[Coco] Off Topic but neato "Tiny $35 Raspberry Pi computer causes big stir on launch day"

[Steve Batson]

Bill,
I don't understand the fixation on the actual hardware myself given the 
shrinking availability of used replacement hardware. Yes I understand some 
of the nostalgia and fond memories of working on that old computer, and I 
understand the look and feel of the real thing too. I don't see why that is 
a deal breaker. There's also the fact that the audience is  really too 
small to justify the cost and effort to actually produce a new coco. Heck, 
I'd be surprised if a look a like case let alone the electronics could be 
manufactured in low volumes for a reasonable price to entice enough new 
users to break even.
I really don't see why so many complained about Steve Bjork's idea. Put a 
small PC board in a CoCo Case with that hardware interface and you have 
look and feel and more power to boot. Upgrades simply mean a software 
update for the most part. Emulation opens up endless possibilities while 
allowing full backward compatibility. I'd bet that a well done emulator 
based project could be very difficult if not impossible to tell the 
difference from the real hardware if it was in a CoCo case without knowing 
in advance or opening it up. If someone is that anal about what's inside vs 
how it actually performs, they will probably be hacking their own stuff 
anyway. Nothing wrong with that.
Cost wise, the emulator is a no brainer because the main cost is time, no 
big hardware or manufacturing investment. The emulation path makes it much 
easier to bring new users into the community too. Add to that, all of the 
hardware and resources available to the PC that can be used by an emulator. 
Much less work needed to be done to make all that available.
I think that those that want to build the hardware solutions should and 
those that want build emulators should as well. My biggest wish for either 
side would be full backward compatibility, after that, add what ever 
features you want to the CoCo 4 or whatever the next evolution might be 
called. I say this because the CoCo 4 doesn't really exist yet, so adding 
new stuff is fine. If it can't run old CoCo stuff though, what's the point. 
Today's high powered computer hardware has many OS options available with a 
lot of great features. Why go with something that can't run our old 
software and/or doesn't have a lot of new support?
Just my 2 cents!
I so emulator, go for it! Saves Desk Space too! :)

----------------------------------------
From: "Bill Pierce" <ooogalapasooo at aol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 11:33 AM
To: coco at maltedmedia.com
Subject: Re: [Coco] Off Topic but neato "Tiny $35 Raspberry Pi computer 
causes big stir on launch day" 

Ok Steve (Bjork)... you went there... now I will too... :-)
Over the past years, I watched many, many disscussions of a "Coco 4" take 
place. As Steve said, there are those who say anything else is just an 
emulation... First I have to say this... The Color Computer 3 was NOT a 
Color Computer 2. It was (for the most part) basically just an emulation of 
the Coco 2... and a VERY bad one at that!! 50% or more of the Coco 2 
software would NOT run unmodified on a Coco 3.They had different graphics, 
different memory, different chips, and for the most part, different 
capabilities. That's why they called it The Coco "3"...  and not a "Coco 
2.2" or "Coco 2A". A step forward. If we, as the Coco Community, want to 
ever see a progression of the Coco, it WILL be in emulation. That is as far 
as the Coco 3 part goes.
 "Nitro Color Computer 4: 10 Core Pentainium 240bit 500ghz, 99 giggabytes 
SDDR 25 Ram, 1,000,000x1,000,000 graphics resolution supporting up to 
100,000,000 colors, up to 25x100 terrabyte solidstate HDs (only while 
running NitroglySO9 v6809.0.E), 12xSFUSB (SuperFirey USB) ports, 4xSRS 10.1 
Sound cards for Multi-Track recording, Super ComposoRGB TV output (for 
large flatscreen monitors and Drive-in movie theaters) , built in 10 port 
network card supporting Drivewire99... and the list goes on... Just type  
and full Coco 3 emulation starts wth 110% backwards compatibility!! Type  
and your whole system crashes while running Zaxxon :-) Tandy Joystick port 
card $20 each (CocoMouse driver required), joysticks not included. All on 4 
linked & hotrodded FPGAs.
All Parts available from Tandy National Parts (in kit form only, soldering 
required)
I (for one) would download the source from MiroSourceforge.commie (nighty 
builds in Assfault.wad form availlable) and compile it in my 
Super-Extended-Visual Basic09 Studio...

Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3 
https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
Bill Pierce
ooogalapasooo at aol.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Bjork <6809er at srbsoftware.com>
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts 
Sent: Wed, Feb 29, 2012 11:55 am
Subject: Re: [Coco] Off Topic but neato "Tiny $35 Raspberry Pi computer 
causes big stir on launch day"

Be careful, The CoCo 4 was to use a micro PC board with a CoCo 
mulator.  The outcry that it's not a real CoCo (just emulation) was so 
ad that I kill the project.
On 2/29/2012 8:31 AM, Rod Barnhart wrote:
 I was considering picking one up and doing CoCo emulation on it. Maybe
 wire an actual CoCo keyboard to a USB interface and put it inside a
 dead CoCo's case... Hmmm... Project planning time... ;)

 --
 Rod Barnhart
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