[Coco] New topic - Coco 4

[Frank Swygert]

I also agree that the hardware follow-on is dubious at best. I believe a 
centronics parallel port could be programmed to at least read a software 
cartridge, though it might not function with I/O cartridges like a disc 
controller or sound pak. Since an Intel box has better capabilities than 
a hardware CoCo I don't see the point though. As long as PC joysticks 
and such can be software manipulated to work like a CoCo product and 80% 
of CoCo 3 software will run, I'd say the goal has been met. I'm not 
opposed to an add-on card that would more closely emulate CoCo 
functions, maybe have a cartridge port and joystick connectors on it, 
just don't see the need when existing hardware can emulate it. I'd like 
to see a Linux live-cd (or USB key, don't think a floppy is possible) 
CoCo4 that you could boot right up. Strip Linux (or FreeDOS) down and 
auto boot into an emulator menu page that has functions for transferring 
files, or boot directly into the emulator and add a menu item to get out 
and transfer files and such. I strongly recommend fully utilizing the 
parallel port, even if it needed to be a new CC4 feature and not emulate 
a standard CoCo cartridge port. Most computers still have them, and it's 
bi-directional. An experimenter board would be easy to make that plugs 
in. That's the only real need/use of a cartridge port any more. Most 
CoCo cartridge games are now available as DSK files or in some other 
format. A cheap ITX board computer would make an excellent brand new 
CoCo4 platform, or an older P4 board. Would be nice if it would run 
acceptably on a 486, but first gen P4 should be an acceptable base line. 
Might have to have a CC3 compatibility mode and a CC4 expanded 
BASIC/functionality mode, but would prefer the CC4 be and expanded CC3 
that doesn't require external mode switching, at least no more than the 
CC3 does to go into CC1/2 mode.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
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