[Coco] early OS-9 ads/articles compilation

[Boisy G. Pitre]

On Mar 9, 2010, at 9:33 AM, Frank Swygert wrote:

> TAPE BASED OS-9?? Come on now! Tape was barely usable with ECB. Anyone doing much serious with the CoCo definitely got disk as soon as they could. I did some word processing working with tape for a bit over a year before I could afford to build a budget disk system (new third party disk controller, 360K drives that were pulls, built a case and bought a surplus power supply). I was an E-4 in the USAF in 1987 when I did that, with a wife and kid. 
> OS-9 in a disk controller ROM makes a lot more sense. The only problem I see if that configurations varied. It would still have been a viable option. Have the ROM version boot then look for a configuration file/script that would load any additional drivers/modules needed. You'd just need some kind of configuration program to create the config file. Well, it wouldn't really be NEEDED, but that would be the way to go for a system for the masses. 
> So why hasn't someone done something like this with NitrOS-9 now? It would work well with one of Roger's wireless paks or with Drivewire through a bit-banger. 
> Speaking of Drivewire and Roger's CoCoNet... Many have a complete Intel/AMC PC available to use as a server that they also use for other things. But what about those who don't want a hulking case on their desk just for drives? Would it be possible to program a PIC or some other minimal board to work with one of those? I'm thinking the system could be as little as a single half-height hard drive in a full height case. There are some small 386 boards that could be used with USB ports that could load software and provide for further expansion. All that's needed is a minimal Linux or maybe even DOS system to boot and run on it, boot from a USB drive and be able to install itself to the hard drive.

As nutty as it may sound, loading a NitrOS-9 bootfile from tape is possible, although mostly emblematic of sucking a hamburger through a straw: sure, you'd eventually consume the whole thing but boy, would it be a slow process.  With the ROM based options for booting available now, the only thing holding people back are the availability of the ROM Paks themselves.  I simply ran out of ROM Paks to convert, so I have no way to sell DriveWire DOS Paks, although someone sent me a link to a seller on eBay who is making bare ROM Pak boards available, and even offering a programming service.

Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/TRS-80-Color-Computer-Dragon-32K-Blank-Cartridge_W0QQitemZ320499153571QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9f3cfaa3#ht_1794wt_1167
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Boisy G. Pitre
http://www.tee-boy.com/