[Coco] CoCo4! 50% done!

[Bill Loguidice]

I think the notion that a severely financially troubled RadioShack caring
one iota about a recreation of one of their old computers, let alone
carrying it in their stores, is beyond a longshot. Let's face it,
criminally few people remember - let alone care - about the platform, so
there would be no incentive to mass produce the thing. I think
realistically this needs to be thought of as a community-based project of a
few hundred units max.

On the other hand, in regards to the mention in another post about that one
Kickstarter failing, I wouldn't necessarily use that as the sign that
other, somewhat similar projects will automatically fail. The key with
Kickstarter is to have broad appeal, and there have been plenty of low cost
computers - many based around the Raspberry Pi - that easily met their
goals (and then some). The problem with that one failed Kickstarter (from
my perspective) is that it was meant more or less to go into a CoCo 3 case
as a replacement. That's way too granular, and again, that's based on the
assumption that a critical mass of people even know what a CoCo is. Heck,
the CoCo is one of the few classic platforms without an Android emulator
for goodness sake. It's hard to think much beyond our community when the
basics aren't even covered (and again, I'm in no way disregarding the
immense effort this stuff takes - naturally if it was easy it would already
be done), i.e., it's difficult to help expand word/knowledge beyond the
converted because a lot of things that help grow other communities aren't
necessarily present here (again, with full appreciation for all that has
already been achieved).

Maybe that's just a long-winded way of saying we either need to focus on
the reality of the size of the committed community as it stands today or
look for ways to help expand knowledge/interest in/of the platform beyond
our group to open up additional options.

===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade,
Inc.<http://www.armchairarcade.com>
===================================================
Authored Books<http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1>and
Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get
in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice>
===================================================


On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 3:15 PM, Frank Swygert <farna at amc-mag.com> wrote:

> What would be really cool is if someone developed a "CoCo4" FPGA production
> prototype that could be presented to Radio Shack with the outcome that they
> market and manufacture it as a product.
>
> Imagine walking in to Radio Shack to buy a CoCo again! Surreal!
> ===================================
>
> I could see something like that happening. If RS did something like this
> it would probably be more like the MCC -- a little box with USB and
> joystick ports and monitor, you buy the keyboard and monitor. It would also
> need an accessible buss of some sort. Just a DB 25 connector that can be
> programmed, a connector to a GPIO. I only mention DB25 because that would
> be 25 pins and it's easy to get, not a custom header. Could emulate the old
> CoCo cartridge port. You couldn't plug in a disk drive controller or
> anything like that, not without an adapter, but it wouldn't be hard to make
> an adapter. But the main use would be for experimenters -- they could
> program the little computer as a controller for something like Gene's mini
> CNC machine (apologies if that's not Gene Heskett's project...). THEN it
> would be a viable hobbyist product that RS might be interested in
> selling/supporting. It would be a ready to go controller for short
> run/experimenter projects. There were a few products t
> hat used CoCo main boards in them as the controller back in the mid 80s. I
> know some excercise equipment used a CC3 board.
>
> For all practical purposes the under $200 DE1 board is about as affordable
> as a small group could produce. I don't think a single purpose board could
> be made cheaper, unless at least 50 people want to pony up the money ahead
> of time. Even then I don't think one could be made for under $150. Easy
> instructions to get the core on a DE1 can be found at the user group site.
> Maybe we just need to get the word out better. As far as the DE1, you might
> be able to get a group buy discount if you can get enough people to pre-pay
> for one. There isn't much of a discount for orders of 10, probably just
> enough to cover the extra shipping (in the US, not to you Nick!). Someone
> would have to be the focal point and receive the order then ship out to the
> other buyers though.
>
> --
> Frank Swygert
> Editor - American Motors Cars Magazine
> www.amc-mag.com
>