[Coco] too wordy?

[Christopher Smith]

What Aaron said... but for regular use I do prefer actual hardware as well.  There are cases even then where an emulated system is an indispensable tool.  For example, it can be much easier to get data from a modern system to an older one if the modern system can speak its language, so to speak.  

Chris

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aaron Wolfe" <aawolfe at gmail.com>
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 11:16:37 AM
> Subject: Re: [Coco] too wordy?
> 
> > From: iggybeans <iggybeans at comcast.net>
> >
> >...
> > I'm not sure I understand why the majority of you are so focused on
> > emulators.
> > I still prefer real hardware. Using a more modern system to emulate
> > a much less
> > powerful older system only seems like a downgrade to me.
> >
> >...
> > Good luck to you guys using VCC and Mess, even if I don't
> > understand the point
> > of it.
> >
> 
> >From a programming perspective, emulation always has been useful and
> sometimes even essential in the creation of software.
> 
> Emulation is a time honored tool user by system and application
> programmers alike.  Computer emulators existed long before
> microcomputers were created, and most if not all microprocessors are
> implemented in emulators before any silicon wafers are made.  I'm
> fairly sure this was true in the 6809's case, as I recall an
> interview
> with the BASIC09 programmers that described how they were developing
> the language using a minicomputer emulating the then unreleased 6809.
> It was also true of many other 8 bit processors.  Again from memory,
> I
> remember reading an interview with early Microsoft employees
> describing how they ported BASIC to new CPUs by emulating the target
> architecture on their mainframe.
> 
> Beyond the initial porting of operating software, most developers
> targeting the 8 bit machines used emulation and other tools on more
> powerful computers in their work.  For instance Steve Bjork has
> described his CoCo development process and how it often involved
> using
> more powerful or specialized computers.
> 
> Today you can use a modern PC in place of the minicomputer or
> mainframe, and you can emulate the entire platform with a higher
> degree of accuracy.  Otherwise, using an emulated environment as part
> of your Coco programming toolbox is about as 'classic' and authentic
> an experience as one can have.
> 
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> 

-- 
Christopher Smith
Systems Engineer, Wolfram Research