[Coco] Fantasy Football = CoCo Five.

[coco at jechar.ca]

On 2022-09-10 22:24, Francis Swygert via Coco wrote:
> You have a great outline, and it all sounds good! A few thoughts:
> 1) Something like the CoCoSDC built in. Yes, you can use one of the
> cartridge slots for one, but without it the only "provided" external
> storage is via a DriveWire server. Not a bad way to go, but requires a
> complete system. If implemented on a SBC like a RaspberryPI or Stick
> PC a DW server wouldn't take much room, on an older mini PC it
> wouldn't cost much, but it's still additional equipment.
> 
> 2) PS/2 or USB keyboard support without an additional interface. I
> know having a CoCo style keyboard makes it feel more like a CoCo, but
> it's an upgraded CoCo anyway -- an upgraded keyboard that's cheap and
> easy would be nice.
> 3) Having it in a CoCo-like case (and using other than a readily
> available keyboard) just adds an unnecessary expense. Every upgraded
> system that started with a single keyboard/system unit migrated to a
> separate system case and keyboard. If these were being made by a large
> manufacturer en-mass there might be some cost savings in doing so, but
> in small quantities (not thousands!) it just adds costs with no
> benefit except for nostalgia.
> Other than that I like everything you've outlined. The only big hurdle
> is writing the control software to make it happen. The hardware
> shouldn't be too difficult, though it would require a not
> inconsiderable amount of time and money to fully develop. As noted,
> some things, like the 6809 FPGA cores, have already been developed.
> There is work in progress on a GIME replacement, but you don't really
> need that since the GIME is already in the CoCo3 FPGA cores.
> 
> I never have seen any real reason to have CoCo 1/2 compatibility.
> There will be some due to the need to make it CoCo3 compatible, but
> there are a few functions that were dropped with the CoCo3 and some
> that were retained but really aren't needed. That little bit of ROM
> space might come in handy for advanced functionality. But maybe not --
> the way you have it outlined with a control core operating a separate
> CPU in CoCo compatible mode may make it trivial to include CoCo1/2
> compatibility.
> 
> ========== original message ====================
> Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2022 14:35:07 -0400
> From: coco at jechar.ca
> 
> 
> Back in 1994 ( I had got my first CoCo a CoCo 3 in late 1990 ) deciding
> that no attempted Color Computer 4 had really been sufficiently
> successful at capturing what I thought a proper successor should
> accomplish,I wrote down what my dream CoCo would do.
> 
> I think it was partly inspired by the idea of having multiple TC9's in 
> a
> Tomcat and later by Sock Masters CoCo 4 idea (
> http://www.6809.org.uk/twilight/sock/cocofile/coco4.html ).
> 
> Later I realized that my CoCo 4 concept was far to complex and if it
> ever happened it would be only after one or more intermediate steps. So
> I now call the evolved version of this concept the CoCo 5.
> 
> For many years I would write down ideas about the CoCo 5 on scraps of
> paper.When getting ready to move I gathered these papers together in 
> one
> binder and a scribbler at the time I had half a mind just to throw them 
> out.
> 
> Of the later attempts to create a CoCo4 with FPGA's  the Matchbox Coco
> came very close but the lack of a CoCo Cartridge Slot definitely 
> disqualified it in my mind.
> News that FPGA's were now capable of replacing Multi-core processors 
> and
> Zipsters CoCo2 plus complete with  Cartridge Slot and also Zipsters
> GIME-X gave me the feeling that a CoCo 4 and perhaps even a CoCo 5 
> might
> be possible.
> 
> So about 4 or 5 months ago I decided to revisit the ideas I had written
> down and compile them into a consistent specification presented as a 
> web
> site so I started creating the CoCo Five website at
> http://jechar.ca/coco/5 .
> 
> In the process I weeded out many inconsistencys and contradictions an
> came up with some new ideas and extensions of old ideas and was
> supprized to find that the result filled 30 web pages many of them many
> pages in length. Much of this is because rather then just a list of
> specs I wanted to create a complete vision of what a CoCo 5 would be
> like.
> 
> The thing is that I would hope that anyone seriously considering
> creating a CoCo 4 would look at the ideas for the CoCo5 and consider 
> how
> much of that they might be able to accomplish.
> 
> The site at http://jechar.ca/coco/4 looks at what some partial
> implementations of the CoCo5 idea might look like. And includes a table
> comparing current and possible future cocos with the current CoCo3+ and
> the probably forever a pipe-dream CoCo5.
> 
> Over the years some improvements such as the 6309 drive wire and
> affordable IDE hard drive interfaces and finally the GIME-x have 
> allowed
> the CoCo3 to do more then ever but not near what "my 1994 CoCo4 Idea"
> envisioned.
> 
> List of links to look at.
> 
> Zipster:
> https://thezippsterzone.com/the-coco2-plus-a-coco1-2-clone/
> https://thezippsterzone.com/2019/03/27/gime-x/
> Sock Master:
> http://www.6809.org.uk/twilight/sock/cocofile/coco4.html
> My Pages:
> http://jechar.ca/coco/4
> http://jechar.ca/coco/5
> 
> So If you decide that you are curious what the ultimate CoCo might look
> like.
> Read , Enjoy and feel free to send me any comments at coco at jechar.ca
> 
> Charlie
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Frank Swygert
>  Fix-It-Frank Handyman Service
>  803-604-6548


Nostalgia I agree is the main reason for these three points you bring up
some further comments on each below.

           1. Only heaving the small uDisk and settings as battery backed 
memory.
              ( But remember in 1994 when my first version of this idea 
came about that a
                larger built in drive was not feasible, and that this is 
an update of that. )
              ( That said not at all adverse to a built in  SBC available 
to one of the virtual
                CPU's and the uDisk area of memory running some sort of 
sharing "disks" for the other
                instances. In the case of the CoCo4++ or CoCo5.)
           2. AND using a CoCo style keyboard. But note
              The system described does have a Bluetooth option so the 
CoCO Mech Keboard is only
              optional not required also an extension of the software 
described could allow for
              a USB keyboard but in that case all system updating would 
have to  be done remotely
              from thr PC end. As for PS/2 keyboards any adapters that 
work with a CoCo 3 would work
              with this however Macros might  be redundant.
           3. Coco Case Form Factor - Remember one option would be 
motherboard only and that the
              CoCo type keyboard is not to be mandatory, replaceable by a 
Wireless Bluetooth.
              So ideally the user can choose between an old coco 3 case 
or some type of PC case
              sans CoCo Keyboard if they are OK with a less Nostalgic 
version.

              The amount of room you need is at most 90mm x 266mm x 290mm 
given a ridgid motherboard
              and the Molex plug being on a short extension the bigger 
issue is having the correct
              cutouts for the ports.

Thanks for your comments.

Charlie

PS: there is a tiny Amiga500 out and all sorts of utube videos where 
someone is trying to repack it
in a full size case.