Bill Loguidice Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Both the TI and CoCo platforms have their fans, even today, and both are interesting for very different reasons. Both have unusual microprocessors and both are interesting to program in their own way. I really enjoy both, but I will say it's a bit easier to work with a TI than it is with a CoCo. Obviously, the CoCo has two major models to decide between, and connecting a CoCo 3 to a high quality display is a bit challenging in comparison to how straightforward it is to connect a TI to a monitor. On the flip side, it's relatively easy to upgrade a Coco 3 to 512K or beyond, and actually make use of that memory, whereas the TI doesn't have much use for extra memory beyond the 32K. Games are pretty much a wash, with more volume on the TI side, but probably more overall quality on the CoCo side (particularly if you go to a CoCo 3). Decisions, decisions. I'd say, keep both, but then I do have way too many systems as it is already. Shameless plug... If you want to know everything about the history of the CoCo platform right through to the present day, check out CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer. Amazon link here: http://www.amazon.com/CoCo-Colorful-History-Underdog-Computer/dp/1466592478 It was published last month. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 One other plus for the TI is the "F18A" video upgrade that is available << HERE >>. It's a socketed VGA board that makes the TI output clear and crisp. It also supports 80 column mode in numerous programs and enhanced graphics in others. It takes about 1/2 an hour to open it up, remove the old 9918 VDP, take off a heat sink, plug it in, put it all back together and turn in back on and enjoy the view on an LCD monitor or a big screen TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbalion Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Based on experience, I would say the TI. I have a CoCo 1 and 2, and used to have a 3 before it somehow fried itself on me. I like the CoCo line and even have the MC10 (lost the power adaptor though), but I have found them near impossible to find games for. CoCo 2 units were plentiful around here and pretty tough, but other than playing with basic and about five games I was ever able to find, I never got much use out of them. The TI on the other hand was easy for me to collect for and I guess it became a favorite, even over the Atari 8-bit due to the ease for me to find stuff for it. The only easier vintage computer for me to get with programs years back was the C-64! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Well, I am not the serious "must have everything" type of collector, I only keep the consoles / computers that I have nostalgia for or personally really enjoy and believe it or not I like even the much hated 3DO and CDi systems over these lol, but more importantly I simply do NOT have the room and the more I think about it the more I am thinking BOTH my Ti's and my CoCo are going to need to go at some point by selling or trading. Closets over taken with gaming and computing is one thing but my collection has gotten out of hand with boxes and bins under the bed, in the corners of the bedroom and even behind the living room couch, my dear wife indulges me and does not complain which makes me feel even more guilty, it has gotten out of hand and even I know I have more than I can maintain or possible give attention to the stuff so sacrifices have to be made simple as that. This 1 bedroom condo is ours until the end so there will not be a bigger place in the future and I want it to be comfortable and presentable for the both of us. So both will go at some point, I just don't have the time or motivation to deal with it now, last year I shipped 5 packages between the US and even the Netherlands , free items and I covered postage which cost me a shocking amount in total but I have been out of work far too long and living off savings so as good as doing that felt obviously I cannot keep doing that as it hurts me even more financially. I just never been good at the trading selling thing (even though I had the buying down to perfection lol) but I hope to change that over the coming months / years. Edited January 8, 2014 by OldSchoolRetroGamer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPA5 Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 Well, I am not the serious "must have everything" type of collector, I only keep the consoles / computers that I have nostalgia for or personally really enjoy and believe it or not I like even the much hated 3DO and CDi systems over these lol, but more importantly I simply do NOT have the room and the more I think about it the more I am thinking BOTH my Ti's and my CoCo are going to need to go at some point by selling or trading. Closets over taken with gaming and computing is one thing but my collection has gotten out of hand with boxes and bins under the bed, in the corners of the bedroom and even behind the living room couch, my dear wife indulges me and does not complain which makes me feel even more guilty, it has gotten out of hand and even I know I have more than I can maintain or possible give attention to the stuff so sacrifices have to be made simple as that. This 1 bedroom condo is ours until the end so there will not be a bigger place in the future and I want it to be comfortable and presentable for the both of us. So both will go at some point, I just don't have the time or motivation to deal with it now, last year I shipped 5 packages between the US and even the Netherlands , free items and I covered postage which cost me a shocking amount in total but I have been out of work far too long and living off savings so as good as doing that felt obviously I cannot keep doing that as it hurts me even more financially. I just never been good at the trading selling thing (even though I had the buying down to perfection lol) but I hope to change that over the coming months / years. If you do decide to get rid of some of those vintage computers, and dependent on price and such, I wouldn't mind having a look. I noticed you and I both share the rough geographic location of the Great White North, so maybe shipping wouldn't kill us both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) There are a lot of great games for the coco, but Super Pitfall is not one of them. Good lord, no! Why would you even consider it?! The game wasn't any good on the NES, and I've heard the CoCo version is, against all logic and human comprehension, even worse. How do you make this game worse without covering it with razor blades and curare? Edited January 12, 2014 by Jess Ragan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebulon Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I have both and the TI99 just sits there. I like the look of the T.I., but that's about it. I'd say sell the T.I. and keep the CoCo 2 (there are thousands of imaged games for the Color Computer 2). And if you're unfamiliar with the CoCo, here's some DOS info to get you started: http://www.blitter.com/~nebulous/coco.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I have both and the TI99 just sits there. I like the look of the T.I., but that's about it. I'd say sell the T.I. and keep the CoCo 2 (there are thousands of imaged games for the Color Computer 2). And if you're unfamiliar with the CoCo, here's some DOS info to get you started: http://www.blitter.com/~nebulous/coco.html To be fair, there are probably more games for the TI-99/4 and 4a. For the most part they're better overall too, at least until you get to the CoCo 3-dedicated games. Gaming isn't necessarily the end-all, be-all, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 To be fair, there are probably more games for the TI-99/4 and 4a. For the most part they're better overall too, at least until you get to the CoCo 3-dedicated games. Gaming isn't necessarily the end-all, be-all, though. And games are STILL being made for the TI-99/4A. One new game just came out a few day's ago that will blow your mind. You'll say, "Are you kidding THIS is on a TI?" Check it out << HERE >> 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 And games are STILL being made for the TI-99/4A. One new game just came out a few day's ago that will blow your mind. You'll say, "Are you kidding THIS is on a TI?" Check it out << HERE >> Indeed, homebrew game development has picked up quite a bit on the TI-99/4a side in the past year or so. It's still nowhere near where the more popular platforms are in terms of new developments, but certainly what's being created has been excellent. There has been a call of late for more homebrew games on the CoCo side, but, much like the Apple II, that community focuses its energies more on new hardware, rather than new software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 (edited) Indeed, homebrew game development has picked up quite a bit on the TI-99/4a side in the past year or so. It's still nowhere near where the more popular platforms are in terms of new developments, but certainly what's being created has been excellent. There has been a call of late for more homebrew games on the CoCo side, but, much like the Apple II, that community focuses its energies more on new hardware, rather than new software. I wonder if that FPGA coco 4 ( or 3 and a half) will ever see the light of day. I'm also anxiously awaiting Cloud 9's new flash drive. I don't think you'll see too many homebrews in the coco community though, they just don't seem like a gaming group. Edited February 26, 2014 by AtariLeaf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
am1933 Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 And games are STILL being made for the TI-99/4A. One new game just came out a few day's ago that will blow your mind. You'll say, "Are you kidding THIS is on a TI?" Check it out << HERE >> How did I know that before I clicked on the link-ROAD HUNTER would be there?, Hopefully the well deserved praise will keep Rasmus hard at work on his next mind blowing project(hint hint) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega-TI Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 How did I know that before I clicked on the link-ROAD HUNTER would be there?, Hopefully the well deserved praise will keep Rasmus hard at work on his next mind blowing project(hint hint) Yeah, Rasmus has got to be the most prolific game coder in quite a while. All his game a REALLY GOOD too. I've noticed a few people are unaware of the existence of OUR LITTLE CORNER OF ATARI AGE so I sometimes lead them in the right direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I wonder if that FPGA coco 4 ( or 3 and a half) will ever see the light of day. I'm also anxiously awaiting Cloud 9's new flash drive. I don't think you'll see too many homebrews in the coco community though, they just don't seem like a gaming group. Well, there are working FPGA cores for the CoCo (though not for the faint of heart), but yeah, there is definite disagreement in the community over what should be the modern iteration of the CoCo. The CoCoSD is quite handy as it is, but I do agree that Cloud 9's flash drive could potentially be even better. I also agree that the community is not really made up of dedicated gamers, which in many ways is not surprising since the CoCo - even though some obviously have fond gaming memories - was not a great game playing platform. Still, I wouldn't rule it out completely, but any type of homebrew gaming pipeline - even like the TI's modest pipeline - is still a long ways off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Well, there are working FPGA cores for the CoCo (though not for the faint of heart), but yeah, there is definite disagreement in the community over what should be the modern iteration of the CoCo. The CoCoSD is quite handy as it is, but I do agree that Cloud 9's flash drive could potentially be even better. I also agree that the community is not really made up of dedicated gamers, which in many ways is not surprising since the CoCo - even though some obviously have fond gaming memories - was not a great game playing platform. Still, I wouldn't rule it out completely, but any type of homebrew gaming pipeline - even like the TI's modest pipeline - is still a long ways off. I know I'm probably wearing nostalgia goggles but I find a lot of charm and fun in those old coco games, even the ones that look horrible with those terrible colors and neon green background but games like Katerpiller Attack and Starship Chameleon are a heck of a lot of fun and just as playable as some of the best 2600 games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 I know I'm probably wearing nostalgia goggles but I find a lot of charm and fun in those old coco games, even the ones that look horrible with those terrible colors and neon green background but games like Katerpiller Attack and Starship Chameleon are a heck of a lot of fun and just as playable as some of the best 2600 games. Well, that was fairly typical for the era (the CoCo was released in 1980 after all), so yeah, even if the colors and sound weren't the greatest, it's the actual gameplay that mattered. What really sunk the CoCo from a gaming standpooint was a high percentage of game clones (often instead of the real thing) and limited third party support. Also, depending upon the game, it could also play rather sluggishly versus what some other systems could pull off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eightbit Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I say get rid of one of the TI's, and keep one and the Coco2. I have and love them both to be honest. I couldn't completely part with one of them. The way things are going in the vintage computer market nowadays, if you want it back one day you might either not find one, not find one in good shape, or find one for three times what you sold the one you had for. I know..been down that road a few times now. You don't need two TI's (unless you like having both colors!) and if you want to dither down I say first get rid of doubles of consoles before you get rid of consoles entirely 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebulon Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Although the CoCo did have a lot of clones of actual games, that didn't mean they weren't good. Lunar Rover (Moon Patrol) is very accurate to the arcade machine from a gameplay standpoint. In fact, it gets more details correct than a number of the official Moon Patrol home conversions. When evaluating the CoCo 2 on the game front, be sure to take a look at the following: - Time Bandit- Cash Man- Dungeons of Daggorath- Dragon Slayer- F1 Racer (somewhat like Pole Position)- Buzzard Bait (Joust)- Downland- Lunar Rover (Moon Patrol)- F-16 Assault- Color Car (Bump n' Jump)- Qiks (Qix)- Pit Stop II- Shock Trooper - Marble Maze (Marble Madness) - Trekboer - Calixto Island - Grabber - Hall of the King 1, 2, and 3 - Sailor Man (Popeye) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I love Sailor Man, awesome Popeye clone. It's really good, I'd add pooyan too which is a really good port. Hey this is post 8000 for me. I'm awesome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Loguidice Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I love Sailor Man, awesome Popeye clone. It's really good, I'd add pooyan too which is a really good port. I've often heard praise for the CoCo port of Pooyan, but as a Pooyan enthusiast (really), it runs a bit too slow for my tastes. Overall, though, it's at least faithful to the arcade source material, but in my opinion not one of the better home ports because of the sluggishness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nebulon Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Color Computer software listing: http://www.lcurtisboyle.com/nitros9/coco_game_list.html#agames Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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