[Coco] The BIGGEST PROBLEM with (So-Called) NEW CoCo Hardware...

[Peter Cetinski]

> On Mar 5, 2017, at 8:45 AM, Joe Schutts via Coco <coco at maltedmedia.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Everyone,
> I have been involved with the CoCo since the CoCo 1 came out after I switched over from an old Altair 8080 (I got tired of throwing switches). There has been a large uptake of (So Called) NEW hardware MOD's out there for the CoCo but there is a major problem with most of them. That problem is that most of these "NEW" Hardware MOD's require OLDER hardware than is available in many cases. Let me give you some examples.
> 1. Some people are making CoCo Video Adapters that use a VGA adapter for monitors while many of the newer TV's tend to require an HDMI adapter for their input. Why not design an HDMI adapter instead?
> 2. Others are making MIDI adapters that use the older (round 5-PIN Serial Port) adapters when more of the modern MIDI keyboards (especially the cheaper keyboards) are switching over to the NEWER USB-B adapters. Granted that the HIGHER END keyboards tend to stay with the older 5-PIN adapters. Why not make an adapter that uses BOTH connectors?
> 3. Others have made Hard Drive adapters that use the older SCSI or MFM or even IDE Hard Drives for storage. Has anyone tried to buy a "NEW" SCSI or MFM or even an IDE Hard Drive recently? Does anyone even know WHAT the "MFM" stood for? Not only are they getting harder and harder to find, but getting one that "ISN'T" Re-Conditioned is darn near impossible. Why not design a Hard Drive adapter that uses a SATA connector? At least it would be whole lot easier to find a NEW Hard Drive for it and probably cheaper too.
> 4. Then there is the OLD Serial Port "Printer" adapters. How many of you CoCo users out there STILL have an OLD Serial Port Printer? Why not build a NEW "USB" Printer Port adapter so we can use our Ink Jet or Laser Printers??? Does anyplace even sell fanfold paper anymore? Probably not. This is something I would buy in a second. Right now I have to send any file I want to print from the CoCo to my PC and print from the PC (which is a PAIN IN THE "You know where").
> I'm sure others will find something I missed and add to the list. Let me know what you think of this...
> Take care...
> Joe...
> 

There are a ton of off-the-shelf cheap VGA to HDMI and IDE to SATA adapters available so it is probably not worth the enormous effort to re-engineer some of these products given that their total production run is probably no more than a few 100 or so.