[Coco] 512K AND Beyond??? How FAR Beyond???

[Steve C.]

Is there any source for buying any such CC3 ram upgrade?

On Wed, Dec 27, 2017 at 8:09 AM, Bill Pierce via Coco <coco at maltedmedia.com>
wrote:

> Robert, Jim and anyone else, OS9 did NOT use memory above 2 meg. The only
> software I know of using this is the ramdisk in the NitrOS9 repository
> specifically written for Paul Barton's 8 meg board and it accesses the
> memory directly and not through OS9's memory manager. Of course, there's
> Robert's test programs as well.
> The DAT tables required for anything above 2 meg are too large for system
> memory and something would have to be modified/changed before NitrOS9 can
> "legally" use memory above 2 meg.
>
> That being said, the memory above 2 meg CAN be used with special
> programming... as data space, graphics memory storage, etc, but the program
> itself would have to keep tabs on what memory is being used and what memory
> is free (above 2 meg). A good example of this is Dave Philipsen's BMP
> display demo for the Coco3FPGA which loads 20+ 640x450, 256 color BMP files
> into memory the runs a slideshow. The Coco3FPGA DOES have some memory and
> graphics functions that a Coco3 does not, but it would still work on a
> Coco3with standard Coco3 res screens (with a little modification to the
> software)... and store about 40-50 (maybe more, too lazy to do the math)
> 640x192 graphics screen!!
>
> https://youtu.be/WlcjJLiOQbQ
>
> and while playing a wav file!!
>
> https://youtu.be/G8a9-6R7wh0
>
> And yes, this was done in NitrOS9 on the Coco3FPGA @25mhz!!
>
> Also, to clear something up... I keep seeing that the 1-2 meg is "just"
> used for ramdisks... Yes and no. This is only true IF that's what you
> assign it to.
> The 1-2 meg upgrades are used in NitrOS9 as REGULAR mappable memory. In
> other words, if you're running programs, you have more memory for more
> programs. More graphics pages and windows can be assigned. More/larger
> get/put buffers can be used and much more. This is all transparent to the
> user, no special commands needed... NitrOS9 just has more memory. The 64k
> workspace limit still applies, but you can have even have more 64k
> workspaces. It "Just Works".
>
> A good example of this would be Ultimuse3. It is originally configured to
> a 256k score buffer. With the change of a single variable, it can use up to
> 1.5 meg (system and program use the rest) for the score buffer. I may make
> this change on the next release :-)
>
> Another example is my MShell project. The MShell File Manager reads 2
> complete directories into memory. On large HD directories or PC directories
> (yes, MShell will read/copy directly from your PC HD using DW4), you could
> read massive directory into memory. MShell dynamically allocates the memory
> for the huge buffers using get/put buffers and will utilize the 1-2 meg
> upgrades (all done "legally"). MShell also forks various modules as it
> runs. With more memory, MShell easily handles the forking of subs along
> with massive data buffers for program use (not to mention other programs
> running in other windows) and it's all transparent to the user. MShell
> doesn't do anything special to use this memory, it works with 512k or
> above. All the heavy lifting in the memory management is done transparently
> by NitrOS9.
>
> To say "it's not used" or "who would need it?" is just saying "You never
> had it!". I've been running my real Coco3 with 1 meg and VCC with 2 meg for
> years and when I go back to 512k, I get frustrated when I run out of memory
> for extra processes, windows, or graphics.
>
> The Coco3 memory upgrades above 512k fall in that category of "You don't
> know you need it until you've had it and then have to do without it"
> I'm lost on a 512k machine these days.
>
>
>
>
>
> Bill Pierce
> "Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way to
> slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
>
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>
>
>
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