[Coco] OS-9 80-column driver is ready

[Christopher Smith]

Monochrome displays were still pretty common at high resolutions in the early 80s.  Anything higher-res than a TV would be much cheaper in monochrome, and cheaper still with a text-only interface, so yes people used them.  For word processing and terminal emulation and that kind of thing...

Chris

----- Original Message -----
> From: nickma at optusnet.com.au
> To: "CoCoList" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 6:18:35 PM
> Subject: [Coco] OS-9 80-column driver is ready
> 
> > lol, out-of-date :) You mean that as good or bad?
> > This is the CoCo mailing list isn't it?
> 
> There is old and there is older.
> 
> The CoCo is 80's technology. We had color and bitmapped screens then.
> 
> Monochrome  80 column displays is 70's technology. The dumb terminal
> era.
> 
> That's what I mean by out-of-date. Although I agree that on a CoCo1,
> 80x24 text is an upgrade over 32x16 text.   :)
> 
> But to run Level 1 at .89Mhz? Wouldn't a CoCo3 off ebay be cheaper
> than building an 80 column card? Plus you get Level 2 OS-9 and a
> 1.7Mhz "accellerator" as a bonus.   :)
> 
> > If you have been constrained to 32x16 characters,
> > this is definitely a head turner.
> 
> I agree. I always hated the VDG and I was so glad the CoCo3 got the
> GIME chip.
> 
> > The msx2+ uses the vdp9958 the same one Kip is fiddling with and it
> has
> > 80 columns and true bitmap modes, superimpose, smooth scroll,
> sprites etc.
> 
> Now this is the chip I'd like to see interfaced to the CoCo!
> 
> This would be a head turner!   :)
> 
> Nick
> 
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-- 
Christopher Smith
Systems Engineer, Wolfram Research