[Coco] How much memory

[Roger Merchberger]

On 11/26/2010 09:48 PM, Becker, Gary wrote:
> I was just wondering, how much memory could a CoCo3 realistically use. BASIC can only address 512K. NitrOS-9 can address a lot more, but it has a fixed amount of system resources and after they are used, any additional RAM is wasted. A RAM drive is a good way to utilize a bunch of additional RAM. Compiling C programs from a RAM drive is definately a lot faster than from a HDD. Which of these three options is better?
>
> 1 1.5 Meg of memory that is able to run at 25 MHz.

IMHO, this is the best option. You could still create a (smaller) RAM 
Drive on this that would be super-fast, and still have a lot of room for 
development work or what-have-you. On my 512K CoCo3, I had room for a 
200K RAM drive and it worked well, for me anyway. I'd be able to double 
the RAM disk, have double the application RAM, and still have more to 
spare...

> 2 512K at 25 MHz and 8 or more Meg for a RAM Drive that can be accessed at 3.5 MHz or less.

This isn't a "bad" scenario, but then wouldn't it be possible that we 
could get into the same issues that the Amiga had over "Fast RAM/Chip 
RAM" and designers had to try to "pick and choose" what RAM their 
programs were going to run in, etc., and that might add quite a bit more 
complexity to people who write code for the new device.

> 3 Eight or more Meg of RAM that can be accessed at 3.5 MHz or less.

If the new device has any form of general I/O, I'd stick with option #1 
and see if anyone is able to design a separate RAM disk / flash type 
device for the expansion port; I wouldn't slow down all of RAM access 
just for the large size, at least with something that's CoCo-like.

As always, everything above is IMHO... ;-)

Thanks,
Roger "Merch" Merchberger