[Coco] Another Radio Shack Article

[iggybeans at comcast.net]

Re - Boisy's mention of something that appears in what would seem to be an excellent book. 




"The fact that people were using the original CoCo for things other than games initially surprised them. Dr. John Patterson makes that obvious in his quote in the book too." 




Yes, our use of first a Coco2 and then a Coco3 to run a four terminal point of sales system at Delmar Company provoked some curious responses. 

It was what got use of an internal pre-release copy of Windows 3.0 from some visiting IBM engineers (and the weirdest comparison a Coco has ever faced - "kind of like a System360". 

Oh, and it was that preview copy of Windows that both drove us to adopt G-Windows and set in motion a strong difference of opinion between me and Ed Gressick. 




BTW - I'm really tired of the constant mention of Mark Seigel "the Father of the Coco3" - not. 

The machine, more than anything, resembles something Tony Distefano and I discussed at a Rainbowfest seminar. 

And I would hardly take responsibility for that development. 

But we did have it narrowed down to replacement of the VDG and SAM with a custom VSLI chip. 

Doubt me? 

Just ask Tony. 




The Coco3 is truly the product of our community's desires. 

I learned of its likely production directly from Motorola while discussing the status of the MC6829 MMU (when they also mentioned the 6847T1). 




I don't think Tandy ever really understood the Color Computer. 

And Mark, at one event asked me if i wanted to leave after i brought up my dissatisfaction with the continued use of the processor halt line for disk controllers under OS-9. 




We really got a lot of what we wanted over the years. 

I would have preferred to see a more serious product. 

But it lasted longer and went further than I had hoped for. 




What will be disappointing in Boisy's book will be the lost perspectives of so many that are no longer with us, didn't contribute, or have forgotten vital details. 




Still, I look forward to it.