[Coco] [Color Computer] The evolution of the Coco..

John R. Hogerhuis jhoger at pobox.com
Fri Apr 22 15:01:49 EDT 2005


On Fri, 2005-04-22 at 12:46 -0600, Glen VanDenBiggelaar wrote:
> 
> I have to kind of disagree with this, Mike does bring up a good point on 
> chip degridation, but an embeded computer solution with Mess, just seems to 
> me the same thing as what most of you are doing now with the "big 
> computers". It seems redudant. 

What I described has never been done, therefore, not redundant...

> What Mark and Boisy are doing is the "pure 
> hobbiest" way of trying to make new hardware for the CoCo, not emulate. 
> Anybody can take the easy way out and emulate. It is trying to come up with 
> new hardware is the way to the future.

I'm not sure we disagree on this. I'm suggesting new hardware is the
way, but I'm suggesting that it doesn't make a lot of sense to build a
new computer around a CPU that is no longer manufactured, and is
extremely slow. Perfect 8-bit instruction set, mind you... but we could
do so much better these days.

MESS or whatever would be the foundation of an emulation subsystem for
coco 1,2,3 compatibility.

Palm Pilots are an example: they started out with the Motorola
Dragonball processors. Today they run ARM CPUs, with an emulation
subsystem for compatibility. You can run all your old software on a
modern Palm. That's the right way to move forward as an upgrade path, I
think.

>  Why go Linux? Why not just use true 
> OS-9 (or nitrOS-9)? I hate to start a flame war, but I see all too often the 
> Linux "Fanboys" just looking for an excuse to parade Linux around. 

Fanboy? If you want to start a flamewar, throwing around epithets is a
great way to do it. So my suggestion is... don't do it Glen.

Personally, I think Linux would be overkill for such an application. If
you read what I said, it's that it COULD  be done, my intent being as a
proof of concept, or development platform

> This is 
> not a atack on Linux (or anybody in particular), but there are far too many 
> people just acheing for a reason to shove Linux in our faces (and MESS too, 
> for that Point).

You're not seeing my point. The point is not an emulator. The point is a
a new coco4 with an emulator subsystem for compatibility.

> JMHO

I don't see anything humble about it. Humble would be without the
epithets. But hopefully my idea is clearer now. I don't expect
agreement, it's just an idea. But knee jerk reactions and inflammatory
language are not helpful.

-- John.



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