[Coco] early OS-9 ads/articles compilation

[Aaron Wolfe]

On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 2:10 PM, Joel Ewy <jcewy at swbell.net> wrote:
> Aaron Wolfe wrote:
>>
>> I added everything that seemed interesting all the way through the
>> announcement of OS-9 for the CoCo.  There was a huge amount of
>> activity in the OS-9 world prior to it becoming an option for us
>> coconuts.
>>
>>
>
> A few observations:
>
> 1.  Whether or not BASIC09 was commissioned, specified, or begun before
> OS-9, it appears that OS-9 was actually available before BASIC09.  The
> August 1980 Microware ad doesn't list a price for BASIC09, though it does
> for OS-9 and even the Microsoft BASIC (elsewhere referred to as "Disk
> Extended BASIC"...).  It could be an oversight in the ad.  It could mean "if
> you have to ask how much it is, you can't afford it..."  But since BASIC09
> does have a price listed in the December ad, I take it to mean something
> more like "we expect BASIC09 to be shipping any time now... certainly within
> a few months of your seeing this ad."

It would seem that there was a time when you could *order* OS-9 L1 but
you could not order Basic09.  I'm not sure if there was a time when
you could actually obtain OS9 but could not obtain Basic09 :)   All
the advertisers seem to have no problem listing things for sale that
are not actually shipping and with only vague estimates of when they
will be ready.  The earliest "hands on" 3rd party review is Sept.
1980, and this user has both.  There is a lag time between the writing
of these things and their publication, so it's hard to say when that
review was actually done.  There are two months (June and July 1980)
where Microware runs an add announcing OS-9 L1 with Microsoft Basic
and lists L2 and "Motorola BASIC09" as Coming Soon.  In August 1980
the ad changes and lists prices for L1, L2, "Microsoft 6809 Basic"
*and* "Motorola BASIC09".  It seems to indicate all are shipping...
but who really knows :)


> 2.  In the "Q/A" list from October 1980, it mentions that most of
> Microware's programs (presumably, though not explicitly including BASIC09)
> will not be ported to other operating systems and will only run under OS-9.
>  So it looks as if the decision not to make BASIC09 a standalone product
> would have been made by that time (if there was ever any question.)

I also think they never planned B09 as a standalone.  Basic09 is never
mentioned in print without OS-9.  In the first official announcement
(that I am aware of) in April 1979, Microware states that B09 will
feature "Formatted I/O to multiple devices using OS9" and "Device
independent I/O in conjunction with OS-9".

> 3.  I always knew that OS-9 was designed to be "ROMable" but the the
> earliest OS-9 ads, describing a ROM-based system that even supported KC tape
> systems makes me wonder anew why OS-9 on the CoCo wasn't available as a ROM
> PAK with cassette support, at least as one optional configuration.  This was
> Motorola's big idea, and Tandy certainly took to it for games, and even
> applications.  It was certainly technically feasible.  Think how many more
> CoCo users might have gotten into OS-9 if it was available on e.g. a $79.99
> cartridge that could save programs and files on cassette.

Yes, this puzzles me too.  Not only did Tandy seem to ignore ROM as an
option, but 3rd party sources like Frank Hogg who did their own ports
of OS-9 to CoCo ignored it as well.  The very first ad that lists OS-9
for sale is selling it in ROM form, cassette flavor. It seems the idea
would have crossed someone's mind, especially considering the RomPak
slot in the CoCo and built in cassette port...  Maybe there was
another limitation that isn't obvious.

I believe there have been folks who ROMmed OS-9 for their CoCo in more
recent times.

> 4.  I have some disk images of OS-9 LI for the SWTPC (a long term project of
> mine that's swapped out at the moment.)  I could fire it up in the SWTPC
> emulator and we could do a little comparison between SWTPC BASIC09
> (presuming it's actually there... it may not be on the available disk
> images) and the CoCo version.
>

Could be interesting.  Something odd went on with the many BASIC's of early OS9.
The earliest BASIC09 is first called "Motorola BASIC09" and then
"Microware BASIC09".  I don't know what caused this change or if these
are in fact two different versions of Basic09.  The mystery of
Microsoft Basic for OS-9 is another puzzler.


> JCE
>
>> On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 2:01 AM, Aaron Wolfe <aawolfe at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I've put together a timeline and images of the various advertisements
>>> and articles I have found in 68 Micro Journal.
>>> I think they tell the story of the early days in an interesting way.
>>>
>>> http://aaronwolfe.com/coco/earlyos9/
>>>
>>> -Aaron
>>>
>>>
>>
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>
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