[Coco] Fest Chat Response/SuperBoard Update (WARNING: LONG POST)

Fri Apr 6 13:58:49 EDT 2007

I just want to add my opinion here.  I am willing to wait however long it 
takes in order to get a Superboard.  Since I work in a pcb development 
environment, I have a really good understanding as to what all must go into 
developing something of this magnitude.  And to consistently make things of 
such elegance is a testament to both Mark and Boisy.

But it's not just my admiring what they create.  It's also pure selfishness 
on my part.  I really, really, want what they make.  The Coco is such an 
important part of my childhood, and I am so happy to be able to bring that 
long-ago happiness to today.  In a very large part, it's Mark and Boisy that 
have made that possible.

So I will wait.  Somewhat impatiently (grin), but always with the knowledge 
that I will be amply rewarded for that wait.

So get cracking and finish the darn thing already! (large grin)

Ken

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Marlette" <mark at cloud9tech.com>
To: <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 11:39 PM
Subject: [Coco] Fest Chat Response/SuperBoard Update (WARNING: LONG POST)

> All,
>
> While away this past weekend in Chicago at the fest, there was a chat
> log produced which contained references to the SuperBoard and
> Cloud-9. I would like to take this opportunity to address the
> contents of that chat log and update the people that were not at the
> fest about the status of the SuperBoard.
>
> The chat log has been edited here only to show conversations that
> pertain to the subject at hand.
>
> [START]
> {1618} Roger Taylor Rodder, the SuperBoard was due 10 years ago. I
> truly don't think this will happen. Luckily I didn't make a $100
> deposit like so many people did.
>
> {1619} curtisboyle Roger - it's a pretty big undertaking (the
> Superboard). I have seen partially working prototypes at Mark's
> house, but there is a lot of drivers, etc. that have to be done to
> get everything fully functional.
>
> {1620} Roger Taylor Anytime I was late on delivering, I got hate
> e-mails, but I guess since they have delivered work-up-to products
> that people think they will eventually deliver, but I dunno fellas.
>
> {1623} Sock Joelav - Existing 2M upgrades work just like the 512K
> upgrade. The only difference is the MMU bits aren't readable registers.
>
> {1622} Roger Taylor One guy reported me to PayPal 3 days after he
> ordered something because I didn't reply to his e-mail quick enough.
> I retaliated agressively so much that 2 days later he withdrew the
> dispute and apologized. How Mark has deals with this is beyond me.
>
> {1622} Nick The Superboard sounds great but it does noting for me
> that I need for game development. It also doesn't fit a PAL CoCo3.
> [END]
>
>
> I would first like to say that this past year was a year of improving
> processes and making tasks at Cloud-9 more efficient.  For example:
>
> 1. Boisy and I changed the way our internal sales are handled and
> tracked in our accounting process.  This saves us time and allows us
> to focus on our respective products.
>
> 2. Most all of the Cloud-9 products are now tested on an Automated
> Test Equipment (ATE) system. There are hundreds of hours of code
> written and debugged with hardware that allow me to rapidly test and
> find the manufacturing problems. I had seven SuperIDEs that I were
> dead, and I couldn't identify the source of the problem.  On just one
> of them, I spent over 8 hours of troubleshooting and still couldn't
> find the problem. This being a hobby, I can't afford to throw away
> almost $800 of product.  Now with the ATE software, it takes 3
> minutes and 45 seconds to run approximately 4000 tests across the
> SuperIDE with only 6 nets that I can't test or get access to. EVERY
> board has been repaired in under 5 minutes after it came off this
> test system. This is true for all of our other products as well. I
> had piles of bad boards, and the pile is now empty.
>
> These several hundred hours of hardware/software development did cut
> into my free time which is spent on SuperBoard development.
>
> I also suspended sales so that I could work on the SuperBoard. This
> allowed me to do the above. As with any business, sales are what
> sustains the life of the business. I had to restart sales after most
> all of the stock was replenished. I still can't keep up with the
> SuperIDE sales. I have another board run going out soon and this will
> then be the final chapter on it's process improvement. The hand-wired
> modifications that are added to the board take longer to incorporate
> than building the whole board itself!
>
> As Curtis stated above, he has seen various prototype while at Lab
> North. Don't kid yourself: this project is complex (it ain't no DVD).
> We are changing the way the CoCo 3 operates in a fundamental way
> (VROM and booting for example) along with many other details that I
> don't want to explain at this moment. EVERY product (both software
> and hardware) that we have made has paved the way for the SuperBoard.
>
> Nick mentioned that the SuperBoard doesn't fit in a PAL form. This is
> true, but it reflects the reality that virtually all SuperBoard
> customers will have NTSC motherboards.  I have several Australian
> customers who have placed a SuperBoard down payment, having made the
> switch to NTSC CoCo 3s and realize it for what it is and why.  I can
> develop a PAL board but with selling only a handful of units,
> everyone would bear the cost of the development and the SuperBoard
> has a high enough cost as it stands now. I cannot justify raising the
> price of the NTSC version for the few PAL orders I would get.
>
> When you do this as long as we have, you will realize that you can't
> please everyone.  That said, our customer base is GREAT and have
> shown immense patience.  Now, am I happy that the board is not done?
> No, it bothers me greatly; nobody wants it done more than I.  (Well,
> there is one other person... Boisy.  Do we feel good about what
> changes we have made to make our free time more efficient? YES
> INDEED... WE ARE VERY HAPPY.
>
> Last year at this time I was at the end of my rope, ready return the
> down payments and pull the plug on Cloud-9. Boisy basically told me
> we needed to either wrap this up or throw in the towel and do a mass
> refund.  I was exhausted... but today I feel good about the company
> and the state it is in.  Stock is up and orders are being filled in
> an efficient manner. The road is CLEAR to develop the
> SuperBoard.  Currently, I have 14 orders on the floor, and not a
> problem with any of them.
>
> I will also admit that the SuperBoard is holding us back from doing
> other things with the CoCo. There are so many projects that the entry
> level research has been performed on.. items that the community wants
> and needs. Don't ask me what they are, just trust me when I say most
> of you will fall over to know what they are.
>
> Boisy hasn't been sitting on his laurels either.  Working with Tim
> Lindner, they have added SuperBoard extensions to the MESS emulator
> so that he can develop drivers on virtual hardware. This was
> discussed at the fest this year as well. Now, this will take you only
> so far and Boisy is currently waiting to debug his code on real hardware.
>
> So in short, is the SuperBoard not going to happen? I'll let you guys
> (sorry Mary) and the CoCo community decide.  After being in business
> for years and making every fest since our inception, I can promise
> you that we aren't leaving, we aren't going anywhere, were aren't
> selling our domain name and stock. We are committed to the CoCo, the
> machine that made Boisy and I what we are today.
>
> As Boisy stated once: Now is truly the best time to own a CoCo.
>
> Regards,
>
> Mark
> Cloud-9

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