want to build up a DLX cpu + perhiphrials on it to play with
as well...
>
> Any opinions?
>
> www.altera.com/products/devkits/partners/kit-alt-live-design.html
>