[Coco] Chuck Never give up on a Coco .. was >This tickles me....

[George Ramsower]

From: "Chuck Youse"

> Actually, when I do bring up things that are on-topic - usually me
> asking detailed questions about NitrOS-9 - they're more often than not
> ignored.  I don't know if it's because no one knows the answers, or if
> those in the know don't care to respond.  I'm still waiting for any
> insight as to why V.PAGE isn't used in the Coco version of OS-9, and if
> anyone thinks it's unwise to appropriate it for Multi-Pak slot 
> information.

  I've learned that danged near all of the time, there will be a response to 
a query on a coco question. Sometimes, the reply will be something that 
won't help because(in my case) I neglected to tell that I already tried 
that. DOH! on my part. I'm bad about that and also not giving enough 
information on the problem.

>   Funny how Boisy, King of NitrOS-9 Hill, only seems to pipe
> up to turn on that Cajun charm and call for my ejection from the list
> (Jesus would have done the same, I'm sure), or defend one of his
> wares.

 I think this may have happened when you first joined the list and haven't 
had a chance to be established here. Newbies are almost always scrutinized 
when they start out  as if  they know what they are talking about. We've had 
problems with folks stepping in and acting like they can show everyone how 
things should be done when in fact, they are actually blow hards.
 I think you are doing well here and have shown you are a benefit to the 
list. Keep it up!

 Ask your question again and perhaps direct the subject line to include your 
targeted person. Get their attention!

>
> I was just beginning to inventory my Coco crap to either off-load on
> e-bay or chuck (I'm proud that my nickname is a common slang term, I
> think only guys named Richard really have me beat on that one).

 I missed the point on that one. How does Richard beat Chuck?

> I've
> got tons of Coco crap in my lab and in my tiny midtown apartment - just
> seems that the Coco has become a gigantic waste of space and time, and
> the remnants of the Coco community just aren't all that dynamic any
> more.  There remains much interesting work that can be done with our
> 8-bit buddy, especially on the NitrOS-9 side in terms of consolidation,
> clean-up, and even "Coco 4" type development, just for pure hack value.
> But sadly there is only a very small audience for such things.  The
> greatest base seems to be people playing games in emulators, which is
> unfortunate.

  It seems that most of the software development I see here are applications 
for developing software. Most run on PCs and little is actually developed 
for a Coco.
  I think if someone were to develop hardware and/or software that would 
enable a coco to easily interface to devices that are readily available for 
PCs could initiate some new interests. Things such as a way to use a coco to 
operate X10 controllers and have inputs to monitor things such as 
temperature, rain, noises, switches on doors, windows, pressure switches in 
door mats...etc.
.
 Build a coco system that can "Bill Gates" your house. This doesn't require 
much computing power but would make things fun again for a coco user.

 I'll post another message to attract attention to this subject.

---------

 The existing and new hardware stuff is exciting. Before the end of the 
month, I plan to get a few things such as the RGB converter box to enable me 
to use a newer monitor on my coco.
 Another is the PC keyboard adapter.
 I wish someone would build a stand alone adapter to use a memory stick... 
uh... CF? or whatever. The only one available now requires an IDE hard drive 
interface to use it.
 The computer I want to use this device on is floppy only. Doesn't need a 
hard disk. It would be nice to eliminate the floppy drive on that coco. The 
other computer that could use the memory stick does have a hard drive, but 
it's SCSI. The memory stick would be a convenient way to build the boot disk 
(on the computer with the hard drive) to use on the other, as I am now doing 
with 3.5 floppies. I suppose the MESS emulator on this PC could substitute 
for the Coco with the hard drive. Memory stick adapters are plentiful for 
PCs.

 I'm probably the only person here that would buy one. Therefore, it 
wouldn't be economically feasible to begin production on something like this 
just for ME!
 I might could build an adapter, but I don't how to write the ML code and 
make an EPROM to use it as a mass storage device such as a floppy drive. The 
EPROM would enable me to boot to OS9 and then there is the driver for OS9 to 
use it. Beyond my ability there.
 The floppy drive coco has four eight bit output ports and four eight bit 
input ports. I've connected just about everything you can imagine to that 
coco. I'm using it right now to operate my tiny milling machine. I only know 
Basic09 and don't have time to learn other languages.

 There are too danged many things that can be done with a coco to just give 
up on it. I can't program a PC and besides, these darned things are too fast 
today to wire up my children 74XX/X chips to... I think.

>
> Anyway, Hail Satan, kill the babies, get your gay on, etc. etc.
> C.

 The best totally "Politically Incorrect" statement I've seen is:

 " Nuke a gay whale for Jesus "

George