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From: mu106sbn@sdcc13.ucsd.EDU (Stephen Hartford)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.m6809
Subject: Re: True Multitasking, and some history lessons
Message-ID: <879@sdcc13.ucsd.EDU>
Date: Wed, 27-May-87 15:23:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcc13.879
Posted: Wed May 27 15:23:32 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 30-May-87 06:55:15 EDT
References: <943@cooper.UUCP> <159@tahoma.ARPA> <3708@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: mu106sbn@sdcc13.ucsd.edu.UUCP (Stephen Hartford)
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 44
Keywords: which is better, Tandy CoCo
Summary: Real computers
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.amiga:5226 comp.sys.atari.st:3752 comp.sys.m6809:309

In article <3708@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer) writes:
>In article <159@tahoma.ARPA> bakken@tahoma.ARPA (Dave Bakken) writes:
><I bought my Amiga in December of '85, and I chose it over the Atari
><because it was (and still is) the only PC to offer true multitasking.
>
>Horsefeathers. OS/9 has been available on a fair number of machines
>for years, and it has true multitasking. 
>It's been at least three years since Radio Shack starting selling OS/9
>for the Color Computer (I started 32 shells on one once, just to see
>how it would run. Not bad...). With the introduction of the CoCo III
>last year, Tandy announced only OS/9 for an OS. They also put in an
>MMU. With the release of OS/9 level II early this year, you got a
>windowing system, as well.
>	<mike

I've been involved with the CoCo for over five years. Since the
Atari ST and the Amiga have been released, I've purchased both, and
sold my CoCo. True, the CoCo runs OS-9. I work at Computeware and we
had Level 2 and CoCo 3's before almost anyone. This machine is a
dog. I would hardly call the CoCo 3's "Data Address Translator" a
MMU in any but the most primitive sense of the word. The windowing
system Mike mentions, called "Multi-View", is NOT out yet, and Tandy
has yet to announce when, if ever, this will be released.
Graphics primitives are present in the Level 2 package, but the
operating system barely uses them at all. When you 
get a chance, visit comp.sys.m6809, the newsgroup for the CoCo.
Besides the fact that there's only 2-3 messages a day, you will
notice all they ever talk about is the bugs in OS-9. Without going
into further detail, I can assure everyone the CoCo is a computer
from the past, and either an ST or Amiga is far superior.

Even as far as price, the CoCo can not compete! Going by standard
prices today, a CoCo with 512K, one drive, and a RGB monitor lists
for $219+149+299+299= $950. With a similar 520 ST costing about
$799, and an Amiga 500 (or discounted 1000) costing $950, there's no
reason to buy a CoCo. The CoCo was a great machine in its day (1981
~ 1985), I know, but it just doesn't cut it today.


-- 
Stephen Hartford, programmer (a.k.a. student) 		      /// 
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