MarkO

Since the Apple ][ and ][+ didn't have Lower Case, from the Factory, nor a Caps Lock Key, none of the Older Games expected Lower Case Characters.. It's Harder to Program for things you don't have.... MarkO

I signed up for a couple of tables.... I was there last year... Tandy CoCo, Apple ][e and Commodore SX-64... MarkO

Yes, it can be changed... I'm not sure exactly where in the ROM it is, but I can ask some people I know... All the Smart People I know that know the CoCo hang out on a Discord Server.... MarkO

The Apple ][e had at least Two different Keyboards, the earlier "White Key" board has slightly better feel for me than the later, "Black Key" board. For "modern PCs", IBM Type M, All the Way!!!! MarkO

The Atari Joysticks with work with an Adapter: https://console5.com/store/byteboosters-sega-atari-snes-joystick-adapter-to-apple-ii-e-c-c-iigs.html MarkO

I'm still new to the CoCo World, since I got my first one, a CoCo 3 in 2012, but I have heard of an RF Modulator in a CoCo 1 that basically disintegrated, while the rest of the CoCo was perfectly fine.. So there is a chance that your CoCo will never get better, unless it's opened up... There are some ways to ( carefully ) heat and remove the original Warranty Stickers so that they can be replaced.

WOW!! I haven't seen anything like that since the last visit from the Evil Mirror Universe... The big IC is a Fairchild TR1602-B, which according to Google is an Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter... See PDF Page 18 of this Document: http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/components/westernDigital/_dataBooks/1981_Western_Digital_Product_Handbook.pdf MarkO

The CoCo 2 was first available with what is called the "Melty Key" Keyboard.. Later Tandy made a "Full Travel" Keyboard that was modified for the Dulex CoCo and CoCo 3. The Mylar Membrain can "degrade" and cause issues... This might be what happened to yours.. ( I own Three, CoCo 3s, Four, CoCo 2s and Two, CoCo 1s, and all their keyboards seem to be in working order.. ) MarkO

All of the Non-Enhanced Apple ][e can be Enhanced with a ROM Upgrade and 65C02 Upgrade.. Apple sold the kits, BITD.. Reactive Micro still sells a version: https://www.reactivemicro.com/product/iie-enhancement-kit/ MarkO

Lets see.... I got an Apple ][e with One Disk ][ Floppy and Green Screen Apple /// Monitor in NOV-1983, and in 1985 got an Apple Super Serial Card, so I got a deal on a US Robotics ( USR ) 300/1200 bps Password™ Modem. I called a lot of Commodore C64 BBSs at 300 bps and one CP/M based system on a Northstar Advantage system with a 300/1200 bps modem.. My second model was "generic" 2400 bps, I still have it somewhere.. My Third, ( and Fourth and Fifth ) are Supra 14.4 and 33.6 Modems... I got Dial Up Internet in MAR-1996 and used the Supra's to connect to my ISP. I used them regularly up until the year 2000 when I got Cable Internet.. MarkO

I have my original Sinclair ZX-81 from 1982 and the an Apple ][e from 1983... I got a Commodore SX-64 in about 1986 and my first CoCo, ( a CoCo 3, NIB ) in 2012... So I am a "new" CoCoNut!! The CoCo Crowd is a pretty friendly group, so I keep, Hanging Out with them... MarkO

https://www.facebook.com/painintheworld?fref=gm

Hello.. What User name on Facebook?? I can check... On Discord, I'm an Admin... I'm new to the CoCo.. 2012 was my first one, now I have 8 of them plus a Tano Dragon... MarkO

That's the Facebook Group... Here is the Discord Server: https://discord.gg/4J5nHXm MarkO

If you want to work with 6809 Assembler, here is Bill Yakowenk's Page with some Bit Banger Serial Routines... http://www.cs.unc.edu/~yakowenk/coco.html#local MarkO

Also the Tandy CoCo Discord Server has an Oregon Trail Channel, which has some Oregon Trail Game, historical links. Join Discord here: https://discord.gg/4J5nHXm MarkO

mozartpc27: Chris Pedersen took a 1978 version of Oregon Trail and modified it for the CoCo: https://github.com/topherPedersen/OregonTrailTRS80Edition Paul Shoemaker is making a Version for the CoCo's from the 1985 Apple ][ Version: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2359462640/permalink/10157585460487641/ MarkO

They are BACK, On-Line!!!!! I haven't try connecting to the Game Server, yet.... http://8bit-slicks.com/ MarkO

I just got a message from Anthony... His Server was Compromised and his Web Host is redeploying the Server... It's just taking a while.. MarkO

Anthony is in Japan... His Git Hub is still up: https://github.com/8bit-Dude I have Anthony's Skype info, I just sent him a message... MarkO

The RF Modulators have been know to fail, while the rest of the CoCo is perfectly fine... In this, Day and Age, with TVs with Analog inputs becoming less and less common, replacing the RF Modulator with a Composite Output is a Good Direction to Go.. Or even a VGA Output... Check Out Zippster's, ( Ed Snider ) CoCo 2 A/V Modulator: https://thezippsterzone.com/2018/10/28/coco2-composite-a-v-modulator-replacements/ Or Brendan Donahe's CoCoVGA: http://www.cocovga.com/ Zippster doesn't have any of the CoCo A/V Modulators in his store, but Brendan will have CoCoVGAs available.. MarkO

Hi airsoftmodels: I'm a long time Apple ][ and Commodore C64 user, and I am still fairly new to the Color Computer... I got my first one in the Fall of 2012... All the the above links are a great starting point, plus I would recommend, http://imacoconut.com/, as an aggregator to all the above links plus a few others.. Like Emulators and other Hardware Vendors.. Just to give a bit of background, the Tandy CoCo is built on the Motorola 6809, ( MC6809 ), and has a BASIC that was developed by Micro-Soft, and is quite similar to the 6502 BASIC found in the Commodore C64 and Apple ]['s APPLESOFT. In fact the the Hidden Easter Egg is still located in the ROMs : https://www.pagetable.com/?p=43 Also, if you don't mind De-Soldering your CPU, there is an Upgraded CPU from Hitachi, called the 6309, ( HD6309 ), that runs identically in Emulation Mode, and when switched to Native Mode will run your code faster, at the same Clock Speeds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_6809 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_6309 I "hang out" on the TRS-80 Discord Server, quite a bit, so if you want to ask a lot of question, of me or some other CoCoNuts, come join us...... https://discord.gg/4J5nHXm ( Disclaimer: I'm an Admin on the TRS-80 Discord Server, so I'm probable biased... ) MarkO

Git Hub Link: https://github.com/8bit-Dude/8bit-Slicks

The 65816 can has a Stack a big as 64K, and As I Recall, using two Stack Pointers, you can ( relatively ) move Data from One Area of Memory to the Screen Buffer much quicker that with Loading and Storing the Accumulator. MarkO

RetroChallenge 2018/09!!!!! Bring it On!!!! MarkO