[Coco] Coco and Modern Printers

[Frank Swygert]

  "when it comes to my CoCo im still kind of a purist.". I know it 
wasn't meant to be offensive but that bugs me, because (to me) I am 
still doing today exactly what I did with my CoCo in the 1980s... I'm 
exploring and making it do new things. Sometimes only new to me, but 
still great fun. I don't believe that my hobby is "impure" because the 
things I connect to the CoCo, or the data I process with the CoCo, or 
the way I load bytes into the CoCo has changed to include new technologies.
-----------------------

I get this in the car hobby all the time! I was explaining how a guy 
could upgrade his brakes in a forum and someone jumped on me about 
"that's not the way the factory did it, you're going to get someone 
killed!"  That's not the exact wording, but close. I know someone out 
there right now is thinking "well, you're messing with the brakes, and 
you _/could/_ be getting someone killed..." but I'm well aware of how 
hydraulic brakes work or it's one thing that I wouldn't change or alter 
-- and I pointed out that you need a good understanding of what you're 
doing and why before modifying such an important safety related system.

My point is there are "purist" in every hobby, and there are those who 
don't mind (and sometimes just have to!) modifying things. There's room 
in all hobbies for both. I've always had to have a "driver" car due to 
having to move around in the USAF. Hard to justify the expense of 
keeping an antique you have to store all the time and move around! So my 
vintage ride has always been modernized. I'd love to have a perfectly 
restored car, but at this point in my life I don't see it happening. I 
have to admit to -- I do like modifying cars!! That's why the two CoCo I 
had back in the day were mods -- a portable in a Kaypro II (my "CoPro") 
case and my main desktop in a Tandy 2000 case. That "CoPro" was great at 
CoCo Fests for demonstrating and making copies of software! Easy to pack 
and set up.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Editor - American Motors Cars Magazine
www.amc-mag.com