[Color Computer] Fw: [Coco] Strange CoCo 2B model

[Neil Morrison]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Durda IV" <uhclem at nemesis.lonestar.org>



> [0]Hi Frank,

> [0]

> [0]ISTR that Radio Shack made these for schools so they could use

monitors. Am

> [0]I correct?

>

> [-]> I just bought a strange CoCo 2B PAL 50Hz model on ebay (don't have it

> [-]> yet) from France which seems to be unmodifed but doesn't have an

antenna

> [-]> connector but some kind of DIN video out which connects to the

European

> [-]> SCART. Another strange thing is a french keyboard layout.

> [-]>

> [-]> Has there ever been a "french keyboard" version which was e.g. sold

in

> [-]> Canada?

> [-]>

>

> Sorry, but I am not well informed on the CoCo line and do not know this

> sort of detail about that line.

>

> Overseas models of several Tandy/Radio Shack computers were made, and for

> those using television receivers/monitors for display the correct video

> output connectors and signal appropriate to that market would be offered.

> PAL was likely the format used for anything sold in Europe, as I can see

> where Tandy would have wanted to avoid to do both PAL and SECAM versions,

> as only France used SECAM (in markets where Tandy sold goods).

>

> I know that in the R&D facility, we had this old PAL television and

> power converter that let it be used for testing these European models.

>

> As to keyboards, there were several keyboards on many models.  Model Is

> had probably the largest number of international styles.  The Model 4

> had three (US, German, French), Model III had four to six, and so on.

> Not sure what the CoCo had, but you can be certain that to sell any in

> France, you had to have the "deadkey" and AZERTY keyboard layout.

>

> I remember when someone in the chain was demanding that an Icelandic

> keyboard be done for the Model 4 and had somehow been passed to me.

> Knowing how big Iceland was, I started asking about the number of stores,

> customer base and likely sales, and the likely sales turned out to be

> something like "5".  We didn't do an Icelandic keyboard.

>

> Nearly every machine was eventually offered with at least QWERTY, QWERTZ

> and AZERTY keyboard models.  When we got to just doing PC/AT clones, the

> keyboards for other countries were just used as they came from the vendors

> and once done didn't need revisiting for each new computer model.

> MS-DOS and later Windows or whatever would have to provide drivers

> appropriate for any significant deviation from the US-101 scan code

keyboard.

>

>

> Frank Durda IV - only this address works:|"The Knights who say "LETNi"

> <uhclemLOSE.aug04%nemesis.lonestar.org>  | demand... A SEGMENT

REGISTER!!!"

> You must remove the "LOSE" to mail me.   |"A what?"

> http://nemesis.lonestar.org      |"LETNi! LETNi! LETNi!" - 1983

> Copr. 2004, ask before reprinting.




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