Various Commodore Computers (please read)

Oh man...This was one of my first posts on Usenet, way back in 1995. The following is a post I know a great deal many of you will enjoy debating in one way or another. Here it is: Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? As we pass by dusty old SID chips and laiden-out CBM 8032's, we come across a sereal vortex in time and space that defies time itself. Enter with me now, as we journey... INTO THE COMMODORE TIME WARP!!! TIME: 1977 Destination: Pennsylvania (which sounds oddly like Transylvania...boo!) ;) PET 2001,4001,SUPER PET,etc. THis , Commodore's first line of many personal computers, was an acronym that stood for Personal Electronic Transistor (PET). The fist PETs had problems with dying quickly, but Commodore was just starting in the microcomputer business and this was understandable. The first PETs included 4K or 8K of RAM (depending on the model you chose), a built in black and white monitor,built-in cassette drive (the disk drive equipped-PETs would come much later), and a keyboard. Also built-in was a BASIC interpreter aptly named Microsoft BASIC. If you still have a PET around the house, dig it out and type in this line: WAIT 6502,x...where 'x' is any number between 1 and 255. Upon pressing RETURN, you get 'Microsoft!' 'x' number of times. The above is a well known trick of the PET. By the way, the PET's chipset CPU was the 6502, a versatile 8-bit microprocessor obtained from MOS Technologies by Commodore in 1975 (by not so nice means of which became the trademark of one Jack Tramiel...you *do* remember him, don't you?) ;) Later models of the PET where in color, housed in a plastic case, and allowed for the option of BASIC 3.5, and 800K disk drives. The famous "save-with-replace bug" can be traced back to the old PETs. Not the bug itself,mind you, but the roots of it. The PET (and correct me if I am wrong) had a Drive designated 0 and 1. 2. CBM 4032,8032,etc. TIME: circa 1980 or so Destination: Toronto The CBM machines were above their PET predecessors in that they had more memory,fast disk drive storage (ok, so maybe *reliable* disk drive storage) ;), and more versatile software. The CBM Series of computers were applications oriented machines that were suited for business. Styles included 16K,32K,etc. and some could be expanded (with the 'B' series) to a fully functional, 128K 80-column business computer. 3. VIC-20 TIME: Early 1981 Destination: Jack Tramiel (at a business meeting at Commodore HQ's) Freeze this moment in time. We see Jack as he is pounding his fist on the table and making his now legendary outburst. "Gentlemen, the Japanese are coming! So we will become the Japanese!" What Mr. Tramiel was referring to was Japan's forthcoming entrance into the U.S. home computer market. Having entered every conceivable market so far, from Television to Stereo, to cars, it seemed that computers were next on their list. NOTE: Commodore then went on to produce the world's first color computer for under $300. The Vic-20 came equipped with 3.5K of RAM (standard, though upgradable through memory expansion to a full 32K), 8-colors,character animation and graphics (it did a better job of this than the 64), and a tone-generator,high-pitch sound generator (TED chip?). And,of course, the original VIC chip. A 21-column screen came standard as well. The Vics main selling point was its low price. Competing machines,granted, had more memory, but were much higher in terms of price. The Vic was good at playing games, and was a good computer to learn programming on. It had an easy, familar keyboard that even a child could learn how to use (through some explanation, of course). Options included a disk drive (Vic-1540), and a printer (Vic-Printer of sorts) and even a modem (Vic-modem...300-baud). The Vic was discountined in the Spring of 1984. 4. Commodore 64 TIME: 1982 Destination: Television Ads You *do* remember those television ads, don't you? Invention 13 by Bach playing in the background, that ryhmy little jingle. The Commodore 64 offered more computing power (64K RAM,sprite graphics,stereo sound,etc.) than any other computer then available and at a reasonable price ($600). Options included an intelligent disk drive unit (the 1541...a reliable,but *slow* drive...inexpensive as well),1702 color monitor,MPS 801 printer,VicModem,etc. The Commodore 64 had a wide-range of features, but its greatest asset was being able to play the same kind of games seen in the arcade at the time. And the Commodore 64 was *GREAT* at playing games. But it also could do much more, such as word processing, telecommunications,composing of music,spreadsheets,bar graphs,tax forms,mailing labels,data base, you name it...the Commodore 64 in its early days could probably do it. The Commodore 64 sold over 17 million units in its ten or so years of production life. 5. Plus/4 and Commodore 16 TIME: 1984 Destination: CES (Consumer Electronics Show) The Commodore Plus/4 was to be "the productivity machine". . Indeed, it included 3-plus-1 software (spreadsheet,word processor,etc.) built into ROM, and was more of a business-style computer than a game machine. It's price was reasonable (at the time, at least). Indeed, it included 128 colors, had an improved tone generator for sound over the Vics (but no SID chip or sprite graphics like the 64), had options for a faster disk drive (481 disk drive--non-Commodore 64 compatible)...a new monitor (141 Color Monitor), and a printer (what it was called--I forget). ;) The Commodore 16 was essentially a stripped down version of the Plus/4, and had 16K RAM (expandable to 64K),monitor,windowing capabilities,the same BASIC 3.5 as the Plus/4. It was to take over where the Vic-20 left off (historical postscript: um, yea). The Plus/4 incorporated a "new" chip, the 7501 (largly compatible with the 6502/6510 series). 6. Commodore 128,128D,etc. TIME: 1985 Destination: Commodore HQ's Yes, the Commodore 128 was to be the upgrade computer Commodore 64 owners were hoping for. It had 128K RAM standard (upgradable to 640K), 80-columns,sprite graphics,SID-chip sound, BASIC 2.0 and 7.0, and a 64-mode (so that Commodore 64 users could still use their 64 software library). A disk drive, the 1571, was provided and could emulate the 1541 to a "T" (though sometimes it had problems doing even that). It's too bad that this computer proved too expensive to manufacture, because in 1989 Commodore discontinued it INSTEAD of the Commodore 64. The 128D was an upgraded version of t -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ e 128, in that it had a built-in disk drive and a detachable, keyboard. Other computers (VAPOR WARE) that Commodore planned to manufacture but for some reason or another shelved each time, included the Commodore 364 (an upgraded version of the 264 with more features, including built-in speech capabilities, the Commodore 116, essentially a Commodore 16 but with a different style-keyboard,the Commodore 65 (souped-up 8-bit computer that was Commodore 64-compatible with a 64-mode, up to 1MB of RAM,enhanced sound and graphics capabilities, built-in 3.5" disk drive, and BASIC 10.0...whew!) ;) This trip down memory lane was brought to you by Excedrin, the Headache Medicine. For your toughest headaches, get tough. Tough actin' Tenactin. etc etc etc Now back to our show...(roll credits) Director Paul Allen Panks Screen Writer Paul Allen Panks Editor in-chief of...of... Paul Allen Panks Grip Paul Allen Panks Special Effects (and Affects) Paul Allen Panks Company mentioned in this movie Commodore International, Ltd. Companies NOT mentioned in this movie Amiga,IBM,Microsoft,Apple,Atari Coca-cola,Pepsico,Nestle co.,Johnson & Johnson, Time Warner,Kimberly Clark co.,Packard Bell, Dell Web Corp.,Honeywell Mitsubitchi,Panasonic,Sony,Nintendo,Sega,Electronic Arts, Sierra-on-line,Activision,Epyx,Accolade,Advantage,CBS Industries,ABC,NBC, Fox Network,NFL,NHL,NBA,CFA,MLB Companies that WISH they were mentioned in this movie [insert your choices here] Best Boy Paull Allen Panks Camera operator Paul Allen Panks In charge of customes Paul Allen Panks Hair-designer Lou Louie the Louiest This signature file was brought to you by Paul Panks, not Micro$oft, IBM, or any of those other money-sapping, machine-wasting companies bent on world domination. Did you here that Micro$oft wants to purchase the Catholic Church? I don't think Bill Gates would make a very good choir boy. *** Check out Jim Brain's WWW Page at: Http://www.msen.com/~brain/ *** (You'll be glad you did!) E-mail: pap@dana.ucc.nau.edu "If you quote me on this, I'll have to deny it. Besides, my memory is *terrible*. I forget things often. Also, my memory is *horrible*." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- panks@sdf.lonestar.org SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org

"Paul Allen Panks" <panks@sdf.lonestar.org> wrote ... > The Commodore 64 offered more computing power (64K RAM,sprite > graphics,stereo sound,etc.) than any other computer then available and at > a reasonable price ($600). Options included an intelligent disk drive > unit (the 1541...a reliable,but *slow* drive...inexpensive as well),1702 > color monitor,MPS 801 printer,VicModem,etc. Strange, I don't remember the C64 having stereo sound. Several aftermarket hardware hacks were done to provide a second SID chip and stereo. However, the C64 was strictly monaural as it came from the box Commodore shipped it in. -- Best regards, Sam Gillett Change is inevitable, except from vending machines!

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 02:51:28 +0000 (UTC), Paul Allen Panks <panks@sdf.lonestar.org> wrote: >Oh man...This was one of my first posts on Usenet, way back in 1995. > > >THis , Commodore's first line of many personal computers, was an acronym >that stood for Personal Electronic Transistor (PET). Transistor??????? How about: PET = Personal Electronic Transactor

Paul, your memory IS rusty. Paul Allen Panks wrote: >> TIME: 1977 > Destination: Pennsylvania (which sounds oddly like Transylvania...boo!) ;) Palo Alto, Pennsylvania was at that time was just MOS Technologies. (source PET brochure circa 1977), later Santa Clara and Pennsylvania. > PET 2001 1977 > 4001 1981 > SUPER PET,etc. 1981(?) > > THis , Commodore's first line of many personal computers, was an acronym > that stood for Personal Electronic Transistor (PET). Personal Electronic Transactor (source a PET computer) > The fist PETs had problems with dying quickly, but Commodore was just > starting in the microcomputer business and this was understandable. > The first PETs included 4K or 8K of RAM (depending on the model you > chose), a > built in black and white monitor,built-in cassette drive (the disk drive > equipped-PETs would come much later), and a keyboard. vague but ok. > Also built-in was a BASIC interpreter aptly named Microsoft BASIC. If you > still have a PET around the house, dig it out and type in this line: WAIT > 6502,x...where 'x' is any number between 1 and 255. Upon pressing RETURN, > you get 'Microsoft!' 'x' number of times. Only on upgrade ROM PETs, the ones that power up with ### COMMODORE BASIC ### > The above is a well known trick of the PET. By the way, the PET's chipset > CPU was the 6502, a versatile 8-bit microprocessor obtained from MOS > Technologies by Commodore in 1975 (by not so nice means of which became > the trademark of one Jack Tramiel...you *do* remember him, don't you?) ;) Relative info on the "not so nice" takeover would be interesting. > Later models of the PET where in color Nope. Earliest Commodore Color Computer was the VIC-20 (1981) then later the Commodore 64, UltiMax and P-500. (1982) > housed in a plastic case, yep. > and allowed for the option of BASIC 3.5 That is only on the Plus/4 and C-16 (aka the 264 series) > and 800K disk drives. Commodore 64/128. PET drives were either the 170k, .5MB or 1MB 5.25" floppy discs. (oh and a rare 8"drive and a older hard drive max 9MB storage) > The famous "save-with-replace bug" can be traced back to the old PETs. > Not the bug itself,mind you, but the roots of it. The PET (and correct me if I am > wrong) had a Drive designated 0 and 1. Not sure on that one, never used save with replace on the PETs. > 2. CBM 4032,8032,etc. > TIME: circa 1980 or so 8032 (1980), 4032 (1981). > Destination: Toronto > > The CBM machines were above their PET predecessors in that they had more > memory,fast disk drive storage (ok, so maybe *reliable* disk drive > storage) ;), and more versatile software. The CBM Series of computers > were applications oriented machines that were suited for business. > > Styles included 16K,32K,etc. and some could be expanded (with the 'B' > series) to a fully functional, 128K 80-column business computer. The B-Series was more on line with the 64 then the PET. > 3. VIC-20 > TIME: Early 1981 > > Destination: Jack Tramiel (at a business meeting at Commodore HQ's) > > Freeze this moment in time. We see Jack as he is pounding his fist on the > table and making his now legendary outburst. "Gentlemen, the Japanese are > coming! So we will become the Japanese!" > > What Mr. Tramiel was referring to was Japan's forthcoming entrance into > the U.S. home computer market. Having entered every conceivable market so > far, from Television to Stereo, to cars, it seemed that computers were > next on their list. Televisions? Cars? Stereos? Are you confusing the Commodore Automobile from Australia and Commodore (general merchandise) out of Japan with Commodore Business Machines? Commodore had Typewriters, Adding Machines, Desks, Filing Cabinets, Digital Calculators and Wristwatches (maybe a phone or two and a digital thermostat.) > NOTE: Commodore then went on to produce the world's first color computer > for under $300. > > The Vic-20 came equipped with 3.5K of RAM (standard, though upgradable > through memory expansion to a full 32K), 5k, 3.5k usable by BASIC programs > 8-colors,character animation and > graphics (it did a better job of this than the 64) ??? It may have been less complex, but better??? > , and a tone-generator,high-pitch sound generator (TED chip?). BZZT! 264 Series had the TED chip. > And,of course, the original VIC chip. > > A 21-column screen came standard as well. 22 columns 23 rows. > The Vics main selling point was > its low price. Competing machines,granted, had more memory, but were much > higher in terms of price. > > The Vic was good at playing games, and was a good computer to learn > programming on. It had an easy, familar keyboard that even a child could > learn how to use (through some explanation, of course). Options included > a disk drive (Vic-1540), and a printer (Vic-Printer of sorts) and even a > modem (Vic-modem...300-baud). > > The Vic was discountined in the Spring of 1984. > > 4. Commodore 64 > TIME: 1982 > Destination: Television Ads > > You *do* remember those television ads, don't you? Invention 13 by Bach > playing in the background, that ryhmy little jingle. > > The Commodore 64 offered more computing power (64K RAM,sprite > graphics,stereo sound,etc.) 3-voice sound sythesisier, no stereo, unless you wanted to wire in aCB-2 sound amp to relive PET sound generation then you could have stero of a sort. > than any other computer then available and at > a reasonable price ($600). Options included an intelligent disk drive Based on the 4040 PET drive which is just as intellegent. > unit (the 1541...a reliable,but *slow* drive... Like it's brother, the VIC-1540 > inexpensive as well),1702 > color monitor,MPS 801 printer,VicModem,etc. > > The Commodore 64 had a wide-range of features, but its greatest asset was > being able to play the same kind of games seen in the arcade at the time. > And the Commodore 64 was *GREAT* at playing games. But it also could do > much more, such as word processing, telecommunications,composing of > music,spreadsheets,bar graphs,tax forms,mailing labels,data base, you name > it...the Commodore 64 in its early days could probably do it. So could the VIC fior the most part. > The Commodore 64 sold over 17 million units in its ten or so years of > production life. > > 5. Plus/4 and Commodore 16 > TIME: 1984 > Destination: CES (Consumer Electronics Show) > > The Commodore Plus/4 was to be "the productivity machine". . Indeed, it > included 3-plus-1 software (spreadsheet,word processor,etc.) Data Base and the +1 was Graphics/Charting - a lame +1 (even lamer than the word processor and spreadsheet and DB) but it probably looked better than just 3. > built into > ROM, and was more of a business-style computer than a game machine. It's > price was reasonable (at the time, at least). not really, about $100 or $200 more than a 64 without the killer sound and sprite capability (and available game/productivity library of the 64) > Indeed, it included 128 > colors, had an improved tone generator for sound over the Vics (but no > SID chip or sprite graphics like the 64), had options for a faster disk > drive (481 disk drive--non-Commodore 64 compatible)... 1551 very rare to find one of those in the US > a new monitor (141 Color Monitor) CM-141 same features as a 1702 but a cooler case. > , and a printer (what it was called--I forget). ;) There were two: MPS 803 (dot matrix ala MPS 801 but smaller) and DPS-1101 (daisty wheel, wide carriage) both were colored Plus/4 Black. > The Commodore 16 was essentially a stripped down version of the Plus/4, > and had 16K RAM (expandable to 64K),monitor,windowing capabilities,the > same BASIC 3.5 as the Plus/4. It was to take over where the Vic-20 left > off (historical postscript: um, yea). It *was* more memory and better graphics and sound than the VIC-20 but the 64 was still a better value than the C-16. > The Plus/4 incorporated a "new" chip, the 7501 (largly compatible with > the 6502/6510 series). > > 6. Commodore 128,128D,etc. > TIME: 1985 > Destination: Commodore HQ's > > Yes, the Commodore 128 was to be the upgrade computer Commodore 64 owners > were hoping for. It had 128K RAM standard (upgradable to 640K), The real *upgradable RAM* (ala the B-Series) idea was taken out in favor of an external bank switching memory expansion unit compatible with both the 128 and 64, (the 17xx REUs). > 80-columns,sprite graphics,SID-chip sound, BASIC 2.0 and 7.0, and a > 64-mode (so that Commodore 64 users could still use their 64 software > library). A disk drive, the 1571, was provided and could emulate the 1541 > to a "T" (though sometimes it had problems doing even that). Ok then to a smaller 't'. could also support twice the storage of the 1541 and could read/write many CP/M 5.25" formats and MS-DOS 360K formatted diskettes (with the right software) And you forgot the 128's nifty CP/M mode which if it had come out a few years earlier while IBM was still struggling would have made more of an impact. > It's too bad that this computer proved too expensive to manufacture, > because in 1989 Commodore discontinued it INSTEAD of the Commodore 64. > > The 128D was an upgraded version of the 128, in that it had a built-in disk drive and a detachable, keyboard. Commodore also around the mid 1980s and until bankruptcy produced thr Amiga Microcomputer (known as the first truly multi-threading multi-tasking micro) and several attempts to enter the PC clone market with desktop and a few laptop units. > Other computers (VAPOR WARE) that Commodore planned to manufacture but > for some reason or another shelved each time, included the Commodore 364 > (an upgraded version of the 264 with more features, including built-in > speech capabilities, the Commodore 116, essentially a Commodore 16 but > with a different style-keyboard IIRC the 116 was a europen only unit and isn't vaporware. 364 upgrades were going to be the voice chip (ala Magic Voice, no big loss) and a neumeric keypad. > the Commodore 65 (souped-up 8-bit > computer that was Commodore 64-compatible with a 64-mode, up to 1MB of > RAM,enhanced sound and graphics capabilities, built-in 3.5" disk drive, > and BASIC 10.0...whew!) ;) 1 MB... Dunno if it was going to come with that much.... Another vaporware of legend is the Commodore LCD, an LCD laptop similar in concept to the Radio Shack Model 100/102 but with commodore interfacing and 6502 processor. (would have been sooo cool) [snip!] Larry -- 01000011 01001100 01000001 01010011 01010011 01001001 01000011 Larry Anderson - Sysop of Silicon Realms BBS (209) 754-1363 300-14.4k Set your 8-bit rigs to sail for http://www.portcommodore.com/ 01010001 01010101 01000001 01001100 01001001 01010100 01011001