[Coco] early OS-9 ads/articles compilation

[Frank Swygert]

TAPE BASED OS-9?? Come on now! Tape was barely usable with ECB. Anyone doing much serious with the CoCo definitely got disk as soon as they could. I did some word processing working with tape for a bit over a year before I could afford to build a budget disk system (new third party disk controller, 360K drives that were pulls, built a case and bought a surplus power supply). I was an E-4 in the USAF in 1987 when I did that, with a wife and kid. 

OS-9 in a disk controller ROM makes a lot more sense. The only problem I see if that configurations varied. It would still have been a viable option. Have the ROM version boot then look for a configuration file/script that would load any additional drivers/modules needed. You'd just need some kind of configuration program to create the config file. Well, it wouldn't really be NEEDED, but that would be the way to go for a system for the masses. 

So why hasn't someone done something like this with NitrOS-9 now? It would work well with one of Roger's wireless paks or with Drivewire through a bit-banger. 

Speaking of Drivewire and Roger's CoCoNet... Many have a complete Intel/AMC PC available to use as a server that they also use for other things. But what about those who don't want a hulking case on their desk just for drives? Would it be possible to program a PIC or some other minimal board to work with one of those? I'm thinking the system could be as little as a single half-height hard drive in a full height case. There are some small 386 boards that could be used with USB ports that could load software and provide for further expansion. All that's needed is a minimal Linux or maybe even DOS system to boot and run on it, boot from a USB drive and be able to install itself to the hard drive.

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Date: Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:10:21 -0600
From: Joel Ewy <jcewy at swbell.net>

3.  I always knew that OS-9 was designed to be "ROMable" but the the 
earliest OS-9 ads, describing a ROM-based system that even supported KC 
tape systems makes me wonder anew why OS-9 on the CoCo wasn't available 
as a ROM PAK with cassette support, at least as one optional 
configuration.  This was Motorola's big idea, and Tandy certainly took 
to it for games, and even applications.  It was certainly technically 
feasible.  Think how many more CoCo users might have gotten into OS-9 if 
it was available on e.g. a $79.99 cartridge that could save programs and 
files on cassette.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)