Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!bpa!temvax!pacsbb!rtoscan
From: rtoscan@pacsbb.UUCP (Robert Toscani)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy
Subject: Re: Accessories needed for TRS-80 Color Computer 2
Summary: Yes and no
Message-ID: <624@pacsbb.UUCP>
Date: 29 May 89 00:26:46 GMT
References: <18615@cup.portal.com> <1413@bucket.UUCP>
Distribution: usa
Organization: PACS - Philadelphia Area Computer Society, Penna.
Lines: 25



I don't have the orginal posting so I am responding to the reply.  The
suggestion of getting Rainbow is a good one.  Some Radio Shacks carry it
so you can start there.  It does have a lot of ads for stuff like disk
drives.  I bought my orginal drives through one of their advertisers and
got a complete 2 drive system for what RS was then charging for Drive 0.
But you are not completely correct about the monitor situation.  There
are still a few kits, also advertised in Rainbow, that let you tap into
the video and audio output before it goes to the RF modulator, thus 
giving a composite monitor output, without having to buy Wordpak or one
of those type products.  You still won't get 80 column output but there 
are some software packages that generate more columns than the standard
display, if you have something capable of showing them.  The real problem
is getting the old hardware.  Most of the addons for the Coco 2 have 
disappeared with the release of the Coco 3.  If he likes the Coco 2, he
will like the 3.  It comes with 128K, tv, composite monitor and analog 
output, all standard.  Besides the builtin  32 x 16 display, it has
40 by 22 and 80 by 22 with true lowercase.  So it may be more economical
to buy the 3, which can be gotten mail order for about $130 and occasionaly
for that price when the Shack has it on sale.  
For additional advice, you will do well (the orginal poster) to put in
your Coco messages in comp.sys.m6809 which is devoted to the Coco.  It 
will also mention LISTSERV, for the Coco, another source of info.
Hope this helps.  Robert Toscani