[Coco] What are some good starting points for a CoCo noob (me)?

[Jim Cox]

Hex:

Here are a few suggestions that I have:

1) If you don't have a CoCo - get one and learn about the 
machine.

2) If #1 is not practical, get one of the emulators and 
learn about the CoCo by programming some basic programs

What a lot of younger people like you are missing out on 
is that the older machines like the CoCo were not so 
"black box" as the current PC are.  i what I mean is that 
with a machine like the CoCo you could actually get down 
into the guts of the system and learn about every aspect 
of it from the CPU itself, the individual controllers like 
the PIA, the keyboard controller, the video chip, and the 
disk controller.


While I have been on this list for a long time, I am no 
where near as knowledgeable as I should be, but I am 
working towards learning as much as I can.

Here are a few other things you can do for community:

3) Offer you server as a mirror for others to use.  I 
don't know the particulars of your system, but if you can 
allow others access to just a specific section of your 
server, that would allow them to mirror their sites to 
yours.

4) You have at times demonstrated the ability to dig up 
information very quickly.  Use that talent to help others 
in the community by tracking down information and 
presenting it in a manner that is simple and to the point. 
 You have to be careful though as to not allow yourself to 
get too distracted and crawl down a rabbit hole so to 
speak and get lost trying to find something that isn't 
there. (Sorry if that doesn't make sense, I didn't get any 
sleep tonight)

5) Since you have a GMail account, you can create a Google 
Pages site and post what you have learned about the CoCo 
there.  Others can then visit your site, provide input and 
suggestions and you can learn  even more.

Hopefully these suggestions will help.  One last thing 
that I have learned is that before asking a question about 
something, try to find out the answer on your own first. 
 I sometimes shoot from the hip when I ask questions and 
mis the obvious answers that I could have found on my own. 
 Remember that the journey is part of the fun of learning 
(I am just realizing that :)

I hope this makes sense and helps.  If it doesn't make 
sense, just remember I haven't had any sleep tonight 
(haven't really slept well in 30 years)

Cheers!

Jim

On Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:14:20 -0700
  "Hex Star" <hexstar at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello, I would likely to seriously start learning about 
>the CoCo so that I
> can properly answer on topic CoCo questions and thus am 
>wondering if anyone
> on this list has any advice on some good starting points 
>for a CoCo noob
> like me? Thanks! :)
>