[Coco] CoCo3 questions / Cloud 9 Super IDE interface

[Steve.Lancaster at Moorestephens.com]

Hello all

I am a UK based Dragon 32 owner. I have found out more and more about the 
CoCos (partially Dragon compatible) and am looking to get a CoCo 3 (a 512k 
model from Cloud 9 appears to be a good starting point).

I have seen on the Cloud 9 website the Super IDE interface and the idea 
that you can use a CF card with it greatly appeals to me. Before I make 
the investment and buy one, seeing as I am new to the CoCos, is there 
anybody out there who has used one or owns one and can they comment 
generally if they are easy to use and a worthwhile purchase.

As regards the CoCo itself:

1) Is a floppy drive necessary for a CoCo? - I ask because 5.25 inch disks 
are hard to source and although I have a 5.25 floppy drive (that I use on 
a BBC Master computer) I'm not sure if it is CoCo compatible.
2) Does anybody know if the RF/AV outputs will work in the UK (although I 
have an NTSC compatible TV)

Going back to the Super IDE does anybody know if it is possible to 
transfer .dsk images to the CF card by drag and drop (on a PC with a card 
reader) or does the transfer have to be done using a CoCo emulator or a 
utility like Omniflop.

Obviously I don't want to buy something and then find I don't have the 
knowledge or skills to use it. 

Any general advice or comments will be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes

Steve

MOORE STEPHENS
Accountants and Business Advisors
6 Ridge House, Ridgehouse Drive, Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 5TL
Tel: 01782 201120, Fax: 01782 201599
Web: http://www.moorestephens.co.uk
A member firm of Moore Stephens International Limited - members in principal cities throughout the world.
Registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by 
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
____________________________________________________________________________
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended
solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
They may contain legally privileged information, and may not be disclosed
to anyone else. If you have received this email in error please notify
postmaster at moorestephens.com and delete all copies from your system.



________________________________________________________________________
This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs SkyScan
service.
________________________________________________________________________