[Coco] Multi Pack Replacement

[James C. Hrubik]

Frankly, I’m flabbergasted.  Anybody who thinks that a commercially dead computer system is going to be the basis for commercially viable spin-offs must either be on some other planet or smoking too much dope.  Face it.  The CoCo is not going to rise from the dead and make all the CoCo-istas wealthy.  It is a fun machine.  Working with it is a love affair.  It’s like restoring a ’57 Chevy and dreaming of what was, and occasionally taking it out on the road and runniing the wheels off some twerp wanna-be drag racer.  Nobody in their right mind would try to design and build a “commercial” product for it.  It’s a hobby.

Nick, don’t let the Grinch steal Christmas.

On Feb 23, 2015, at 7:05 PM, Al Hartman <alhartman6 at optonline.net> wrote:

> Nick,
> 
> I worked in the 1980's for Spectrum Projects, Colorware, Alpha Products and Zebra Systems.
> 
> I developed the software for the Coco Greeting Card Designer, the Zebra Talker for the TS-1000 and 2068.
> 
> I built over a hundred light pens, dual joystick adapters, Serial port Y-Cables, and Spectrum Voice Paks plus every hardware product Zebra made for the Timex Computers.
> 
> I developed, wrote manuals for, and supported on the phone products at those companies.
> 
> If you own a Spectrum Projects product, chances are I duplicated the disk or tape, and photocopied the manual.
> 
> Ditto for Zebra Systems.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtDG5cWmH8s
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awUonjY_jcs
> 
> I have real world experience in real products that were top of the line and top sellers in the Coco and Timex market (as well as Amiga, Atari-ST and TRS-80 Model I/III.)
> 
> Who wants to pay $1500 for an MPI replacement?
> 
> I'm speaking from experience as someone who developed commercial products for the very computer we are discussing. HARDWARE products, as well as software.
> 
> Exactly how many commercial products have you developed? How many were sold? How many products did you try to make that you had to give up on ever bringing to market because they couldn't be made practically, or sold for enough to pay?
> 
> -[ Al ]-
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: nickma2 at optusnet.com.au
> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2015 5:16 PM
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Multi Pack Replacement
> 
> 
> Why would anyone want to put the effort in to create anything new for
> the CoCo?
> 
> Thanks Al. You've given me back so much of my free time.
> 
> Project shelved.
> 
> Nick 
> 
> -- 
~~~Use of marijuana can cause doobieous results~~~
~~~ Sayings of Grandpa Jim, copyright 2014 ~~~