[Coco] Re: CoCo needs?

Tue Mar 8 14:17:43 EST 2005

Mark:

My comments were not meant to be critical of you or Cloud 
9.
We all appreciate your efforts and understand that Cloud 9 
needs to make a profit.  I only meant to suggest that SOME 
items could be offered at a lower price to help maintain 
the CoCo community (your client base)  My logic being that 
the more people using their CoCo's the greater potential 
sales for Cloud 9.  Maybe I am wrong with that assumption.

Let's face it, we are much smaller than the Apple II, 
Commodore, and even Atari communities and we are getting 
smallers. I agree with you that we need more people 
developing software, but given our size, how do we 
encourage that growth.

I wish I had your energy and skills, but I don't, so I try 
to help the community in other ways, such as helping 
others stay in the community.  I don't consider it 
charity, since in some small way it helps the community.

I don't know what to make of your one remark "Nope, I'm 
quitting"  I certainly hope you don't quit.  I'm just 
trying to offer suggestions that will help us grow like 
the other computer groups.

-Jim

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 03:56:57 -0600
  Mark Marlette <mark at cloud9tech.com> wrote:
> At 11:07 PM 3/7/2005, you wrote:
> 
> Jim,
> 
> I work 8-10hrs a day at my day time job, with a 1 1/2hr 
>minimum commute round trip each day. I still spend ~4 
>hours a day with the CoCo. I don't sleep much. :) CoCo is 
>a wonderful platform to learn. Each person has their own 
>priorities.
> 
> LS-120 is a 3.5" device. Even the PC is dropping 5.25" 
>support. I would keep the 5.25" the same and add newer 
>technology to move forward.
> 
> I know what you are saying it would be nice to have it 
>all and reasonable. Reasonable is a relative term. You 
>mentioned $75, for billg that was three times over his 
>budget and that was to his doorstep including shipping. 
>If money is what limits your hobbies, you only have so 
>much to spend. Then you must live within your means. I 
>suggested to him that maybe he should consider a cassette 
>interface. I have those new in the box for $15. Heck it 
>worked well for years, still does. Nope, I'm quitting. I 
>say that the people that have offered up a drive 
>controller and cable for him, great. I also feel that he 
>needs to return something to the community for the 
>charity system to work. Maybe I'm stuck in the big 
>picture/long term mode....
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Mark
> Cloud-9
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>>Mark:
>>
>>Thanks for the info. on the LS-120, I sort of remember 
>>you saying something about it a while back, but I have 
>>only been glossing over messages due to my work schedule.
>>
>>Correct me if I am wrong, but the LS 120 is only 
>>compatable with 3.5" drives and not the older 360K 5.25" 
>>drives.  If I am missing something here, could you please 
>>clarify?
>>
>> From what I understand about the DriveWire (have not 
>>read the docs all 
>> the way through yet -> work!) it requires that the CoCo 
>>have a drive 
>> controller in the cartrage slot.  Since controllers are 
>>hard to get, this 
>> makes the use of the Drive Wire impractical for those 
>>with out 
>> controllers.  What is it exactly that the Drive Wire 
>>requires from the 
>> controller, and is it possible this could be replaced by 
>>something else 
>> that could cost less?
>>
>>Couldn't the controller be replaced by a cartrage with 
>>just the boot PROM so the CoCo could access the server 
>>(PC) Since HDOS is compatable with most of the non 
>>OS-9/NitrOS stuff out there, that should be the primary 
>>PROM on the cartrage.
>>
>>I'm trying to think of low cost solutions to allow people 
>>to use the DriveWire so as to use it's 3.5" and 5.25" 
>>drives as well as HDD with the CoCo.  To be honest, if we 
>>lose too many people because stuff like the controllers 
>>are becoming rare, this community as a whole shoots it's 
>>self in the foot.
>>
>>A cheap DriveWire/Cartrage solution for around $75.00 
>>might not be profitable in the short run, but when you 
>>consider more and more people may be using them and they 
>>in turn may create software to use other products, then 
>>in the long run, it may be very profitable.
>>
>>You're looking for developers, this is one way to bring 
>>more into the fold.  I wish I had the technical skills 
>>needed to help out more, but I barely have time to power 
>>my CoCo up once in a while, let alone learn something 
>>outside of work.
>>
>>Just my $0.25 :)
>>
>>-Jim
>>
>>On Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:33:14 -0600
>>  Mark Marlette <mark at cloud9tech.com> wrote:
>>>At 01:21 PM 3/7/2005, you wrote:
>>>Torsten and Jim,
>>>GREAT ideas, keep them coming.
>>>I know I have said this before.. WE ALL READY HAVE IT!
>>>Yes, it is in the SuperIDE, it is called a LS-120 drive. 
>>>They are cheap on Ebay. I buy mine in Mpls for $19 and 
>>>that includes one disk! The drive is an ATAPI device.
>>>Now the problem. It needs software written for it. 
>>>Boisy's driver works. As I posted last week, we need 
>>>utilities for file transfers.
>>>Not one person stepped up. Boisy or I could do this and I 
>>>just might after the SB. We both are VERY busy on CoCo 
>>>projects.
>>>Just did inventory for tax purposes...Running over $10k 
>>>in CoCo inventory and parts....Company grew again last 
>>>year.
>>>
>>>In the past we use to say we didn't have the 
>>>hardware....Now with HDB-DOS, NitrOS-9 and our hardware, 
>>>we need utilities and/or nice apps to be written. The 
>>>tools are great today.
>>>Regards,
>>>Mark
>>>
>>>
>>>> > This is just my $0.02 but Bill G's email prompted me 
>>>>to
>>>> > write this.  What CoCo users need most right now is an
>>>> > affordable disk controller that will work with current
>>>> > 3.5" drives.
>>>>
>>>>I agree. Should be compatible to Tandy's "standard" Disk 
>>>>Extended BASIC,
>>>>maybe with an option for other DOS. Should be buffered 
>>>>and "Halt-Free"
>>>>on demand. I'd like to see this integrated in the Super 
>>>>IDE
>>>>controller...
>>>>
>>>>Torsten
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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>>
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