[Coco] Any news on the so called CoCo4 or Next CoCo project that Bjork was heading?

[Bob Devries]

Hi Aaron,

you said:
> Why use a general purpose PC, with all the extra overhead and
> configuration needed for even the simplest emulator only
> configuration, when FPGA hardware can be put together more cheaply and
> can provide a better CoCo experience.

The only reason I would have is "lack of desk space"

If I could build a DE1 into a laptop (eeePC?) style case, I'd be happy, cos 
then I could take it anywhere. But then drivers for an LCD would need to be 
done.

Hmmmm

Regards, Bob Devries
Dalby, QLD, Australia

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Aaron Wolfe" <aawolfe at gmail.com>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 4:55 AM
Subject: Re: [Coco] Any news on the so called CoCo4 or Next CoCo project 
that Bjork was heading?


> Personally, I see the FPGA solution the Gary Becker has created as the
> best "CoCo 4" experience available.
> It's hard to describe how amazing it is to use.  I am not one to buy
> into the "user experience" hype normally, but using the CoCo3FPGA on
> and Altera DE1 feels "real".  It feels like a real CoCo in a way that
> no emulator ever has to me.
> It turns on and offers the OK prompt instantly, just like a real CoCo.
> It resets instantly with the push of a button, just like a real CoCo.
> And.. there is more to it than just that... hard to put into words.
> One example I can offer is that although I've had emulators running on
> my PC for some years, I never bothered to mess around in BASIC like I
> did as a kid.  The very first time (and several times since) I turned
> on the CoCo3FPGA, I was just draw to it.. started writing little BASIC
> programs and experimenting, remembering the stuff I'd done as a kid.
>
>
> Why use a general purpose PC, with all the extra overhead and
> configuration needed for even the simplest emulator only
> configuration, when FPGA hardware can be put together more cheaply and
> can provide a better CoCo experience.  I am not a hardware guy, but it
> would seem creating adapters for connecting real coco peripherals to
> an FPGA board would be simpler than some PCI or USB solution as well.
>
> -Aaron
>
>
> On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 1:51 PM, Frank Swygert <farna at att.net> wrote:
>> The point of emulating a mythical machine in software is that it can be 
>> done
>> quickly and cheaply. Ideally the emulation would be pared down into a 
>> total
>> OS/emulator merged together. Just boot it straight into the emulator 
>> without
>> all the extra things the OS needs to run other programs. With Linux that
>> should be easy, but something like VCC or the DOS emulator would be 
>> needed.
>> A port of either to Linux would be fantastic! Of course it might be just 
>> as
>> easy to pare down MESS into just a CoCo emulator, then customize 
>> something
>> like DSL or Puppy to run just that.
>>
>> Ideally I'd think the best solution for the hardware would be to optimize
>> the system for a particular small board computer. One of the ITC boards, 
>> for
>> instance. Something readily available and low cost, and small. I've seen 
>> a
>> VIA ITC board mounted in a Commodore 64 case, "upgrading" the Commie. 
>> Some
>> have mentioned keeping the CoCo keyboard, but we've had adapters to get 
>> away
>> from that for a long time! Mount a mini USB keyboard on the CoCo case if 
>> you
>> must have the keyboard on the case.
>>
>> The second step might be a card to allow legacy hardware to be attached, 
>> but
>> I think that's a moot point (this was "step two" of Bjork's project -- a
>> card with cartridge, joystick, and I think another legacy port or two). 
>> Much
>> of the old hardware is on its last leg or unobtainable. It's way to easy 
>> to
>> emulate it in such a way that it can even be improved on. I can almost 
>> see a
>> use for 5.25" floppy connectivity, but almost everything ever on floppies 
>> is
>> now available in DSK files or some other downloadable file format. Plus 
>> the
>> RS drives can be connected to a standard floppy controller already on the
>> MB... at least some will still work with 360K drives, but that might be 
>> hard
>> to come by. 1.2MB drives will generally read 160-360K disks, but the
>> controller might not work with the smaller capacity drives... I don't 
>> think
>> they do anymore. Making 3.5" drives work should be easy enough though. 
>> The
>> lack of a 5.25" drive shouldn't be more than a nuisance for a few people.
>> USB thumb drive or SD card support would be more important.
>>
>> What would REALLY be needed is a way to connect the machine to the real
>> world. The CoCo has always been a good experimenter's machine because it
>> could be connected to various things through the joystick and cartridge
>> ports. I don't see a real need for connecting to legacy devices of that
>> type, but I CAN see a need for easy to program I/O. Something simpler 
>> than
>> the PCI card slot. Maybe a card with a cable and legacy CoCo connector on
>> it, but even those are hard to find. I still think that reprogramming the
>> parallel printer port to be accessible as a PIA or something similar 
>> (maybe
>> just add some special commands to "DECB4" or whatever, and a driver for
>> OS-9). I looked at it before, and don't think there are enough lines to
>> reprogram the PP to emulate a legacy cartridge port. The PP IS 
>> programmable
>> on a PC though, and it has been used for different I/O in the past.
>>
>>
>> -----------------
>> From: Mark McDougall <msmcdoug at iinet.net.au>
>> Sent: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:38:51 -0000 (UTC)
>> Subject: Re: [Coco] Any news on the so called CoCo4 or NextCoCo
>> projectthatBjork was heading?
>>
>>> > But I also have a netbook thanks to my job, and that works just fine
>>> > as an emulator box, and weighs a lot less than a CoCo. So I would
>>> > agree that 'coco 4' hardware might be kind of silly.
>>>
>> On the contrary, my view is that 'Coco 4 Software' is kind of silly.
>> Personally, I really don't see the point; either faithfully emulate the 
>> Coco
>> in software, or use a modern PC. What's the point of 'emulating' a 
>> mythical
>> machine in software?
>>
>> OTOH, having 'Coco 4 Hardware' makes a lot more sense. And what I mean by
>> that, is fully-compatible hardware that integrates not only with legacy
>> peripherals (cartridges, floppies etc) but also with more modern
>> peripherals, like SD card, USB joysticks, etc. You get the *full* legacy
>> experience (ideally it would be a Coco mobo replacement), with the 
>> benefit
>> of modern convenience where desired. A bit like "pimping" your Coco with 
>> an
>> unlimited credit account at Cloud9!
>>
>> There's also the opportunity to enhance the hardware as well, say, more
>> colours, custom palette etc. But this is not the primary point of the
>> exercise, just stuff that is done "because you can". And because
>> programmable logic makes it that much easier.
>>
>> --
>> Frank Swygert
>> Publisher, "American Motors Cars"
>> Magazine (AMC)
>> For all AMC enthusiasts
>> http://www.amc-mag.com
>> (free download available!)
>>
>>
>> --
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>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>>
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