{{: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. In the past 40 years (!) a huge 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. 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. ===== 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 me and hundreds of other "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 ===== [[: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]] \\ ===== PROJECTS ===== I'm also (slowly) porting AX-2 [[:NOSTROMO:]], a 1981 surivival horror game from ASCII Publishing for the NEC PC-6001 to the CoCo. ===== REFERENCE ===== Explore more [[Tandy Color Computer:]] and [[OS-9:]] information I've created or collected.