Author: Allen Huffman

In 1982, I received my first computer: a $299.99 Commodore VIC-20. A year later, I moved on to a 64K Radio Shack Color Computer ("CoCo"). In 1990, I co-founded Sub-Etha Software "in Support of the CoCo and OS-9". This later led me to a job at Microware, creator of OS-9. I am author of the CoCoFest Chronicles, a compilation of my fest reports covering the 1990s era. I also host the CoCopedia.com wiki. These days, I am enjoying excavating my original VIC-20 tapes and thousands of CoCo floppy disks...

Make BASIC Fast Again, introduction

January 10, 2018 2 Comments on Make BASIC Fast Again, introduction
Posted in Programming, TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo)

Introduction 10 PRINT “HELLO WORLD!” 20 GOTO 10 For many of us old-timers, our first exposure to computer programming was BASIC: the Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. According to the Wikipedia entry on BASIC, the language was created in 1964. I may be old, but at least I’m not quite as old as BASIC. This series will demonstrate some of the…

Remembering Rainbow Magazine for the Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer

January 3, 2018 2 Comments on Remembering Rainbow Magazine for the Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer
Posted in Featured Article, Retro Computing History, Retro Computing Magazines, TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo)

Today I want to look back on the premier magazine for the Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer: The Rainbow. But before that, a bit of backstory… Oldies but goodies There are many in the retro computing world that are, for all practical purposes, computer hipsters: too young to have ever owned an 8-bit home computer, but enjoying immersing themselves in…

Maximum Memory in Color BASIC

March 10, 2017 0 Comments on Maximum Memory in Color BASIC
Posted in Programming, TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo)

NOTE: This is a minor update of an article (“PCLEAR 0 to get more CoCo BASIC memory“) that originally appeared on my website in January 2015. On the Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer, Extended Color BASIC added new commands to access high resolution graphics modes. The following modes of the CoCo’s Motoroal 6847 VDG chip (video display generator) were implemented: PMODE…

*ALL RAM*, the cassette-based BBS from 1983.

March 3, 2017 2 Comments on *ALL RAM*, the cassette-based BBS from 1983.
Posted in TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo)

After three parts dealing with CoCo cross development, I thought I’d change direction for a bit and discuss something completely different. We’ll get back to cross development once we have something to develop. Before WWW was BBS The story so far… My first exposure to computer bulletin board systems (BBSes) was in Houston, Texas around 1981. I had become friends…

CoCo Cross Development, part 3

February 24, 2017 9 Comments on CoCo Cross Development, part 3
Posted in Programming, TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo)

See also: Part 1 and Part 2. Previously, I presented a simple way to write 6809 assembly code on a modern computer, compile it there, then load it in to the XRoar CoCo emulator as a BASIC program. (That last bit makes much less sense when I read it back.) Today, let’s look at moving files back and forth using disk…

CoCo Cross Development, part 2

February 17, 2017 2 Comments on CoCo Cross Development, part 2
Posted in Programming

See also: part 1, part 2 and part 3. Previously, I demonstrated a simple way to write a BASIC program on a modern computer and then load that program in to a CoCo emulator. This time, I will discuss doing the same thing with 6809 assembly code. Tool Time When it comes to compiling CoCo-compatible 6809 assembly files on a…

CoCo Cross Development, part 1

February 10, 2017 8 Comments on CoCo Cross Development, part 1
Posted in Programming, TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo)

Updated on 1/5/2018 with more details on getting the XRoar emulator going (ROMs, xroar.conf file). See also: part 2 and part 3. In 1980, programming on a then-new Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer (“CoCo”) initially meant using Microsoft COLOR BASIC 1.0 with a glorious 4K of memory. More advanced programmers might have chosen to learn 6809 assembly language. With a…