[Coco] CoCo Fest video and chat

Mon May 1 20:59:42 EDT 2006

Frank,

Pleasure to met you and your situation was unique as I explained as 
to why I remembered you. :)

Mark

At 5/1/2006 05:22 PM, you wrote:

>Mark,
>
>I have to admit to being surprised and impressed that you remembered me
>on saturday. I had a great time at last years fest and when the new fest
>was scheduled I blocked out the time on my palm to make sure I wouldn't
>make any other plans for the weekend. Like you and Boisy I would encourage
>everyone reading this list to do what they can to make the fest next year.
>The more vendors that show up the better. Maybe we can convince Glenside to
>create a committee charged with better spreading the word about the 
>next cocofest
>and thereby getting more people to attend. ( I hope I didn't just volunteer
>for anything )
>
>While things are subject to change I took a look at the cost of airfare and
>getting round trip flights to Chicago can be had for under $200 from most of
>the larger cities I checked. (I didn't check every city in the US. 
>:-)) Another
>possibility is the use of car pooling.
>
>I think the reason that it seems as if people are waiting patiently for the
>superboard is that they understand the delay and aren't saying anything. I
>for one am waiting very impatiently. I want one NOW NOW NOW!!!! :-)
>
>Frank
>
>
>On Mon, May 01, 2006 at 03:41:30PM -0500, Mark Marlette wrote:
> > Frank,
> >
> > You were one of the new attendees last year and it was refreshing to
> > see you there again.
> >
> > I will have to differ with you on one thing....SuperBoard, people
> > waiting impatiently. It might seem that way to you but the people have
> > been patiently waiting, over patiently waiting. Goes to show you how
> > great a group of people they really are. The reason I say that is when
> > you take people's money, expectations change. I'm SUPER GUILTY of this.
> >
> > I will do as you suggested and post periodic updates.
> >
> > WOW, that was a post though. :)
> >
> > My response will be shorter I use mine to test and develop products at
> > Cloud-9 North. That is all I seem to have time for these days. :)
> >
> > Thanks again and it was GREAT to see you at the fest again.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> > Quoting Frank Pittel <fwp at deepthought.com>:
> >
> > >I'm going to leave the original email intact and encourage all to read
> > >it again. A while ago I posted a question to the list asking what the
> > >people here actually did with their Cocos. Did they actually use the
> > >hardware or did they mostly use emulators. I was disappointed by the
> > >number of responses.
> > >
> > >Before going on any further maybe I should answer the question I asked.
> > >These days I like to putter around on the actual hardware. ( I did get
> > >an emulator machine saturday so that may change a little. :-)) Mostly
> > >I write "toy" programs in basic and assembly as a way to remind myself
> > >of the "good old days" when a person could actually understand how their
> > >computer worked. :-)
> > >
> > >I got my first Coco back in the late '80s. It was a Coco-3 that I got at
> > >a Coco-fest. As memory serves I got it there because Radio Shack was
> > >selling
> > >them at a reduced price at the show. I also got a tape recorder 
> and service
> > >manual for it. I remember after getting the service manual that I may have
> > >been better off getting the source listing of the ROMS. (these days I'm
> > >glad
> > >I got the service manual!) Not to much later I got the assembler rom and
> > >learned 6809 assembly. Having recently graduated with a bsee it 
> didn't take
> > >to long before I unsoldered the expansion port socket and wired in some
> > >ribbon cable that connected to a board with the original socket and a
> > >connector
> > >that had "prototype" boards available for. After showing coworkers and the
> > >owner of the company I worked for some of what I was doing with it. A coco
> > >was ordered by the company and I made the same modifications to it. The
> > >company was involved in industrial process control and while I worked for
> > >the
> > >engineering side there was a repair department that did component level
> > >repair of equipment. Before long I had programmed the little coco to test
> > >components (ram,rom,asics,etc) reprogram eproms and about anything else
> > >they
> > >asked for. During that time I removed the ribbon cable from my coco and
> > >reinstalled the expansion port connector.
> > >
> > >After a few years the owners of the mom and pop company sold and the
> > >new owners
> > >were only interested in the repair department so I moved on. The next
> > >company
> > >I landed at was heavily involved in embedded machine control using
> > >the 68hc11.
> > >I spent seven years designing hardware for it and often time writing
> > >the software
> > >in assembly. I was surprised at how familiar the assembly
> > >instructions were and
> > >picked up on it quickly. By this time I was using PCs and my coco was
> > >packed up
> > >and moved into the back of a closet. Although I wanted to a few times
> > >I could never
> > >bring myself to throw it away.
> > >
> > >Last year I was going through the closet and came across the coco
> > >that I had by then
> > >all forgotten about. I had fuzzy memories about being able to use
> > >disk drives with it
> > >as well as other hardware. A google search later landed me at
> > >coco3.com and it didn't
> > >take long for me to discover that there were still coco fests going
> > >on!! The best part
> > >was that there was one scheduled for the upcoming weekend!! (I
> > >normally find out about
> > >these kinds of things a week after they've happened :-( ) Of course I
> > >went and although
> > >the turnout was much smaller then during the heyday of the coco I was
> > >pleasantly
> > >surprised by how many people were there.
> > >
> > >I bring all that up because I think that there are a lot of people
> > >that would be interested
> > >in going to the fest if they knew they were still going on. I know
> > >that RS sold many
> > >thousands of cocos in the midwest and would be willing to bet that
> > >like me a lot of them
> > >would consider going if they knew about the fest. It would be nice if
> > >Radio Shack would
> > >help in getting the word out again. It also would have been nice if
> > >you (Mark) would
> > >have sent out this email a month or so ago in an attempt to implore
> > >more people to go.
> > >
> > >I do agree that it's nice to see hardware and software being sold at
> > >this years fest that
> > >didn't even exist last year!! I hope that the volume of sales of
> > >those products encourages
> > >others to create new products for the Coco for next years fest.
> > >
> > >It is good to hear that Cloud-9 will at least resume software sales again
> > >in the near term. I hope that we'll be seeing a superboard for sale soon.
> > >:-)
> > >One thing I would ask that you do is post an update on the superboard on
> > >this list every few months with a status update for those of us that are
> > >waiting impatiently for it to be released!! Even a sentence or two every
> > >3 months would be nice. I think I speak for all of the customers 
> of cloud-9
> > >when I say that I don't expect you to put your life on hold getting it out
> > >and I certainly don't want you to put your health at risk getting it done.
> > >
> > >It would just be nice to hear about the progress of the board.
> > >
> > >
> > >Frank
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >On Mon, May 01, 2006 at 01:34:58PM -0500, Mark Marlette wrote:
> > >>I'm sure there will be a fest report to follow. I would like to add,
> > >>and I know I'll get flamed for this but...it is true.
> > >>
> > >>More people need to attend this once of a year function. Without it we
> > >>would have less if anything. Is it a cheap event to attend? No. Is it
> > >>worth while? Without a doubt.
> > >>
> > >>There are an endless number of excuses on why one could not make it.
> > >>Some indicate money, schedule conflicts, etc. All valid at some point
> > >>in time but after 25yrs, people that have never attend a fest, that
> > >>means it is not a priority.
> > >>
> > >>Money issue...Most all of being adults or seniors now :) Can plan for
> > >>the once a year event. Putting a little money aside each, week month
> > >>what ever gets you there. Even if you can't put away enough money to
> > >>attend every year then attend every other year or what ever works.
> > >>
> > >>Conflicts..They do happen. Glenside has done a good job scheduling
> > >>these events so that they don't happen on the same weekend every year.
> > >>You might not be able to attend every year but should be able to get to
> > >>them, if it is a priority.
> > >>
> > >>The web cam is OK for people overseas or the ones that don't not attend
> > >>every year. It seems there is emphasis put on this technology so that
> > >>people don't have to attend. Believe me the web cam is nothing like
> > >>being there.
> > >>
> > >>Glenside..Thanks again for putting on the fest again in 2006. I'm sure
> > >>it is a drain on resources. You try to recover some of the costs but as
> > >>indicated this year, prices are going up. This means that more people
> > >>need to attend to help out the community. Another is membership. I'm
> > >>not going to go over the figures that Gator announced Sunday afternoon,
> > >>I'll let Glenside do that. I can say that is something to be VERY proud
> > >>of! This shows that the people that are present are committed to the
> > >>CoCo and the event. Hats off to all that made to Elgin and reup'd their
> > >>dues.
> > >>
> > >>Next year? Jury is still out. I can say that it was VERY enjoyable to
> > >>see new products out. Roy's VGA, Chris Hawks's S-Video and CD file
> > >>manager, Carl England's Backup Magic program. I bought one of each from
> > >>all of the new product vendors. Many did and on the hardware side, I
> > >>believe they all sold out of product.
> > >>
> > >>Goes to show ya, there is a CoCo market. Many indicate that there
> > >>isn't. Boisy and I can tell you that there is. The vendors that sold
> > >>out of their products at the fest will say the same. So come on....lets
> > >>see some products.
> > >>
> > >>Cloud-9 had little sales this year at the fest do to inventory being
> > >>sold out. It was like a much needed vacation this year for me. It was
> > >>great to walk around and see others booths and products. Something I
> > >>hardly ever get to do there. I also indicated that hardware sales would
> > >>not start back up until the SuperBoard is completed. So we are in a
> > >>holding pattern on hardware sales. Boisy will be updating our home page
> > >>to indicate that software sales are going to resume and be handled by
> > >>him. SuperBoard will continue to be developed, please don't ask, you
> > >>will know, I won't be silent about... :)
> > >>
> > >>Closing....More people need to attend, bottom line. More planning needs
> > >>to go into getting people there, advertising of the event other than
> > >>this list. A published event schedule prior to the fest, seminars,
> > >>notable people, etc.
> > >>
> > >>Flame me all you want, it wouldn't be the first time. In this case
> > >>action of the fest attendees do speak louder than the words.......
> > >>
> > >>Regards,
> > >>
> > >>Mark
> > >>Cloud-9
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>uoting Jim Cox <jimcox at miba51.com>:
> > >>
> > >>>Roger, Roy, Justin, and others:
> > >>>
> > >>>Thanks for putting this together for those of us who couldn't make it.
> > >>>
> > >>>-Jim
> > >>>http://www.miba51.com/
> > >>>http://www.cloudymidnights.com/
> > >>>
> > >>>On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 15:50:58 -0500
> > >>> Roger Taylor <webmaster at coco3.com> wrote:
> > >>>>Well, for the second year we've managed to pull off some last-minute
> > >>>>miracles and come up with a webcam feed from the Last Annual Chicaco
> > >>>>CoCo Fest.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>This year we missed Saturday alltogether due to connection problems
> > >>>>but much to my surprise when I got up this morning (Sunday) there
> > >>>>appeared to be some attempts from the fest at uploading cam pictures
> > >>>>to the coco3.com server.  When I checked the last image out it was
> > >>>>definately a shot from the fest floor, so I went to work right away
> > >>>>setting up the CoCo Cafe to display these images.  For a while they
> > >>>>weren't updating for long periods of time, but all of a sudden
> > >>>>things started coming together.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>So, before the day was wasted we managed to build up some 14+
> > >>>>chatters at a time in the CoCo Cafe complete with an updating
> > >>>>picture from the fest floor.  Ofcourse, the images had to be
> > >>>>repainted over a blank background due to how the chat system
> > >>>>refreshes the web page, so the fest images had to "ride along" as a
> > >>>>static image on the page and get updated whenever the page did.
> > >>>>Since the cam rate and the chat rate were about the same, I didn't
> > >>>>bother putting in any fancy JavaScript to make the image refresh
> > >>>>while the chat page was idle, but I could have. I'll save that for
> > >>>>the next event that comes along with a cam feed.
> > >>>>
> > >>>>Actually, right now the cam is still going and it looks like those
> > >>>>guys are cleaning up and stuff, so if you wanna catch it before they
> > >>>>turn the cam off, here's the link:
> > >>>>
> > >>>>http://chat.coco3.com
> > >>>>
> > >>>>Night, all.
> > >>>>Cheers,
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>--
> > >>>>Roger Taylor
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>--
> > >>>>Coco mailing list
> > >>>>Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>>http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>--
> > >>>Coco mailing list
> > >>>Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>>http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>--
> > >>Coco mailing list
> > >>Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >>http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >
> > >--
> > >Coco mailing list
> > >Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > >http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Coco mailing list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>
>--
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>http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>
>
>
>
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