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From: vodall@hpfcdq.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.m6809
Subject: Re: Caching (was: 512K RAM upgrades)
Message-ID: <300005@hpfcdq.HP.COM>
Date: Mon, 24-Aug-87 12:55:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpfcdq.300005
Posted: Mon Aug 24 12:55:22 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 29-Aug-87 08:24:27 EDT
References: <1987Aug11.203541.6684@chp.uucp>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, TWO
Lines: 37

>>  I plan to use the coco on the modem, packet radio tnc, real 80x24 terminal
>>  (Heath Z89) and laptop simultaneously.  The only problem is that I can't
>Is this a CoCo 1/2 or CoCo 3?  How could you stand using a terminal when the
>cc3 has such powerful (go ahead and argue, brains that be, but I am 'new' to
>computing [I've only used computers for 4 yrs] and I'm impressed by the windows
>and the 106 columns!) windowing capabilities?

It's a CoCo 2...  A CoCo 3 would be nice but I'm not going to be upgrading
in that direction.  The cost is just too high.  I'd have to buy a CoCo 3
($200), 512k memory expansion ($75??),  OS9/LII ($80), color monitor ($200)
for a total of better then $550.  It would be a neat system but still just an
8 bit cpu with memory management (6809+Gime == 8088 == clogged arteries).
And this doesn't even fix the halting of the cpu when the disk is in use
or the marginal quality keyboard.

I'd really like a machine like the Coco 3 but with a 68008 instead of the
6809+Gime.  The hardware cost would be lower and a whole megabyte of
consecutive memory is available.  I'm upgrading my personal system, a
Smoke Signal Chieftain, by adding a 68008 as a third microprocessor.
(The 2nd was a Z80.)  Then I'll have the full megabyte, lots of I/O
slots and buffered disk access's.  It'll be a fairly good performer for
a minimal additional investment.

> windowing capabilities...

While I've never seen or used the windows on the CoCo 3 I do use them daily
at work.  Right now I have five 80x24 retained, overlapping, text windows on
the screen and I can create more of any size font/dimentions that I want.
It's really handy to display the equivalent of a page of paper before making
a hardcopy.  Being in the group developing software for windows on
Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX (a port of AT&T's UNIX) I do appreciate what can be
done with windows.  But, since windows are generally expensive in terms of cpu
cycles, I still prefer separate displays.  Especially on smaller processors
that have less cycles to spare.  Can the Coco 3 run 19.2Kbaud in it's windows?
My Coco II does to the remote terminal...

Bill Vodall