[Coco] "VideoPak" hardware question

[Zippster]

Sure, you could interface a VGA chip of some kind to the coco,
but as others were saying, what about software.
If a graphics solution doesn’t support the original software,
probably not a good solution.

Seems to me that the best way of “modernizing” graphics for
the Color Computers is probably FPGA emulation of the GIME
and/or 6847 chips.

That way you could interface to a variety of video output options,
run all the old software, and add new capabilities (sprites, etc) that
newly written software could take advantage of.

- Ed


> On Nov 9, 2014, at 5:22 PM, Mark McDougall <msmcdoug at iinet.net.au> wrote:
> 
> On 10/11/2014 10:10 AM, nickma2 at optusnet.com.au wrote:
> 
>> And if it were done, you wouldn't be seeing much in the way of
>> graphics programs. The larger memory requirements of VGA is more work
>> for our 1.79Mhz 8bit CPU.
>> 
>> The question I ask is, when does a CoCo cease becoming a CoCo?
> 
> Which is what I have been saying all along. It's one thing to enhance the GIME's functionality with suitable capabilities (eg sprites, which are actually designed to decrease the CPU's workload) but to replace it altogether with non-compatible over-the-top graphics power is... well... pointless IMHO. Why not just use an Amiga in that case?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> -- 
> |              Mark McDougall                | "Electrical Engineers do it
> |  <http://members.iinet.net.au/~msmcdoug>   |   with less resistance!"
> 
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