{{:tandy_color_computer:introducing.png?nolink|Introducing the CoCo}} Known to it's fans as the "CoCo" or "80C", the Tandy / Radio Shack Color Computer was the first micro-computer I owned. The "Color Computer" family of computers includes the Color Computer, Color Computer 2, Color Computer 3, Dragon 32, Dragon 64, the Micro Color Computer (MC-10), and a number of clones such as the CP400, Codimex 6809, and many more. In the past 40-plus years (!) a fantastic community has grown up around these machines, continuously refining and expanding the hardware, the software, and the boundaries of what these early microcomputers can do. ===== Getting Started ===== {{:tandy_color_computer:coco-getting-started.png?nolink|}} \\ Don't have a Color Computer yourself? \\ [[https://coco-pi.com|CoCo-Pi]] will turn a Raspberry Pi 3, Pi 4, or Pi 400 into a feature packed Color Computer emulation workhorse to enjoy 40 years of Color Computer awesomeness. [[tandy_color_computer:Quick Start]]: A quick description of various ways to load software into the CoCo. ===== Getting Connected ===== Join hundreds of "CoConuts" (or is that CoConauts?) on the [[https://discord.com/invite/4J5nHXm|CoCo Discord]]. New to Discord? Get started quickly with this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2POVhc5NvQ|video introduction]]. ===== Exploring Further ===== Learn more about everything old **and new** for the Color Computer by tuning in to: * The [[http://thecoconation.com/|The CoCo Nation Show]], a weekly community-driven, live, and interactive Color Computer, Dragon, and MC-10 video talk show, * [[https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZEzschkbm07ttSSJRdHPY|The Retro Rotation]] monthly gaming video talk show by Amigo Aaron and The Brent of Amigos Retro Gaming, * The [[https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco|CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts]] * Four different CoCo groups on [[https://mewe.com/]]: * [[https://mewe.com/group/63788398d5ef9a21a4e4f9a4|The CoCo Nation Group]], * [[https://mewe.com/group/5fb5df4d20b0c370500678fe|Glenside Color Computer Group]], * [[https://mewe.com/group/5bc7a8551870d9076e20b4ed|Tandy Color Computer]], * [[https://mewe.com/group/5fadcb58a053634c523c1eff|TRS-80 Color Computer]], * Four different CoCo and MC-10 groups on [[https://groups.io]]: * [[https://groups.io/g/ColorComputer/topics|Color Computer]], * [[https://groups.io/g/RetroAbout64K/topics|Retro About 64K]], * [[https://groups.io/g/CoCo3FPGA/topics|CoCo3FPGA]], * [[https://groups.io/g/MC-10/topics|MC-10]], * [[http://cococrew.org|The CoCo Crew]] podcast archive from 2015-2023 ===== CoCo ~123 Articles ===== I've written the following articles for the [[https://glensideccc.com|Glenside Color Computer Club]] newsletter, CoCo~123, and would appreciate any comments, or criticisms: Exploring DLOAD from CoCo ~123 Issue 40_1 \\ [[https://www.glensideccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/coco12340_1.pdf]] Exploring CoCo Joysticks from CoCo~123 Issue 40_3 \\ [[https://www.glensideccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/coco12340_3.pdf]] Exploring MEGA Mini MPI Sound from CoCo ~123 Issue 41_2nl \\ [[https://www.glensideccc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/gccc41_2nl.pdf]] ===== Additional Articles ===== My site is a chaotic mess but here are some of the things I've written that others may be interested in: \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:keyscn|Decoding the CoCo Keyboard with KeyScn]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:keyscn2|Decoding the CoCo Keyboard Revisited with KeyScn2]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:joystick|Decoding the CoCo Joystick]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:vdg_rom_font|Decoding the VDG ROM Font]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:frame_and_scanline_timing|CoCo Video Frame and Scanline Timing]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:multiplexer|module-mux-v00.asm Control Analog Multiplexor Select Lines]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:one_bit_sound|One-Bit Sound]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:speech_sound_cartridge|testssc.asm for the Speech Sound Cartridge]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:midi_maestro|testmidi.asm for the MIDI Maestro]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:testssg.asm|testssg.asm for the CoCoPSG]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:testssg2.asm|testssg2.asm for the CoCoPSG]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:testgmc.asm|testgmc.asm for the Game Master Cartridge]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:mega_mini_multi-pak_interface|Demo code for MEGA Mini MPI Sound]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:psymon|Restoring PSYMON with CoCo 1/2/3 Modifications]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:animtool|Color Max Deluxe ANIMTOOL Annotated]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:mge_viewer2.py|Color Max Deluxe MGE File Viewer in Python]] \\ [[:tandy_color_computer:building_xroar|Building XRoar from Source Step-By-Step]] \\ [[:os-9:Boot CoCo3FPGA with NitrOS-9 Ease of Use Beta 6.1.0]] (works for EoU Release 1.0 too!) \\ [[:os-9:CoCo3 Boot Patch]] for OS-9\\ [[:os-9:Linux for OS-9 Admins]] \\ [[:os-9:New Documentation Set]] for OS-9 \\ [[:os-9:NitrOS-9 Ease of Use Beta 5 Plus DriveWire]] \\ [[:os-9:Shell Built-Ins]] for OS-9 \\ [[:os-9:Source Code Conventions]] for OS-9 \\ [[:Tandy Color Computer:Color Computer Modifications]] \\ [[:Exploring AMAZING.BAS]] \\ [[:VDG and VDGT1]] \\ [[:VDG To ASCII To VDG]] \\ [[:Text Mode Resolutions]] \\ [[:DamienG Font Conversions]] \\ [[:MC-10 Extension Multiport Joystick Info]] \\ ===== Interests ===== My retro interests and projects: * Learn everything I can about the [[Tandy Color Computer:]] family * Learn everything I can about the [[OS-9:]] family of operating systems * Port AX-2 [[:NOSTROMO:]], a 1981 survival horror game from NEC PC-6001 N60 BASIC and Z80 machine code to the CoCo as 6809 machine code * Develop client code for the [[CoCoIO]] network adapter * Develop client code for the [[FujiNet]] network adapter * Merge the commented Microsoft source code for [[:DragonBASIC:]] with the Unravelled series source for Color and Extended Color BASIC * Disassemble and comment the source code of the [[:Deluxe Color Computer:]]'s Advanced BASIC * Extend the [[:Infocom:]] Z-language Interpreter Program (ZIP) to support V5 story files on the CoCo and compatibles, including within OS-9 * Explore the [[:SST-6809:]] single-board computer and adapt code to it