[Coco] PopStar Pilot blog offline

[Al Hartman]

I'm sorry, but it isn't rude to ask for what I want. Which is a simple 
4-slot MPI clone.

It will be faster to develop, easier to debug, requires no drivers, and will 
be the least expensive option.

When you start adding RS-232, sound chips, floppy and hard disk controllers, 
and the kitchen sink -- it increases the complexity, development time, and 
most importantly... price.

If the CocoSDC cost $200.00, how many less would it have sold?

Go look at Peter Bertlett's MISE project. A wonderful project for the TRS-80 
Model I that has lots of stuff in it. It's like a CocoSDC with a real time 
clock, Ethernet, VGA, Joystick port, and more...

http://home.comcast.net/~bartlett.p/MISE/

It sells for $350.00 - I think it sold on the order of 20 units altogether, 
as opposed to over 100 CocoSDCs.

I would like one, but can't afford one. I couldn't justify it under any 
circumstance.

If you think it's rude to ask for a simple, inexpensive MPI clone, I don't 
know what to say.

Nick is just upset that his desire to have a mezzanine connector on the 
CocoSDC was vetoed. And, is taking it personally that his desire to make the 
tail wag the dog with an MPI isn't being jumped on as the next best thing to 
sliced bread.

I've suggested tons of times over the past 10 years features for a cloned 
Coco. Every time, nothing comes of it. Do I take it personally? No.

I live on a fixed income. I can only afford things that are in the $50 area 
every so often. In the last two years, I've sunk hundreds of dollars buying 
disk drives, an EPROM eraser, diskettes, DW cable, a USB serial port, and 
other things for my Coco. I've contributed software and documentation that I 
have that would otherwise be lost. And if I had help to go through my boxes 
of stuff, I have tons more software and manuals that people would like to 
have. I know somewhere I have a box of MC-10 Terminal software tapes. I know 
I have 30 tapes of Coco software like Omni-Klone and others. I have masters 
to most every Spectrum Projects program along with manuals, and especially 
those programs Zebra Systems licensed and sold in the late 80's as I 
re-wrote and put together newer laser printed manuals to replaces the 10th 
generation Xeroxed manuals Spectrum provided originally printed on a Juki or 
a Dot Matrix Printer.

Developing hardware and software is no place for ego and easily hurt 
feelings. If others can feel free to make suggestions, so can I. That's not 
rude.

Imagine how it feels to want an MPI, have every eBay auction for one go over 
$100.00, and then have hopes for a kit in your price range, and then have 
people talking about turning it into some thing you will never be able to 
afford.

Think about that before you attack me for being rude.

-[ Al ]-

-----Original Message----- 
From: Brian Blake
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 9:28 AM
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts
Subject: Re: [Coco] PopStar Pilot blog offline

On 2/24/2015 3:37 AM, Nick Marentes wrote:
>
>
> I wish to thank those who have helped me in the past and in particular, I 
> wish to thank Robert Gault for always supporting my projects and offering 
> helpful and unrelenting advice of which I am greatly appreciative.
>
> Nick Marentes
>

Now that I'm at my computer, and not on my phone, I'll respond a little
more in depth. This is the thing that really torques my screws about the
CoCo community. People who have been actively working on projects
getting crapped on by others who have done nothing recently, or at all.
While I typically agree with the KISS theory of product design, there's
something to be said for folks willing to throw out suggestions on ways
to improve hardware. If you're making a piece of replacement hardware,
the first step should be to get a working prototype, or maybe a few,
'then ask what can I do to improve or add functionality?' There's
nothing wrong with that. And when you get right down to the nitty gritty
of it, the person doing the development has all final say what he or she
wants in the device being developed.

Problems definitely arise from is design by committee, though. At first
people like the idea of a replacement piece of hardware. When other
possibilities are being mentioned, they sound like good ideas, until the
realization hits that these improvements would delay release of the
'product', not to mention the software to utilize said improvements. I
used the term product lightly since, and let's be honest here, the
number of unit sold MIGHT be around 500 for any given product - and
that's being very generous since there's roughly 500 people on the list
and not everyone buys what's being developed anyhow. So, 500 is a hell
of a number for ANY hobbiest to build and sell. I'm pretty sure the
CoCoSDC didn't sell that many units, and I have serious doubts an MPI -
clone or improved version - would sell that many either.

My main gripe isn't with the developers or dreamers, though. The guys
like Darren, Ed, Mark, Boisy, Luis, Robert and others have my utmost
respect for their skills and willingness to contribute to something that
is basically a hobby - nobody is going to get rich developing new
hardware or software for the CoCo. However, the attitude mentioned in my
previous message comes from but a few people who like to bring up their
glory days while telling other people just why their ideas and wishes
aren't good ones. While there may be some merit to what's been said in
opposition to an MPI with added functionality, the condescending tone in
which it was said was flat out rude and boiled down to this: 'you don't
know what you're talking about, I did this in the past, and by the way,
I don't want what you're suggesting.'

If you're not working on the product, you've got no real business
shooting down somebody's suggestions simply because it's not what you
want! If the person designing it does or doesn't want to add to it, it's
on them. It's been discussed many times about the CoCo's short comings
in the sound department, and the desire for an integrated sound option
for the CoCo (in the CoCoSDC v2 and now in the MPI). And now, one of the
people who could have used said option in his games has thrown in the
towel, not only on a promising game, but, on the CoCo in general. I'm a
betting man, and I'd bet this talk about the MPI is at least part of the
reason why.

Congratulations...





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