[Coco] Hello from a serious newbie/beginner!

[Salvador Garcia]

Welcome to the group John!

"I know you all are WAY advanced,..."

Well, some are, but others, like myself, are not.

The big question that you need to ask yourself is: Where do I want my CoCo to go?

Extended BASIC is one way to go, but there are others, such as OS/09 and NitrOS09. These last two are OSes for the CoCo that are in some ways like UNIX. NitrOS09 can be seen as the next step after OS/9, but both are alive and well. Knowing what you want to get into and the steps necessary to get there will help define what accessories you'll be wanting for your CoCo 2. And there are plenty!

I think Stephen covered the emulator scene nicely. As he says, YMMV. Personally I like VCC (Virtual Color Computer), but that is preference.

SD cards? Yes, that will be the CoCo SDC. Check out the link posted. I got one of these myself and am impressed at the technology and know-how that went into its design.

And yes, doing the dev work on an emulator makes sense. Since these run on top of modern hardware, the emulator can be much faster than the original hardware. This helps much in the development process, but in the end it is a Good Idea to test (and retest) your developed software on real CoCo hardware.

If you have the means and availability to travel, attending the CoCoFEST! is fantastic! Look here for more info:

http://www.glensideccc.com/

The 2016 CoCoFEST! celebrated its 25th anniversary. Lots went on! Check out Steve's, The Original Gamer, YouTube Channel:

http://ogsteviestrow.com/



(Actually that's his website. Links to his YT channel are there.)

The technology surrounding the CoCo can be addictive. You start out with a lonely CoCo then start adding. More memory, storage, networking, gaming... and it just keeps going. For example, you mention about a display. The best display is a VGA monitor. There are adapters that you can use to connect your CoCo 2 to the monitor. In fact, there is one that is currently being developed.


Books. If you want to go beyond BASIC and get to know your CoCo under the hood and inside out, check out the Unraveled Series of books.

Check out Drivewire 4. This is an application developed in Java and is a file server, an Internet Gateway, and a MIDI something or other (sorry, I am not up on details about its MIDI functionality). Drivewire runs on Windows, Linux or Mac OS/X and can be used as a storage device for the CoCo. The CoCo is connected to the PC running Drivewire via a clever serial cable. Using a special ROM (and whose functionality is available on VCC and CoCo SDC) the CoCo can store and read files from virtual disks that are stored on the Drivewire server. This server can also be used to access the Internet for updates to software (for the CoCo and given the right software) and rudimentary Internet access (such as email and FTP).

If any of what I said is incorrect or incomplete, I am open to corrections! :-)

A few things to know about the CoCo community.

1. We love our Cocos!2. We use Windows, Mac OS/X and Linux only because the rest of the world doesn't get it.3. When we bless some one or something, we make the sign of the double C.4. We love our CoCos!5. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, the way to a CoCoNutz heart is through his or her 68096. The 6809/H6309 is the greatest thing since Intel's i7 line of processors.7. The only thing we value above our CoCos is our friendship.

Regards.


 

      From: John Lochey via Coco <coco at maltedmedia.com>
 To: "coco at maltedmedia.com" <coco at maltedmedia.com> 
Cc: John Lochey <jlochey at yahoo.com>
 Sent: Thursday, June 9, 2016 1:20 PM
 Subject: [Coco] Hello from a serious newbie/beginner!
   
Hi everyone!
I'm completely new to this group, but really appreciate being permitted to join.  I know you all are WAY advanced, but I guess I have to start somewhere with my questions, so sorry to burden anyone.

I recently acquired a "mint" CoCo2 that is just SO sweet!  :)
I REALLY like it and of course now I want to start playing with it a bit.
Right now I'm going through the "Getting Started With Extended Basic" manual and utilizing the MOCHA and XRoar emulators on my Windows machine.
I have also downloaded just about every book and magazine that I could find on the Color Computer(s).


I have few questions if anyone has the time:
- Are these the best emulators to use?
- Can I get a device that would allow me to read an SD card and use it as a "disk drive"?
- Is there any books or magazines on the CoCo that really stand out and are in the "must read" category?
- What "monitor/TV screen" setup would you recommend to get the best picture?  Assuming that a higher resolution/better picture is desired?

- Do you think it is better to program on the "real thing" or an emulator?  Maybe it is just personal preference?



Thank you all very much!


John


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