[Coco] The next coco3.....wish list

[Francis Swygert]

Date: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 09:11:07 -0500
From: George Ramsower <georgera at gvtc.com>
 
  I don't see any reason to build a Coco4 with all the bells and 
whistles of a modern PC. Just faster and the ability to use plug in 
carts as before, the rear ports and of course, a new video output for 
the modern monitors.

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This is the right track! Making the CoCo equal to a modern computer is not practical. Quite frankly, that takes away from it being a CoCo! Faster clock (10x is easy nowadays!), RAM capability of the max 2MB the CoCo is capable of now, most of the old ports (a real serial port might be better), and the capability of using a modern monitor. Things like connecting to a modern printer would be nice, but require more CPU power. Arguably the faster/more RAM CoCo could process printer output, but an Arduino or other micro controller/computer with a USB port that will connect either to the serial port or a cartridge slot could take CoCo printer output and drive a generic USB "dumb" printer. Same for storage -- have it convert disk output to an SD card file, or under OS-9 have a driver for the SD card. One of these faster "CoCo4s" would benefit OS-9 users most. I don't know if the DECB disk output could be replaced with an SD card driver or not, but you'd lose
 using a real disk drive. I'm not so sure that's a bad thing nowadays though... lots of posts about problems with old drives and disks, and the drives are getting hard to find in good shape. Mechanical things wear out quicker than electronics. A couple cartridge slots (and buffered!) instead of one would be nice, but with a real RS-232 port two should suffice -- but 3 or 4 won't hurt (just drives up cost). The FPGA CoCo at around $200 provides most of this, all except the cartridge port (s). That's the best deal right now, and I don't think you can build a custom board for less, considering the low volume. Would be nice if someone would offer a programming service for the DE-1 board. I send you a board, you program and send me back a ready to go "CoCo4". Or sell the boards ready to go That's all some need, they just don't want to or can't program and set up the DE-1. 

 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
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