[Color Computer] [Coco] Why USB would be nice.

[jdaggett at gate.net]

Glen

For starts I do not own anything from Cloud9 though I would if it fit 
my needs. I have nothing against their products. 

WHy USB? What you state is somewhat true. Most proposals have 
been to redo the keyboard and mouse as well as other peripheral 
devices. What benefit these have? As time goes by,  Coco partts 
that wear out quickly like mice and keyboards will ever become 
more difficult to obtain. Floppies and other items will be no longer 
made or no longer cost effective to replace. 

Yes what I am saying is the Coco we now know and love will some 
time in the future no longer repairable. It will have to change or 
become a memory. 

My reasons for some items t hat I am doing is that I want the Coco 
to do certain th ings. I also want a smaller unit than the exist lovable 
case and power supply. I also realize that in five or so years replace 
the CM8 monitor is going to be impossible. I imagine now if you can 
find a CRT to go into the CM8 monitor it will most likely cost 
upwards to $500 US brand new. 

I live in a small house and am not afforded the luxury of being able 
to set up multiple computer systems. So my invision of what the 
Coco3 could migrate or evoled into is amuch smaller board with 
more integrated funtions like a Floating Point Coprocessor, use a 
standard PS2  or USB  mouse and Keyboard or USB printers. 

Sure new software needs to be written. That's part of the fun. Just 
because new software and newer peripherals are added does not 
necessarily mean the CPU is loaded down. 

In closing one last thing you mentioned. Microsoft no longer issue 
floppies for software installation. All is on CDs. CDs have now 
relaced floppies. I doubt they will be replaced by CF. Furthermore 
the variation of CF like SD is there so that users can secure data 
stored on the devices. While the Coco may never use thise higher 
functions, they maybe still ideas for expansion. 

james

On 1 Sep 2005 at 15:01, Glen VanDenBiggelaar wrote:

From:           	"Glen VanDenBiggelaar" 
<glenvdb at hotmail.com>
To:             	coco at maltedmedia.com
Subject:        	RE: [Color Computer] [Coco] Why USB 
would be nice.
Date sent:      	Thu, 01 Sep 2005 15:01:55 -0600
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> James,
> Don't get me wrong, I am not just "promoting" Clould 9, but If you do
> get a usb interface, what real Benifate is it? We all know that
> hooking up newer devices like a digital camera or a scanner will not
> be fesable on the CoCo, so we are left to hook up devices we ALREADY
> have and were designed (all admit some rather slow) to work with the
> CoCo. Why hook up a USB floppy drive when a we have or can make newer
> controlers for a floppy? So far NO one has given "The killer
> applcation" for USB, they are just re-hashing new ways to hook up
> devices we already have.Thus loading down the CoCo even more. Compact
> flash is already being dropped for never forms like SD etc, but
> floppies will always be a universal standard. Can you see Microsoft
> selling a compact flash card to "Boot" from? not in this day and age
> when floppies are so much more abundant. Network interfaces for the
> CoCo will not be useable with USB. so that just leaves your list of
> stuff we already have. -Glen