I cut my teeth on the Coco 2 before moving up to the CoCo 3. Wonderful machine. Carried me through high school and on into college. Wasn't the most powerful system but The Rainbow showed you how to use it at its fullest.
Not ever having seen a coco in real life, after watching that centipede clone video of yours you just put up, I went for a review of the coco, you know, this is the only video I could find!! Wow, it's unusual looking, almost as if it's designed for the monitor to be put on top (monitors/tvs were small back then as I am sure you know :o) ) Wow, 16k in 1980 was huge!!!, I didn't even have that on the vic20! Funny how computers used to be all in the keyboard...now commodore are at it again!!
Great video! I had an TRS-80 color II (here in Brazil was called CP-400 color II) in 1989. I loved the games and the basic programming. Wish i had learned machine language :P
TRS-80 is Tandy Radio Shack but that is not a venture of two companies. Tandy Corporation is the owner of the Radio Store brand name. They are one and the same.
Coco keyboards - there were the chiclet (original Coco 1, C to F revision motherboards), the better-travel-but-not-yet-a-real-keyboard on the first 64K Coco (basically a Coco 1 with a lighter colored case, came out in late 1983 at the same time as the Coco 2, and the Coco 2 full travel keyboard. Then the Coco 3 keyboard, with 4 extra keys and a slightly different layout, in 1986.
Re: 512k upgrade - remove the original chips, cut a few capacitors, and install a satellite board for 512k. 3rd party upgrades of 1 MB and 2 MB from Disto were also available, and Paul Barton got it up to 8 MB later on.
Great vid Leaf, is the 128k version easily upgraded to the 512k version (is it a matter of swapping ram out?) Also does the 128k version come with the GIME chip?
To bring up "The Three Mugateers" hold down Control and Alt while pressing reset. It is actually quite useful. If you bring up "The Three Mugateers" then press reset again it will cold boot the machine the same as if you turned it off and back on.
The picture is actually 3 pictures pasted together. In fact Mark Hawkins and Todd Earles are wearing the same jacket.
Great review, I was brought up on the model B and later the Archemedies (Acorns) and love all the old computer reviews on youtube of computers I no little or as in this case, nothing about, thanks
I have a CoCo and a CoCo2, though oddly, while the keyboard layout on my CoCo2 is the same as on yours, the keys themselves aren't of the "melted" variety, but look the same as those on your CoCo3.
I have a Dragon 32 as well. They aren't entirely compatible with CoCos, so I've heard... though I haven't tried running software for either on the other system.
I'll be doing Dragon games videos when I've done with my Electron games.
Nice as this type of computer system was not very popular and available in the Netherlands. We had TRS-80 systems in highschool bot no color capable systems.
I cut my teeth on the Coco 2 before moving up to the CoCo 3. Wonderful machine. Carried me through high school and on into college. Wasn't the most powerful system but The Rainbow showed you how to use it at its fullest.
baarbear 1 week ago
Hi. Thanks for the video .Great info...A
schoolgirlshortdress 1 month ago
I just got a coco 2 in my last pickup!!!!!! :D I was so excited because i new that you loved your coco, and now I have one of my own!!!
Masteroftuba3 3 months ago
Awesome review
mooncameras 1 year ago
well done
daafies2 1 year ago
I'd love to see the coco 3 running :o)
RetroGamerVX 1 year ago
Not ever having seen a coco in real life, after watching that centipede clone video of yours you just put up, I went for a review of the coco, you know, this is the only video I could find!! Wow, it's unusual looking, almost as if it's designed for the monitor to be put on top (monitors/tvs were small back then as I am sure you know :o) ) Wow, 16k in 1980 was huge!!!, I didn't even have that on the vic20! Funny how computers used to be all in the keyboard...now commodore are at it again!!
RetroGamerVX 1 year ago
Great video! I had an TRS-80 color II (here in Brazil was called CP-400 color II) in 1989. I loved the games and the basic programming. Wish i had learned machine language :P
regards
lemaro1977 1 year ago
TRS-80 is Tandy Radio Shack but that is not a venture of two companies. Tandy Corporation is the owner of the Radio Store brand name. They are one and the same.
BorgMX5 2 years ago
Coco keyboards - there were the chiclet (original Coco 1, C to F revision motherboards), the better-travel-but-not-yet-a-real-keyboard on the first 64K Coco (basically a Coco 1 with a lighter colored case, came out in late 1983 at the same time as the Coco 2, and the Coco 2 full travel keyboard. Then the Coco 3 keyboard, with 4 extra keys and a slightly different layout, in 1986.
iimustang 2 years ago
Re: 512k upgrade - remove the original chips, cut a few capacitors, and install a satellite board for 512k. 3rd party upgrades of 1 MB and 2 MB from Disto were also available, and Paul Barton got it up to 8 MB later on.
iimustang 2 years ago
Great vid Leaf, is the 128k version easily upgraded to the 512k version (is it a matter of swapping ram out?) Also does the 128k version come with the GIME chip?
thomas3120 2 years ago
The "80" portion of the "TRS-80" name referred to the Z80 CPU used in the Model I/III/IV etc.
swelles99 2 years ago
What? Didn't show the "good, bad, and the ugly"? I've never seen a computer with an easter egg like it. (It's usually just text.)
Madgun68 2 years ago
Are you referring to the picture of the 3 programmers? I'd forgotten all about that. Do you remember how to bring it up?
atarileaf 2 years ago
To bring up "The Three Mugateers" hold down Control and Alt while pressing reset. It is actually quite useful. If you bring up "The Three Mugateers" then press reset again it will cold boot the machine the same as if you turned it off and back on.
The picture is actually 3 pictures pasted together. In fact Mark Hawkins and Todd Earles are wearing the same jacket.
marlinlee 2 years ago
I actually did another video showing it. I'd forgotten all about this "easter egg" as its called. :)
atarileaf 2 years ago
i wish i had one=)
SuperGamingGangsta 2 years ago
Not i big computer guy but there is something about this old computers and games i just like.
Great video as always Leaf.
jboypacman 2 years ago
Great review, I was brought up on the model B and later the Archemedies (Acorns) and love all the old computer reviews on youtube of computers I no little or as in this case, nothing about, thanks
julsyDCst 2 years ago
Your welcome :)
atarileaf 2 years ago
I never heard of this system before and I'm pretty nerdy.
starsoldier1 2 years ago
I question your nerdiness sir. Pocket protectors at 10 paces?
atarileaf 2 years ago
Nice review
ToricoUK 2 years ago
I have a CoCo and a CoCo2, though oddly, while the keyboard layout on my CoCo2 is the same as on yours, the keys themselves aren't of the "melted" variety, but look the same as those on your CoCo3.
I have a Dragon 32 as well. They aren't entirely compatible with CoCos, so I've heard... though I haven't tried running software for either on the other system.
I'll be doing Dragon games videos when I've done with my Electron games.
Could be fun. I've never played any of them yet.
SteveBenway 2 years ago
I believe the later Coco 2 keyboards were more like the coco 3 in the later 64k Coco 2 models. Can't wait to see some of the Dragon games. :)
atarileaf 2 years ago
I guess we have, but in the Netherlands they were not very popular. I guess in the UK, France and Germany they were more common.
markvergeer 2 years ago
Nice as this type of computer system was not very popular and available in the Netherlands. We had TRS-80 systems in highschool bot no color capable systems.
markvergeer 2 years ago
Did you get the Dragon 32 and 64 over there? I thought they were the European version of the Coco.
atarileaf 2 years ago