[Coco] OS9 68K, MM/1 software and questions

[Joel Ewy]

On 12/28/2015 08:48 PM, Zippster wrote:
> Nick,
> ...
> It is a real oddball system, and pretty unique, which is why I find it interesting I’m sure.
> I was interested to find out while investigating OS9 that the Phillips CD-i system was based on it.
> As it seems some industrial, scientific, and embedded systems were.

I wouldn't say the CD-i was based on the MM/1, but rather the other way 
around.  The MM/1 used a chipset originally developed for the CD-i 
standard as the basis for an OS-9 computer.  CD-i does run OS-9/68K 
under the hood.

I've always hoped a good CD-i emulator would emerge, because such a 
thing should be very close to an MM/1 emulator.  I think some CD-i 
support has crept into MESS.

> Not particularly user-friendly, and very technical from a user standpoint (compared to mainstream OSs).
> Somehow very alluring… lol…

Well, OS-9 is no less user-friendly as a command-line operating system 
than MS-DOS, which was still very much a going concern at the time the 
MM/1 came out.  It also shares similarities with UNIX or Linux, but with 
less cryptic command names.  The K-Windows GUI was as capable as the 
CoCo 3's with the addition of much more CPU power, a big, flat memory 
space, higher resolution graphics, and more colors.

It really should have come with a GUI file manager, but I believe 
SubEtha sold one.  Care to comment, Allen Huffman?


>
> And yes, the remakes will be fairly expensive.  I don’t know for sure yet, but I’d guess around $250 for
> a set of three boards (CPU, I/O, and Minibus).  It can’t be helped, the IC’s alone are going to run
> ~ $120 for a set of boards. Not counting SIMMS for the IO board.  Then PCBs, passives, sockets, connectors, etc…
>
> That’s why I only intend to make 12 of them, 2 of which I want to keep.
>
> I’ve already got a lot of chips on the way, so I guess I’m in however it turns out.

Are you replicating the older I/O and backplane set, or the newer? As I 
mentioned in my previous message, I have a bunch of parts for the 
(flawed) later revision boards, including bare PCBs.  Many of the parts 
are the same, though I recall that the SCSI chip went from DIP to PLCC 
on the 3.0 I/O boards.  I have long since written off the cost of these 
parts, and would love to see more people be able to get their hands on 
an MM/1, so if there's enough interest to justify more machines than the 
12 you've already committed to, I'd be willing to make this stuff 
available at labor-of-love prices.

JCE

>
> My hope is that the project will go well, and will leave in it’s wake a nice archive with design files, software,
> a history put together from what can be scoured up.  A small, and hopefully somewhat complete testament
> to a rare and interesting machine and a piece of (in a way) Color Computer history.
>
> - Ed
>
>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>>
>> I'm assuming the final populated and assembled board production will be expensive.
>>
>> How much do you estimate the boards will go for if one wanted to purchase one?
>>
>> Is the MM/1 CoCo compatible at all?
>>
>> Nick
>>
>
>
>> Could it at least run OSK software from other OSK systems... assuming there was software?
>>
>> It would seem that it wasn't really a "CoCo4" as it was being advertised back in the day.
>>
>> Nick
>>
>