[Color Computer] Fw: [Coco] Strange CoCo 2B model

[Neil Morrison]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Durda IV" <uhclem at nemesis.lonestar.org>


> [0]Hi Frank,
> [0]
> [0]ISTR that Radio Shack made these for schools so they could use
monitors. Am
> [0]I correct?
>
> [-]> I just bought a strange CoCo 2B PAL 50Hz model on ebay (don't have it
> [-]> yet) from France which seems to be unmodifed but doesn't have an
antenna
> [-]> connector but some kind of DIN video out which connects to the
European
> [-]> SCART. Another strange thing is a french keyboard layout.
> [-]>
> [-]> Has there ever been a "french keyboard" version which was e.g. sold
in
> [-]> Canada?
> [-]>
>
> Sorry, but I am not well informed on the CoCo line and do not know this
> sort of detail about that line.
>
> Overseas models of several Tandy/Radio Shack computers were made, and for
> those using television receivers/monitors for display the correct video
> output connectors and signal appropriate to that market would be offered.
> PAL was likely the format used for anything sold in Europe, as I can see
> where Tandy would have wanted to avoid to do both PAL and SECAM versions,
> as only France used SECAM (in markets where Tandy sold goods).
>
> I know that in the R&D facility, we had this old PAL television and
> power converter that let it be used for testing these European models.
>
> As to keyboards, there were several keyboards on many models.  Model Is
> had probably the largest number of international styles.  The Model 4
> had three (US, German, French), Model III had four to six, and so on.
> Not sure what the CoCo had, but you can be certain that to sell any in
> France, you had to have the "deadkey" and AZERTY keyboard layout.
>
> I remember when someone in the chain was demanding that an Icelandic
> keyboard be done for the Model 4 and had somehow been passed to me.
> Knowing how big Iceland was, I started asking about the number of stores,
> customer base and likely sales, and the likely sales turned out to be
> something like "5".  We didn't do an Icelandic keyboard.
>
> Nearly every machine was eventually offered with at least QWERTY, QWERTZ
> and AZERTY keyboard models.  When we got to just doing PC/AT clones, the
> keyboards for other countries were just used as they came from the vendors
> and once done didn't need revisiting for each new computer model.
> MS-DOS and later Windows or whatever would have to provide drivers
> appropriate for any significant deviation from the US-101 scan code
keyboard.
>
>
> Frank Durda IV - only this address works:|"The Knights who say "LETNi"
> <uhclemLOSE.aug04%nemesis.lonestar.org>  | demand... A SEGMENT
REGISTER!!!"
> You must remove the "LOSE" to mail me.   |"A what?"
> http://nemesis.lonestar.org      |"LETNi! LETNi! LETNi!" - 1983
> Copr. 2004, ask before reprinting.



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