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

[George Ramsower]

On Cloud Nine's superboard.

 I think it's cool. Anything that connects to a Coco is cool.

 The idea of using an external TCP/IP chip is a great idea. The coco is
limited, and it needs all the help it can get. It would be great to send and
recieve email to my pop accounts from a coco. It would be WAY cool to make a
tiny web server with a coco. Or to be able to connect other things around
the house using this technology.
 My home security system would be greatly enhanced with TCP/IP capability. I
could send an email to my cell phone when something isn't what it should be
at home. Plain English messages are a lot better than the numbering system I
used when I had a beeper.
 Perhaps a dedicated board for TCP/IP would be in order. A lot simpler and
less expensive. This would enable a LOT of things for me and possibly
others.

 The stuff I've built to connect to the coco usually does all the work,
except for instructions from the coco to tell it what to do and my stepper
motor circuits which rely on the coco to make each step happen. In B-09, I
can step the servos as fast as they need to step. If my grinder could grind
faster, then I would have a need for more speed.

 I think this is why the old PCs worked so well. Just about everything
plugged into a card slot did most all of the work

 Yep! The coco does a great job(for it's time) of processing everything
itself, but it did limit it's abilities.

 I don't have a need for the SuperBoard. As a matter of fact, the only thing
I wish for (besides the TCP/IP) is an LCD monitor for my main coco. That
dorky CM-8 is just too big and hard to look at.
 When I used my Sony multi-sync, I loved it.... until it finally died a
horrible death.

 When my SCSI drives die, then an IDE interface will become a desirable
addition.

 My boss has an LCD monitor that would work(I think). It does all the
frequencies! But at $179, I think I can live with the CM-8.

 Most of my cocoing is done through Hyperterminal on this XP-Pro box via a
serial connection. I use OS-9 LII exclusively and as such, it enables me to
remote the thing. I don't play games except for Popcorn. For some reason,
that game fascinates me..
.
 The only time I wish a coco was faster is when I'm booting up OS-9 or
backing up my hard drive on the main coco. It takes about thirteen hours to
copy everything from one hard drive to another. I'm sure NitrOS-9 would do
it in less time, but I'm asleep when it's doing it anyway, so I probably
wouldn't notice. I should write a B09 program to determine which files need
to be copied. This could cut the backup time tremendously.

   Is there a backup utility for OS9?

 If someone were to introduce a Coco-4, it would have to have the same
expansion slot as an original coco so I could use the stuff I have that
plugs in there. I have a lot of stuff and I couldn't use a NEW coco that
isn't compatible.

 On my main coco, I could live with a video card with modern
capabilities(mostly text). OS-9 drivers can be built for that, I'm sure.

 I still want a driver for the 16550. I want to try that UART to see if it
really does work better than the 6551. This would inspire me to build a new
4-port serial card for my main coco. I like the idea of having a buffer in
the chip.

 If someone introduces a computer than can read my mind and do what I want,
I would buy one even if I had to sell my truck to get it !! NO MORE WRITING
PROGRAMS!!

George