[Coco] Strange CoCo 2B model

[Fedor Steeman]

Though it is very VERY hard to see, I think the following CoCo2 sold on ebay
(not by me!) also has the AZERTY keyboard:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5119273925&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1

Cheers,
fEdor

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Torsten Dittel" <Torsten at Dittel.info>
To: <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 12:50 AM
Subject: [Coco] Re: [Color Computer] Fw: Strange CoCo 2B model


> Jan,
> do you have more info on the Mini DIN Peritel connector of the French
> version? There's one line I don't understand.
>
> Regards,
> Torsten
>
>
> Jan Vanden Bossche schrieb:
> >
> > Hallo
> >
> > Neil, feel free to cross-post this back to any appropriate groups or
mailing
> > lists.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Neil Morrison" <neilsmorr at hotpop.com>
> >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Frank Durda IV" <uhclem at nemesis.lonestar.org>
> > >
> > >
> > > > [-]> 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.
> >
> > For those who want to know:
> > & é " ' ( p è ! c à ) -
> >  A Z E R T Y U I O P ^ $
> >   Q S D F G H J K L M ù u
> >  < W X C V B N , ; : =
> >
> > Commonly known as the AZERTY layout. (BTW, numbers are shifted) Now,
most
> > keyboards in the world are 'almost' identical to the US-QWERTY layout.
Only
> > a few countries devated from that standard. France and Germany. Belgium
> > adapted the French layout, yielding a slightly different settings of the
> > keys. Actually, come to think of it, the above is a Belgian AZERTY.
> >
> > Germany adopted a QWERZU layout, and some other countries in its
influence
> > Tsjechia, (German-speaking) Switserland adapted that again. But for the
rest
> > of the world, most had their own variation of the US-QWERTY layout,
imposed
> > by deviating characters in their written language.
> >
> > > > [-]> Has there ever been a "french keyboard" version which was e.g.
> > > > [-]> sold in Canada?
> >
> > AFAIK, Canada also uses a variation of the QWERTY, even for French, so
an
> > AZERTY keyboard would not be well received there. The only other market
for
> > an AZERTY model would be Belgium or the French colonies.
> >
> > > > [0]ISTR that Radio Shack made these for schools so they could use
> > > > [0] monitors. Am I correct?
> > > >
> > > > 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).
> >
> > That's why, for that market, Tandy struck a deal with Matra, allowing
them
> > to produce the french-marketed models, with AZERTY layout and for the
Coco
> > and MC-10, SECAM output. Problem was, their AZERTY model III and 4 were
also
> > sold in Belgium, and they used crappy keyboards.
> >
> > Matra sold their own version of the MC-10, called the Alice, with a
bright
> > red casing and ... an AZERTY layout. Look at
> > www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?st=1&c=60
> >
> > > > 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.
> >
> > ??? I have never seen a model I with anything else than a
QWERTY-keyboard.
> > Do you have any records, or photos ?
> >
> > > > The Model 4
> > > > had three (US, German, French), Model III had four to six, and so
on.
> >
> > AFAIK, the III also had just 3. QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERZU are almost
> > fundamentally different, but the differences between the regional
versions
> > are minor, so a QWERZU would be fine for all german-influenced regions,
and
> > the Belgians got the french AZERTY. No one complaned. Touch typists are
> > happy when the alphabet matches.
> >
> > > > 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.
> >
> > O yes, that was one way of protecting their market. If you want to know
what
> > a deadkey is, try this: (windows machines) change your keyboard layout
to
> > US-international, reboot, and then type " and e. You should have ë on
your
> > screen. That's the way to put accents on characters, because you can't
have
> > all accented characters on your keyboard.
> >
> > > > I remember when someone in the chain was demanding that an Icelandic
> > > > keyboard be done for the Model 4 and [..] we didn't do an Icelandic
> > > > keyboard.
> >
> > [G]
> >
> > > > 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.
> >
> > Just some games insist on scanning the keyboard themselves, bypassing
the
> > localised driver. That is pretty upsetting for people with a different
> > layout: you can't find the proper keys! (e.g. DOOM)
> >
> > > > 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"
> >
> > Greetings from the TyRannoSaurus
> > Jan-80
> >
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