[Coco] [Color Computer] Help for a CoCoNut

[Brian Blake]

On Tue, Jun 14, 2011 at 12:13 PM, Mike Craig <mdcmike at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>
> Actually, here is the similar product I had in mind when I posted that:
> http://www.atarimax.com/colecosd/documentation/index.html
>
> And I did pay $130 for it. :-)
>

Hi Mike,

I've seen this before, it's a cool device. I don't own one, and I can't say
it is or isn't in the same league as the DrivePak.

What I can say about the DrivePak is, while it may not be the fastest CoCo
storage device out there, I feel it's the most flexible. Unless you are
connecting to a PC via the bitbanger, all of the CoCoNet devices use a 6551
to transfer data between the CoCo and any connected device, whether it is
the uDrive module on the DrivePak, a bluetooth module in the Wireless/Serial
Paks or a USB module in a Serial Pak, or a cable to a PC COM port. The 6551
is not a blazingly fast device, but it does it's job well in these
capacities.

Where a CoCoNet product shines at is in it's flexibility - With just a
DrivePak plugged into a multipak, you have access to the 2GB sdcard on in
that pak, and all of it's vdisks; you have access to a CoCoNet server
running on the PC via the bitbanger, and any number of vdisk images there;
you also have access to any real physical floppy disk hardware you might
own. If your PC is connected to the internet, you can mount dsk images on
the internet as well. I think the only way it could be more flexible is if
it had the ability to access hard drive systems.

My current system consists of the following:

512k CoCo3 w/MPI

*Slot*
4       Dual 3.5" floppy system
3       C9 SuperIDE - 2G CF card and 6.4GB Quantum Fireball
2       coco3.com DrivePak
1       coco3.com SerialPak

Right now the C9 SuperIDE is a learning tool for me in configuring and using
CoCo HDD systems. It's very cool and very fast.

When using the the CoCoNet devices I boot from slot 1. This allows the
SerialPak to connect to one PC via bluetooth, then connect to another via
bitbanger, and have access to the uDrive module in the DrivePak, as well as
the ability to access my real floppy disk equipment; all of these devices
are available at the same time. Do I need these every time I use the CoCo?
No, but, I have taken advantage of this ability many times.

My personal opinion is that the DrivePak is worth $129, with or without the
throughput performance of other devices. I paid the $79 for mine and awaited
my turn in line. I would have paid $129 for it.

While some may view this as an endorsement of one product over another, it
is not. I own them both, like them both, and use them both.


Brian


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