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  3. What is your C64?

What is your C64?

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  • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

    "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

    "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

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    • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

      In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

      "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

      G Offline
      G Offline
      glennPattonWork3
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      My first machine was a Commodore 16 (Black & Grey) had it for a few years then upgraded(?) to a C64. The C16 was interesting as it had pretty much the same inputs as the C64 just different shaped plugs! The user port of that go me into Hardware where I am today! :cool:

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      • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

        In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

        "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

        M Offline
        M Offline
        Maximilien
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        First machine was an Amiga 1000 (the original one); Dad got it for us (mostly me), it cost $5000 !!! I wish I still has it.

        I'd rather be phishing!

        G Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK 2 Replies Last reply
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        • M Maximilien

          First machine was an Amiga 1000 (the original one); Dad got it for us (mostly me), it cost $5000 !!! I wish I still has it.

          I'd rather be phishing!

          G Offline
          G Offline
          glennPattonWork3
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Lucky so & so, many years later I had (have) an Amiga 500 & 1200 always lusted after a 1000, friend got one second hand as the 'Kickstart' was disk based you could 'upgrade it' much easier...:cool: memories of a summer...

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          • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

            In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

            "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

            D Offline
            D Offline
            Daniel Pfeffer
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            My first computer was a Commodore PET, with a whole 8K (!) of RAM. I used it to learn 6502 Assembly Language, and hand-assembled short routines to speed up some BASIC programs. I also remember calculating prime numbers, and calculating e to about 1,000 digits using multiple-precision arithmetic routines that I wrote. A few years later, my father bought a "portable" IBM PC, which was upgraded with a 20MB hard disk to make an XT-compatible. This was built like a tank, and massed about 20kg, so it was more "luggable" than portable. We later added an 8087, which I used for a lot of my M.Sc. research (incomplete, unfortunately). It was much more cost-effecting than using the mainframe at the University...

            Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

            B 1 Reply Last reply
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            • M Maximilien

              First machine was an Amiga 1000 (the original one); Dad got it for us (mostly me), it cost $5000 !!! I wish I still has it.

              I'd rather be phishing!

              Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
              Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
              Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              Maximilien wrote:

              I wish I still has it.

              But why? What was so good about it?

              "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

              "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

              L M 2 Replies Last reply
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              • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                R Offline
                R Offline
                realJSOP
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Atari 400, 4k ram.

                ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
                -----
                You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
                -----
                When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

                C B D 3 Replies Last reply
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                • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                  In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                  "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                  L Offline
                  L Offline
                  Lost User
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  Dick Smith in Australia put out a "Super 80" computer which was basically a Radio Shack TRS-80 model II knock off, but at less than half the price. Briefly owned one, smashed it to bits with a hammer (most fun I ever had with it) when I moved onto... a Beeb (BBC Micro) with ISO Pascal ROM because BASIC was for weenies that couldn't write proper programs. (It was a real "structured language!") after that briefly an "IBM-PC clone" - 8086, that was a real CPU with the huge 10MB HDD and 3.5" floppy (I mean 5MB just didn't cut it and 5 1/4 FDDs were just too, well, too floppy - not that they had anything on the flex of an 8".) onto a celeron 386 (XP, multi tasking), i5 4650 (FreeBSD - Unix then win7 for doing work), and now i5-8400 (linux because let's face it, win10 sucks and is a waste on a modern CPU)

                  Message Signature (Click to edit ->)

                  R 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • R realJSOP

                    Atari 400, 4k ram.

                    ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
                    -----
                    You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
                    -----
                    When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

                    C Offline
                    C Offline
                    CodeWraith
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Good choice. Still have one sitting on the shelf, along with all the other Ataris.

                    I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats. His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                      In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                      "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                      D Offline
                      D Offline
                      devenv exe
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      I will be buying my first computer at the end of my current project (when the client finally pays) and it will be the "Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 7 (14”) laptop" :)

                      "Coming soon"

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                        In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                        "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                        C Offline
                        C Offline
                        CodeWraith
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Netronics Elf II[^], a kit based on the original COSMAC Elf[^] from 1976. Build one yourself to find out why it was so much fun. The little graphics chip is almost impossible to find anymore, but the processor has still been in production until a few years ago. This is a computer from the time when you had to solder if you wanted to have your own computer. The parts list is astonishingly shhort for the time and the little guy could do a lot, even without expansions. Ok, 256 bytes RAM were a little restrictive, but by adding the graphics chip (whopping 64 x 64 pixel resolution) you could already make something happen on a screen. DIY computers and kits often had no graphics at all, so this was really something. Best of all: I still have it and it's still as good as ever. Ok, the bus connectors and the keyboards are worn out, but I want to keep it in its original state and don't want to rip it apart. Instead, I'm designing a new one. Overclocked processor, 16 Mb RAM, PIC32 based graphics chip. Lots of fun. Much more interesting than the antics of Mickeysoft and the like.

                        I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats. His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.

                        Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                          In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                          "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                          OriginalGriffO Offline
                          OriginalGriff
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          The first computer I owned wasn't until after I left university, and had enough disposable income (after beer charges, natch) to be able to buy what I wanted when I wanted it. Amstrad PC1640 (the twin floppy version), which I immediately upgraded with a Hardcard: a HDD and controller on a big long PC slot card. 32MB that I thought was amazing, even with an access speed measured in furlongs per fortnight compared to modern stuff.

                          Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Never throw anything away, Griff Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                          C pkfoxP 2 Replies Last reply
                          0
                          • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                            In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                            "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                            Richard DeemingR Offline
                            Richard DeemingR Offline
                            Richard Deeming
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            Mine was a ZX Spectrum[^] 48K. Although it nearly wasn't - when we got it home, the box was empty. They'd given us the display box instead of getting one of the real boxes from the back of the store. :laugh:


                            "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                            "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                            OriginalGriffO N 2 Replies Last reply
                            0
                            • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                              In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                              "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                              G Offline
                              G Offline
                              GKP1992
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Bought my first computer when I went to college back in 2010. It was a Dell Vostro 3400 with an i3 350M. Now, I have moved on to a desktop PC I put together with an i5 8400, Nvidia GTX 1060 Dual 6GB OC edition. I love my new machine.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • C CodeWraith

                                Netronics Elf II[^], a kit based on the original COSMAC Elf[^] from 1976. Build one yourself to find out why it was so much fun. The little graphics chip is almost impossible to find anymore, but the processor has still been in production until a few years ago. This is a computer from the time when you had to solder if you wanted to have your own computer. The parts list is astonishingly shhort for the time and the little guy could do a lot, even without expansions. Ok, 256 bytes RAM were a little restrictive, but by adding the graphics chip (whopping 64 x 64 pixel resolution) you could already make something happen on a screen. DIY computers and kits often had no graphics at all, so this was really something. Best of all: I still have it and it's still as good as ever. Ok, the bus connectors and the keyboards are worn out, but I want to keep it in its original state and don't want to rip it apart. Instead, I'm designing a new one. Overclocked processor, 16 Mb RAM, PIC32 based graphics chip. Lots of fun. Much more interesting than the antics of Mickeysoft and the like.

                                I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats. His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.

                                Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                                Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
                                Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                What are you using to recreate the processor?

                                "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                                "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

                                C 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                  The first computer I owned wasn't until after I left university, and had enough disposable income (after beer charges, natch) to be able to buy what I wanted when I wanted it. Amstrad PC1640 (the twin floppy version), which I immediately upgraded with a Hardcard: a HDD and controller on a big long PC slot card. 32MB that I thought was amazing, even with an access speed measured in furlongs per fortnight compared to modern stuff.

                                  Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640 Never throw anything away, Griff Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay... AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

                                  C Offline
                                  C Offline
                                  CodeWraith
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  OriginalGriff wrote:

                                  access speed measured in furlongs per fortnight

                                  I still have that problem. The controllers basically were glorified parallel ports. You were lucky when the CPU did not have to access that port several times to bit bang the signals on the bus. That part probably was already done by about 20 pounds of TTL logic on that board. Still, fetching one 16 bit word after another over the ISA bus (or its XT predecessor) is a slow affair. Or did they really invest another 20 pounds of TTL logic in some DMA feature?

                                  I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats. His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                                    What are you using to recreate the processor?

                                    "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                                    C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    CodeWraith
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    The real thing. I have a brand new CDP1802BCE for that, but maybe I will need a second one on the graphics card. I want 3D graphics on an 8 bit processor :-)

                                    I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats. His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                                      In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                                      "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                                      R Offline
                                      R Offline
                                      Ron Anders
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      The company I worked for gave me and DEC LSI-11/23 running some flavor of unix, with the cc compiler and a vt100 to take home as it was destined for scrap. This was the day of the C64, Amiga and others. This was entertaining until I got one of those new fangled 8088 XT PC clones from Taiwan - the ones with the flip top metal case that were seemingly everywhere and ran DOS 3.31. In between the family bought a TI994a that had BASIC and went composite to the TV but frankly, that didn't count for much of anything. We made basic loops that send expletives to the TV. Ah-ha, see what we made the computer say. Today fortunately for everyone, our Echo Dot is hip to our tendencies and won't play ball.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                                        In the late 70s and early 80s (that is 1970s/1980s) there was a big rush in the home computer market, that concludes in our time with computers everywhere... I had some discussions about that time and was wondering... * Was that really that good? * What was so good (or bad) about it? * Do we have it somewhere today? * What is/was your C64? I wasn't aware of it then (no other experience), but what is most amazing while looking back is the total control, the work without any mediator between you and the computer, between the software and the hardware (which was of course a source some interesting smell/smoke/noise)... I could sit down after-school and within a few seconds was in the computer, hacking it away... What is your experience?

                                        "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        Lost User
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Sinclair ZX81 - Wikipedia[^] with 1K of memory. Great fun - for about 10 minutes.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter

                                          Maximilien wrote:

                                          I wish I still has it.

                                          But why? What was so good about it?

                                          "The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012

                                          L Offline
                                          L Offline
                                          Lost User
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter wrote:

                                          What was so good about it?

                                          Imagine a multitasking windowed-OS, on 880Kb.

                                          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                          Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK 1 Reply Last reply
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