[Coco] RE: [Color Computer] Re: Why USB would be nice.

[Robert Emery]

--- Glen VanDenBiggelaar <glenvdb at hotmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 
> Ok, I understand this, but take a look at your list below:
> >
> >You're a hard man to argue with, Glen, mostly because you reject out of
> >hand every example anyone puts up. There have been lots of valid points.
> >
> >Let's try this again, off the top of my head:
> >
> >USB hard drives
> We have both IDE and SCZI why whould this be of more benifiacal?
> >USB flash drives
> We have IDE flash drives

Not everyone with a CoCo has an IDE adapter. Not everyone with a CoCo has a
floppy controller, even today. A Floppy drive and controller on ebay typically
goes for about $100. A ripoff in my opinion.

If I can pay $100 for an IDE controller that gives me ONE new capability (a
hard drive) or I can pay about the same for a USB interface that gives me
several new capabilities... hard drive/CF/SD/etc..., new joysticks (the old
deluxe sticks aren't so deluxe anymore!) USB keyboards/mice, *ethernet* then
it's worth it and then some!


> >USB floppy drives
> Way too expensive- also what is the point?

Again, you are assuming that everyone already has a floppy drive, and that's
not true. There are many new/returning CoCo-nuts who can't find a floppy
controller. Most of your arguments against USB seem to assume that everyone
already has all of these peripherals for their CoCo in another form, which is
not the case. USB would be a step forward for us, rather than standing still.


> >Keyboard
> Cloud 9 has these
...for an additional $50

> >Mice
> we barely use the mice in day to day use.
Speak for yourself, I use a mouse with my CoCo all the time. That's why I wrote
Color FOG. I wish I could use an optical mouse, which USB would make possible.


> >Modern joystick controllers
> ok,maby, but we could do with out it.

For that matter, you can do without floppy drives since we have cassette. You
can do without colors too... we can read in black and white. Ethernet... who
needs it when you've got a 300 baud modem pak? Why make a serial to parallel
converter if serial printers work fine with the CoCo?

As someone famous once said (I think we all know who)...
"640K ought to be enough memory for anybody"  

I suppose you think that's true too?
Just my $.02... 
-Bob
> >
> >All with ONE reasonably priced interface, at commodity prices for the
> >add-ons (or free if you happen to already have the device, which many of
> >us do have). Now if you are the boy with all the toys and you have all
> >this already, no need for it. But I'm wondering where you got the coco
> >Ethernet and coco graphics tablet interface (the venerable 256x192 X-pad
> >maybe?).
> >
> >Not to mention that there is no way to hook a USB hard drive even to an
> >IDE controller, or a usb floppy drive to a classic coco floppy
> >controller. So if you have one of these already (you don't it seems) and
> >you wish to use them, you're out of luck.
> No i don't, but all USB hard drives ARE IDE drives!! Just open the case and 
> unplug the drive. For my editing work, I have one USB hard drive case, that 
> I swap hard drives with all the time.
> >
> >Now there is always a possibility that some of the network stuff might
> >not be able to be made to work, but there's no reason to assume that
> >just yet. KA9Q network stack, and Contiki proves the stack itself can
> >run on 8-bit hardware. The only issue then is whether there is something
> >about the interface that coco can't keep pace with. But TCP
> >automatically scales back its pace if the receiver drops packets. So it
> >might just all work out.
> >
> >So until shown otherwise I think it's reasonable to assume networking
> >would be one killer app.
> Yes I would have to agree, but Networking can be achived without USB! USB is 
> just a means, like the Cartridge port or the bitbanger.We do not have to 
> spend extra money on this.
> >
> >-- John.
> >
> >



		
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