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Move your, Commodore Into he fast lane.on todays gnformation Supe gue a
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C O N T N T
ISSUE 2
VOLUME 1 . NUMBER 2 . dune 6, 1994
COMMODOR Features
18 Commopore TRIVIA by Jim Brain How well do you know your Commodore facts?
19 Speciat Report: COMMODORE IN LIQUIDATION py Tim Walsh Get up-to-date on this unfolding Commodore story
SAR REN RN aR een err 22. INTERNET: ToDaAY’s INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY? by Craig Taylor A look at the Internet and the upcoming information revolution
26 Harp Tips by Mark Fellows Some things to try when your computer starts acting illogical Genera MaNaGer
Charles R. Christianson Reviews ° 30 | PAINT by Sherry Freedline Eptor Our staff reviewer checks out this powerful C-128 Interlaced drawing program Doug Cotton 31. | Port by Sherry Freedline ° Find out all about this C-128 graphics conversion utility eres pl 32 SmartMouse by Steve Vander Ark Ghee A first look at the new input device from CMD fia be : 33 MINIVIEWS by Sherry Freedline Plog a a Our new mini-review section with a look at some C-64 games Charles A, Christianson 413-525-0023 CoLumNns ° GusgeAes 16 Just For STARTERS by Steve Vander Ark : Why our computers don’t always understand us Doug Cotton 20 Foreicn EXCHANGE by Joseph Gaudl Quick peeks at a couple of European programs for RAMLink users 34 GRAPHIC INTERPRETATION by Steve Vander Ark Guid Steve gets sidetracked on his way to writing this issue's column on C IN THE COVER 36 GEOPROGRANMMIST by Maurice Randall
Maurice Randall's
ARCA Chrysler LeBaron Coupe. Create your first GEOS program
38 Basic INSTINCTS by Gene Barker Last issue’s BIG GUNS becomes the new STARSHIP CONQUEST
Commodore Wotld s oho way allied wih Commodore 44 ADVANCED TECHNIQUES by Doug Cotton
Businoss Machines, Inc. Commodore World is published bi- Applying relocatable machine language to create ‘common code’ 64/128 programs quarterly by Creative Micro Designs, Inc., 15 Benton Drive, 46 V .
East Longmeadow MA 01028-0646. Second-Ciass Postage - oC
Palé at East Longmeadow MA. Application to mall at PERIPHERAL VISION by Doug Cotton
‘Second-Class postage rates is pending at East Longmeadow, An introduction to SCSI devices and commands
MA. Annual subscription rate is US$29.95 for U.S. addresses, 50
US$35.95 for Canadian addresses. All subscription payments Carrier DETECT dy Les Songa must be provided in U.S. Dollars. Mail subscriptions to CW ti *
BEAM oe Grtivbacre Derioainere Orpareey Commodore Guru Jim Butterfield makes a guest appearance on GEnie
Ei Mi a iilacipictiiccacaibiaia 54 Over THe EDGE py Charles A. Christianson
What Commodore's liquidation means to 8-bit users
Entire contents copyright © 1994 by: itive Micro: Designs, Inc. No part of this publication may be printed or Senin att eee oe | DEPARTHENTS Seagiediadenly mercy rope
Micro Designs, inc.. assumos no responsiblity for errors or 2 Fron tHe Eorror 12 User Group Connection See Our New ‘omissions in editorial, program listings or advertising content. 4 Backauk 14 Top Ties
Creative Micro Designs, Inc., does not assume any liability for CHK-LIST advertisers’ claims, 6 dust Asking 51 On-une News Niestes
POSTMASTER: Sond address changos to CW Address 5 On The Hopzon 52 BBS Sronicnt Ueillty, ‘Changes, c/o Creative Micro Designs, Inc., P.O, Box 646, East 10 THe CONNECTION 56 Aoverriser’s INvEx On Page 49
Longmeadow MA 01028-0646.
From THE EpITor..:
Seems like a lot has happened since Issue 1 of Commodore World headed out the door just a few short weeks ago, About a week later, on April 29th, Commodore announced their plans to liquidate, We had already been watching the situation at Commodore closely, and had planned to bring you any updates, With this news, however, we decided we should expand on those plans, so you'll see quite a bit about this turn of events as you read this current issue, Tim Walsh covers a bit of this territory in SPECIAL REPORT; you'll find some of the press releases that have been floating around about this in ON THE HORIZON, Jeff Jones mulls it over in the LoadStar section of THE CONNECTION; and Charles Christianson give Commodore a little flogging in OVER THE EDGE. Quite a bit of attention, but it’s obviously an important topic.
You'll no doubt notice that this issue has a few more pages than the last; we've added a couple of feature articles to the mix this time around, We've also expanded our IN REVIEW section, and added a MINIVIEWS for some smaller reviews, With all the additional review space, we needed to get someone on-board to help handle these; we're happy to announce that much of this will fall into the lap of Sherry Freedline. Sherry has a lot of experience with Commodore programs since she handles most of the file librarian chores on GEnie, and we're happy to welcome her to our pages.
We also welcome another new regular to our pages this month; Les Songa has taken over the CARRIER DETECT area, and has converted that into a column, ON-LINE NEWS NIBBLES, another new department handled by will bring you those little news tidbits that were previously
Jound in CARRIER D. T. BBS SPOTLIGHT, which will continue to grace our pages, is now considered to be a separate department.
Another reason for adding some pages to this issue is Gene Barker's BASIC INSTINCTS. Gene started things out real simple l we with BIG GUNS, but has stepped up the pace considerably with STARSHIP CONQU! is a game that Gene will continue to expand on over the next
Jew issues, and if the first installment is any indication, we're in for a BIG one! To help everyone avoid all those typing errors that pop up when entering programs, we've created CHK-LIST, Don't enter without it!
Finally, you'll notice some other changes this issue—new paper, new printing process, second class mailing; we're experimenting, and trying to do what we can to continue to bring you the best in information on the Commodore computing front. Be sure to write us, and let us know what you like and dislike (so far we haven't heard much in the latter category, as you'll note in our new BACKTALK section). We're always looking for better ways to do things—afier all, we're Commodore users!
aoe
Doug Cotton Commodore World Editor
Volume 1, Number 2 2 Commodore World
Info 215-586-5701 FAX 215-586-5706
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Micro R&D Printor Intertaca - For non CBM paralle! printers, supports graphics $49.95
1200 Commodore Printer - Complete with all Cabling and Manual. 120cps. Supports Graphics. Ready to use = $129.95
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5 oF 8 pin Composite Cable $8.95 C128 to Magnavow/1084 (Specity) 14.95 Computer/Disk Drive Cable - 6M, 12.95 Disk Notcher 495 Surge Protector wEMI (6 Outlet ) 14,00 10845 Monitor Call
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Volume 1, Number 2
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Commodore World
G@ACKTALK
COMMODORE WORLD READERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS
What a terrific effort! This promises to be a landmark publication for the Commodore computerist, Ihavebeen Commodore computing for only a few years and have seen several ions devoted to this platform come and Long life to Commodore World.
~ Edward Rohan, Anaheim, CA
son your new Commodore World Magazine. Like the majority of us 1 had a subscription to RUN magazine for years and was quite upset at it’s demise. (The publisher still doesn’t understand why I do not want to renew the PC World subscription he has been sending me asa substitute.)
- Benjamin Dorsey, Tequesta, FL
Just received my premier issue of Commodore World. Congratulations for a top-notch publ
ion; [ook forward to following issues. - A. Herbig, Derwaod, MD
Justanotetosay thankyou forthenew magazine... Ireceived the first issue of Commodore World and was very impressed, The articles were very interesting and they were easy enough for those ofus who aren't familiar with computer terms to understand, 1am excited now because | know there are others out there who still have a Commodore, | know there is hardware and software available, and more importantly know how to get my
ds on it, + Darla Smith
WOWIIt's beautifull [just received my first copy of Commodore World....!HANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
- John Marcelle, Manteca, CA
Just read your Premier issue and wanted to let you know what I thought about it. At first, I thoughtitlooked rather thin, butafter completing it, Iwasrather pleased. [feel that you compliment dieHard very well and found everything to be What J am looking for. Excellent!
- Dan Koleski, Pres. L.U.C.K.Y.
Volume 1, Number 2
I just got Commodore World today - folks - 1 do think we havea WINNER! Saw a number of neat articles by authors I have read & enjoyed. I really think CMD took a really astronomical chance with this venture - But I really think that these guys have really got a feel - For where IT IS!
- Ron Boissoneault, CBM Conferen lonet
Vid
Ijust got the premier issue of Commodore World magazine from CMD, and [it had] a VERY nice review of QWKRR 128 V4.2 in it... VERY well-done magazine by the way, but what ELSE would we expect from CMD?
‘The magazineis high quality... and hasarticles of interest for everyone from beginners to the “pocket protector” crowd. | particularly like the feeling of camaraderie when referring to the “competition”. I personally feel the competition ishealthy, andI'mglad NOT toseeany attitude of bashing the competition, but an attitude of cooperation, Each of the several publicationshave their niche in the market, and there should be room for everybody.
From the review of coming issues, I can hardly wait forthe NEXT copy, which promisesa tutorial on using SCSI commands with the HD.
I would certainly encourage everyone here to subscribe so we can continue to see the support CMD has and is providing. I'ma bit o} skeptic also on new publications, but after seeing this issue, | immediately called and subscribed, Bytheway, Commodore Country only got 6issues, and they were gone in minutes!
- Phil Heberer, CBM Conference, Fidonet
Ijust got my copy of Commodore World yesterday. I'vejustabout read itall, anditis very nicely done. I think the biggest thing that surprised me, and pleased me the most, was the number of advertisers, That used to be the thing I enjoyed most about the old Commodore magazines.
It is a very professional looking publication, though I would have expected no less from CMD. The article on printers and interfaces w: extremely useful. I wish I had that kind of information when I started buying printers,
I'venever been one to recommend subscribing zine just to make sure it stay business. Lalways felt any product should be able todevelop its critical mass based on the qua its product or service. | think this one is going to do just that, based on the promise of the premier and the people already writing for them. This oneisa must-have, Ifyou haven’tsubscribed already, you are definitely missing out.
1 personally hope that they evolve into something more along the lines ofthe Transactor. At this stage of the game, there are a lot more experienced users now than new users... and T miss the TI Nice work... | really am expecting big things from you all at CMD!
- Ed Bell, CBM Conference, Fidonet
to a mia
I got my issue of Commodore World last week and have already read it cover to cover twice. I think it’s going bea great mag, The reviews and articles were excellent, Since I'ma CMD user (RAMLink and SwifiLink) it's great to see articles covering these subjects. [ hope that you will cover CM's product line in depth with hints and advanced uses for them. I would especially like articles along the line of the old Transactor magazines. Short routines and programs that [can adapt to usein my own programs. Keep up the good work.
~ Charles Lawson, Commodore RT, GEnie
At long last, | do believe us people out west are finally getting our Commodore World magazines. I got mine today and leafed through it and was VERY, VERY impressed, And I haven'teven read it yet! Once again, Kudos goes to the people at CMD. Youwill have my support for as long as my Commodore is alive.
Iknow that most of the8-bitters left are getting onin years (heck, in my user's group am the 2nd
youngest at 29), lam doing my best to let some of
4/128 world is still active, productive, entertaining, as well as affordable. With CMD coming up with new products and excellent support, it is helping us revitalize a dying group.
~ , McKinney, Commodore RT, GEnie
the younger guys know that the C
Commodore World
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onty pos avs atic
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ca Tips on all major commodore software and hardware like GEOS, Super Snapshot, Laser Printing,
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Volume 1, Number 2
5 Commodore World
Just ASKING
THE COMMODORE WORLD STAFF LOOKS FOR ANSWERS TO USERS’ QUESTIONS
The CMD Hard Drive is great. No more thousands of disks stacked around my computer. However, I find myselfintimidated by ‘multimedia’ upgrades and 16 bit sound cards. Is there any hope for Commodore sound and multimedia capabilities in the future.
- Don Bostic, Dallas, TX
Let's not lose sight of the fact that
not too long ago, the C-64 was considered to be on the cutting edge of sound and graphics, Its capabilitiesasa 8 bit computer canstillamaze 16- and 32-bit computer users. Although there are no true multimedia type applications at this point, much of the necessary hardware technology already exists. What isrequired for ‘multimedia’? Mass-storage, lots of RAM, stereo sound and high quality video all of which are available at the current time. All that is needed is software which se hardware devices properly and multimedia could come to the C-64 and C-128. Now, I can't predict what is going to be released
in the future but I would not be surprised to see some multimedia software.
Which is the bigger strain on my 128-D; leaving it on all the time (except monitor and drives) or turning it on and off several times a day? Also, if | only use my 1750 REU to store a dictionary and occasionally other purposes not requiring more than 512K, is there an advantage in having a 1 or 2 MB REU? Why are RAM units like GEORAM and BBGRAM limited to GEO:
= RB., San Jose, CA
The most strain that is put on electronicdevicesis during the powerupsequence when the surge of current begins to flow through the components. Once powered up, components stabilize and operate effortlessly. The only
exception to this is if environmental conditions are unfavorable. Favorable operating conditions
Volume 1, Number 2
for modern electronics parallel the comfort zone for most people; temperatures between 40 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit are most favorable and air quality should be good to excellent which meat that there is minimal dust and smoke. Therefo: if environmental conditions are favorable, it is
better to leave the device on rather than turning it on and off frequently. Ifyourapplicationsonly require5 12K ofRAM, there would be no benefit to having additional capacity. Besides, there are very few programs
that can use an expanded Ri
It is not possible nor is it practical to link REU’s. All of the 17xx series RE registers occupy the same memory locations. n them together, there will omputer sends the same
control
Therefore, if bea conflict when the commands to both RE the same time.
RAM Expansion units such as GEORAM and BBGRAMarelimited because of the fact that they do not have a Direct Memory Access Controller (DMA Controller). The DMA controller is a custom chip that Commodore developed to enhance the speed of 17xx REU’s by performing memory transfers in hardware between the REU and the computer. The DMA controller has a specific set of commands w ized by software to control the REU. Conversely, GEORAM and BBGRAM do not have a DMA controller which means that software must be written differently so that all memory t between the computer and RAM expansion are processed by the computer instead of internally within the REU. The end result is that access toa 17xx REU is approximately 20 times faster than that ofa GEORAM.
sfe
. My problem is that] have to shut down whenever the TV comes onas the C-64 causes herring bone linesin the TV picture. [havetried several 'Mickey Mouse filters and nothing seems to work. Do you have any suggestions that I could try? - Doug Blanchard, Grapeview, WA Unfortunately, RF interference has longbeenaweaknessfor Commodore equipment. Before you assume that it is the computer itself, you should disconnect everything from it— making sure that all other peripherals are turned off. Then, systematically begin adding back one peripheralatatime until theinterferenceappears. Once the interference appears, try switching the connecting cables (i.e. ifits the disk drive, try a new serial cable; monitor, new monitor cable etc.) If that does not work, try plugging in all of the power supplies for you computer equipment into a different wall outlet (Make sure that the new outlet is not part of the same circuit as the TV.). Sometimes, the electrical wiring itself can a giant antenna and by plugging in your system into a different electrical circuit you can route the interference away from the affected device, which in your case is the TV.
Ifnone of these suggestions work, you should open up the device that is causing the interference and inspect the interference shields that cover the board(s). These shields are usually screwed or soldered to the board. It is important that these shields be securely attached to the board and making good contactin order to effectively absorb the RF signals. And, ifall else fails, try cable TV; it is not usually effected by RF noise.
act
How can | verify which partition I'm in on HD, FD, and RL units via software? Is an annotated listing of BASIC-8 code available? Has anyone come out with a compiler that compiles BASIC-8 commands in addition to BASIC-7.0?
- Ben Dorsey, Tequesta, FL.
Commodore World
Verifying your current partition on 4 CMD device is quite simple. You should try using the Get Partition Info (G-P) command which is covered in detail on pages: 71 in the RAMLink manual, 9-15 in the Hard Drive manual and page 45 in the FD-2000/4000 manual.
As for BASIC-8, I have not had much luck. Current information on this product is sketchy at best, soifthereare readers out there that can shed some light on BASIC-8 related questions, we're all ears. However, I am quite sure that an annotated listing of source code was never released. Companies with commercial soft rel software. While researching the answers for this question, I ran across someone who recalled speaking to Lou Wallace about BASIC-8 compatibility with the Abacus C-128 compiler— although we were unsure if such a version was ever released. We will continue to investigate BASIC-8 and will print our findings. Once again, ifyou know something about BASIC-8 please let us know.
lease documented source code for their
What softwaredoyouuseto produce
Commodore World? + Darla Smith
At the risk of being buried in mail, I am going to answer your question truthfully,
Commodore Worlds produced on a Macintosh Quadra 650 with 16 MB RAM, Internal 500 MB drive, external 245 MB drive and CDROM; Mac Iwith5 MBRAM, internal 245 MB drive, external
Backup, Microtek Scanmaker | color scanner; and an Apple LaserWriter Select 360. Weusea variety of software packages: Aldus PageMaker 4.2, 5.0; Microsoft Word 5.0; Adobe Photoshop2.51, AldusFreehand 4.0, Adobe Type Manager, and Broderbund Typestyler. Although we believe that it is possible to produce a professional looking publication on the Commodore, we do not feel that we could produce this type of publication in a timely manner and maintain our current obligations
and commitments to CMD. Therefore, we have decided to use the Macintosh system, as did our predecessors with RUN, to help us produce the
agazine and continue our unparalleled support 64 and C-128 computer,
JUST ASK!
If you're having trouble getting your system to do what you want it to, or think you've got something wrong with your hardware, Just Asking may be able to help find a solution, or get you pointed in the right direction. Send your questions to:
CW Just Asking
c/o Creative Micro Designs, Inc. P.O. Box 646
East Longmeadow, MA 01028-0646
Please try to keep your questions short and to the point. Doing so will increase your chances of being published.
WHO WE ARE Glen Doty/Phoenix1 - Chief Engineer
OUR GOAL
Kat Tate/Mystique - Dir. Online Operations
George Tate/BigBird - Operations Mgr
', The Phoenix Network :
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“Providing Online Computer Entertainment and Services To The Nation
WHAT WE OFFER * $4.50/hour No monthly fee (Non-Primetime rates 6pm-7am) + Visa & Mastercard Accepted * Separate Adult & Family Areas
To provide a place where ALL computer users can meetin acongenial atmosphere, play games, share information, and gener- ally have fun. OUR POLICY So long as we have a single user of ANY type of computer online, we will provide that user with all the support and informa- tion that we possibly can! The Phoenix Network P.O. Box 30757 Flagstaff, AZ 86003-0757 800-869-1155 Voice 800-869-1168 Fax
Positive Proof of age required
* FREE Internet Access
* Shareware/Freeware Libraries for: Commodore, Amiga, PC, Mac
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2. At the CONNECT type in the following depending on your baud rate:
300/1200: <return> D <return> 2400 baud: @D <return>
5. Follow sign-on instructions for access to The Phoenix. yy
Volume 1, Number 2
Commodore World
mY THE RT
COMMODORE
Commodore Announces Liquidation After the close of business on Friday, April 29, 1994, Commodore made an announcement. Here are the stories as received from around the globe:
COMMODORE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED TO LIQUIDATE
NEW YORK, April29 /PRNewswire/—Commodore International Limited (NYSE: CBU) announced today that its Board Of Directors has authorized the transfer of its assets to trustees for the benefit of its creditors and has placed its major subsidiary, Commodore Electronics Limited, into voluntary liquidation, This is the initial phase of an orderly liquidation of both companies, which are incorporated in the Bahamas, by the Bahamas Supreme Court.
CONTACT: Hock Tan, CFO of Commodore International Limited, 215-431-9160
COMMODORE FOLDS By DINAH WISENBERG BRIN Associated Press Writer WEST CHESTER, PA. (AP) Commodore International Ltd.,a pioneer in the personal computer industry, said late Friday it is going out of business. The company plans to transfer its assets to unidentified trustees “for the
benefit of its creditors” and has placed its major subsidiary, Commodore Electronics Ltd., into voluntary liquidation.
“This is the initial phase of an orderly voluntary liqui companies,” Commodore said in a brief statement.
Company executives could not immediately be reached Friday evening.
The company last month reported an $8.2 million loss for the quarter ending Dec. 31 on sales of $70.1 million, A) Commodore lost $77.2 million on sales of $237.7 million in the same period.
In the latest report, Commodore said financial limits had thwarted its ability to supply products, leading to weakened sales. One of its new products, the Amiga CD32 video game, had sold poorly in Europe, where the company did most c
The company’s net worth turned negative in the fiscal year ended last June 30.
[ts stock, which had traded at around $3 per share before the quarterly results were announced last month, closed unchanged at 87 1/2 cents per share on the New York Stock Exchange Friday.
“This is a company that briefly captured the attention of the American market and didn’t go where the market was going,” said David Cours! editor of the newsletter P.C, Letter in San Mateo, Calif. “They just never managed to change with the marketplace,”
While grabbing some market share and attention in the late 1970s, Commodore's products were something between PCs and game machines “and never quite became either,” Coursey said.
Commodore started 40 years ago as a typewriter repair company in the
ation of both
its business,
Volume 1, Number 2
AND Compu
Bronx. Its extension to the adding machine business paved the way for it to make calculators and then personal computers by the mid-1970s. Commodore competed with Radio Shack for the first computers sold to
homes and ¢ ‘garded figure in the
founder Jack Tramiel becamea highly- fledgling PC industry,
By the early 1980s, it was overshadowed in the PC business by Apple Computer Inc, and IBM. Software manufacturers didn’t create as much software for Commodore's Am line as it did for Apple and IBM-
compatible machines, In recent years, most of Commodore's business was in Europe. NewTek Inc, of Topeka, Kan., created a product called Video Toaster that converted Commodore's Amiga to a video-editing system. The $2,500 product was popular with small advertising agencies and home hobbyists.
The company’s phones were busy Friday night.
COMMODORE INTERNATIONAL <CBU.N> TO LIQUIDATE NEW YORK, April 29 (Reuter) - Commodore International Ltd, said it 1 thetransfer ofits for the benefit of its creditors ajor subsidiary, Commodore Electronics Ltd. into voluntary liquidation, The company said this is the initial phase of an orderly liquidation of both companies, which are incorporated in the Bahamas, by the Bahamas Supreme Court, —New York Newsdesk 212-603-3310,
Sets to trustees
COMMODORE COMPUTER GOES BANKRUPT, FRANKFURT UNIT SAYS FRANKFURT (MAY 5) DPA - Commodore International Ltd., the home personal computercompany, faces bankruptcy and has filed for liquidation which will see its units around the world closed or sold off, Commodore of Germany said Thursday.
A spokeswoman for Commodore Bueromaschinen GmbH in Frankfurt said that the Nassau, Bahamas-based parent company hoped to continue operations on a smaller scale, while still keeping the “Commodore” and “Amiga” trade names, with the help of an Asian investor.
“Only five peoplehere know the name oftheinvestor,” saidspokeswoman Karola Bode.
She said that some of the 35 Commodore units worldwide had already been liquidated, Others stand to be closed while those which were still profitable-including companiesin Scandinavia, Italy, Canadaand Germany - would probably continue operations.
Inthe 1992-93 year which ended last June 30, Commodore International lost 356 million dollars, on turnover of 591 million. At the time it had some 1,500 employees.
Commodore made its reputation by establishing the personal computer asa home product. After 1982, some 16 to 17 million of the 64-kilobyte “peoples computer” C64 were sold worldwide.
Commodore World
But the company ran into problems toward the end of the 1980s in finding a successor to the C64, at the same time that the competition was developing and marketing increasingly sophisticated PCs at lower prices, market analysts say.
A further mistake may have been Commodore moving too sluggishly and too late in entering the market of IBM-compatible computers.
RIO Relocates
Rio Computer, U.S. distributors of the Skantronix Handy Scanner and other European products, has recently relocated, Their new address and phone number are:
Rio Computer
572 Tam O'Shanter Las Vegas, NV 89109 Phone: 702-369-2633
Rio h Replay
so recently discontinued distribution of the once popular Action artridge, manufactured by Datel, Ltd,, a British-based company.
Hewlett-Packard Releases New Lasers
Hewlett-Packard, a Santa Clara based manufacturer of computer peripherals, has recently released updated versions of their popular HP LaserJet 4 and HP LaserJet 4ML laser printers. The new models, the HP LaserJet 4 Plus ($1839) and HP ret AML Plus ($2479), offer higher speed printing using less memory than the earlier versions, The company also claims that these new 600 dpi, 12 page per minute printers use less toner and consume less power than their predecessors. Both printers offer PCLS interpreters, while the 4ML version also offers Adobe Postscript
Geta
FREE DISK OF SOFTWARE!
64/128
No kidding. Call 1-800-831-2694 now or mail your valuable FREE SOFT- WARE CERTIFICATE, and we'll send you a FREE issue of LOADSTAR", the Commodore” software subscription. That way, you can explore our revolutionary
Call now or mail in th CERTIFICATE, LOADSTAR, the Commodore software subscription.
Call 1-800-831-2694 or
Ifyou like your scription with two more
Level 2. Hewlett-Packard Co., Dire! Marketing Organization, P.O, Box 58059, Santa Clara, CA 95051; 800-752-0900.
Titus Reaffirms Commodore Product Line ‘Titus Software, producers of noted games including Crazy Cars and The Blues Brothers, recently contacted Commodore dealers concerning their game titles for the C-64/128, Commodore World contacted Cindy Hitz, Marketing Director for Titus, who stated that they receive many calls from Commodore users looking for software, and confirmed that several titles were still available. Look to future issues of Commodore World for reviews of these programs. Titus Software Corporation, 20432 Corisco Street, Chatsworth, CA 91311; 818-709-6537.
LoadStar Celebrates 10th Anniversary Congratulations go to LoadStar and its staff who celebrated their L0th Anniversary of producing their high-quality disk-based magazine for the Commodore 64, Not only are we happy tosee them celebrate this milestone, but we anxiously look forward to the next 10 years of LoadStar,
Xetec Printer Interfaces
Xetec, a long-time supplier of hardware products for the Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Amiga, and Atari ST computers recently announced that it wouldno longer be producing the Super Graphics and Super Graphics Jr. printer interfaces for the Commodore 64 and 128. Supplies of these eswere rapidly depleted from most dealers, leaving the Micro R&D MW-350printerinterface asthe last remaining product still being produced in this category. This marks the end of the last Commodore 64/128 products offered by Xetec, who once dominated the Commodore printer interface market and also produced the Lt. Kernal hard drive,
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Volume 1, Number 2
FREE, you'll save 1/3 off the regular 3-month subscription price of $29.95. When you subscribe, you'l receive a FRI Special Bonus Disk of some of our most popular programs, You'll also have the option to subscribe for a longer term and save more. Whether or not you subscribe, your first
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9 Commodore World
Everyone's talking aboutit on the nets. There is no end to the downloads of Commodore jabber these days. Commodore Business Machines, once THE personal computer giant, both here and abroad, has finally shut its doors. No power on earth could stop it, and if anyone was praying for Commodore, the prayers bounced off the stratosphere.
I'm reminded of a biblical proverb, “don't pray forthedead...”; yet around the world, hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Commodore enthusiasts, from 8-bit C-64 users to 32-bit A4000 users, are hoping and praying for some reprieve. Would some larger company purchase Commodore's technology and revive some of the Oh, the
to make other PC platforms more powerful. 1 know this is an 8-bit magazine, and probably no computer is more hated by this. readership than the Amiga, but Commodore had a good thing going. Just like the C-64, the Amiga was better than everything else, more efficient, faster, and easier to use. To approach the multimedia
power of Commodore's Amiga, the PC must be supe’d up, and it really
Volume 1, Number 2
THE GONNECTION
News FROM COMMODORE-RELATED VENDORS AND PUBLISHERS
still pales. That's beca supe’ up the Amig; Video T les you every week on Babylon 5, SeaQuest and other television shows. If you want a PC or a MAC to do Babylon 'ype effects, you'dneed gobs more RAM, and thousands of more buck$—and that’s just for the software, not the hardware. Indeed, the last time I similar to the Toaster, the software alone cost over $8000—about $4000 more than a decent Toaster system. Let’s hopeit’s been reduced for the masses since then. Commodore has always been shunned by the market. remember 1984, when C-64’s could still be found in every PCstore, Kmart, and even newly sprouting video rental stores. There was probably nobetter selling PC, yet the word has been steady for 10 straight years: “Drop the C-64. It’s dead.” Actually the feeling was more like: “Drop the C-64 before you find yourself the only personin the world usingone.” s asked myself, what do I re if everyone else is using a MAC ora PC—unless] want to pirateand copy and borrow? Instead what has happened? A steady succession of obsolete MS-DOS computers. Try tosell someone a 386SX, and they'll call it a piece of junk. I remember
se when you you have the ter, which
a Mac system
when that was the rage only two years ago. I'd really hate to buy 486DX or Pentium MS-DOS computer, and then find out that Windoze version “Next Friday” will run too slowly on it. Maybe in a couple of years the market will stabilize, and I'll buy in—but I still love my C-64/128 and Amiga, Ihave 286 16 MHz(remember when that supposed to be blazing fa: computer that I literally NE EVER use.
Every day Imarvel at how much I love my C-64’sscreen editor. There's nothing like it in the world. Since I'm currently on a fat-reduced diet, I have to calculate calories and fat every day. It’s the easiest thing in the world for me to type one line in the immediate mode:
10042 (80+45+5410) 41404310
The line above represents the calories of various foods I've eaten today. There’s no easier way for me todoit. Can't doit ona spreadsheet Calculators don’tlet you go back and edit or plan ahead for the rest of the day. You can't do that on an IBM or Amiga without booting up a C-64 emulator. In fact I've done that. For me, the C-64's commandlineinterface (immediate mode) is a wonderful way to use a
this e;
computer. It is NOT the best way to launch programs.
I truly love my C-64, Actually 1 love the 64 mode since I only touch C-128's as of late. I enjoy programming the machine. LOADSTAR has said it before, and
10
we'll say it again: We not only love programming and editing our two- disk magazine, but it’s profitable! We implore all Commodore enthusiasts not to fall by the wayside. Don't give all your favorite Commodore vendors the preemptive heave-ho because you feel that they're about to drop you. Call or write the vendor, Ask them their plans for the future. How's the market? LOADSTAR is extremely successful. We'd be complete and utter fools to drop our loyal subscribers, and move on the PC. Forone thing, wealready havea PC, MAC and Apple II magazine, As ys said, as long as our readers keep subscribing, we'll keep
we’
coming up with new programs, graphics, tutorials, utilities, and music, Commodore's death means little to us. Commodore has never helped us. Even when we've communicated with them, they were condescending, and cared very little about our market. The people whoarereally hurt by thisare Amiga third party developers. They'll probably have a tougher time allocating money for R&D. What of Commodore's custom chips? Where will they come from? In the longrun, this will mean little. We're all pioneers. The personal computer world is a decade young. Every computerin theworldisa Model-T, even the Pentiums and PowerPCs. Ten) how we got along at 1-100 MHz, one processor, and no voice
'sfromnow, we'llall wonder
recognition. Jeff Jones Associate Editor, LoadStar
Commodore World
THE GONNECTION
know that you can use an AM radio in your computer room as a “lightning detector”, asit will report lightning (heardascracklesorstatic)
a variety of sources, This issue has almost 300 disk blocks of useful bits of information.
We here at CEE-64 Alive! have been very busy supporting the CEE-64, 128 and PLUS/4 computers. As reported in the last issue of Commodore World, CEE-64 Alive! had a special interest group (SIG) on Delphi. We regret that due to unforeseen circumstances we'vehad to discontinue this SIG.
Volume 3 Issue#2 hasbeen mailed to our subscribers, and it’s another huge issue this time around with not one, not two, but THREE disks! New
toourlineupis“Skyhigh”, a column by Jan Siren about using Sky Travel, using current astronomical events to explore the world of the heavens. Who said the PLUS/4 is an orphan? Please don’t tell Alvin Conrow this, as thirty-two of his articles on the PLUS/4 appear in this to admit to being a bit of newbie with the PLUS/4, but I certainly learned a great deal from these articles, and not just about the PLUS/4, either. Forinstance, did you
issue. I have
long before the skies in your neighborhood become dark with storm clouds?
64 Alive! Vol. 3, Issue #2 include a review of Digimaster, a new digitized sound program; a review of TopDesk, Germany's GEOS DeskTop replacement; plus several programs from Australia for just about every interest, including dieting (it is that time of year, after all), genealogy,
Other goodies in CE!
invoicing, or designing circuits with a CAD program. Regular features, such as
“Litlbits”, which is far from little, includestidbits ofinformation from
s office (he's CEE-64 Alive!’s publisher), as I live in the Midwest while he'sin Sacramento, California, However, limagine it’s quitea sight, as Jack has been putting together collections of software packages for CEE-64 Alive! to offer at reasonable prices, including GEOS, 128, PLUS/4, Fun Graphics Machine Clip Art, Australian games, and Ham Radio collections. I'm sure I left a category or two out, but I’m sure you get the idea. Meanwhile, it’s time for me to start on our next issue, ~ Gaclyne Moranec itor, CEE-64 Alive!
ieHar
This month our CP/M guy, Mike Gordillo, is back! Explore this powerful mode on your C128 with us. This is a whole new world that your commodore can open up for you. Frontier time!
Mike Eglestone is back in class with his Telecommunications, Your
commodore, and YOU. Get your modem and term program running so youcan log on to the Internet and seejust what R.J.Smulkowski, the Cyberspace Cowboy, is talking about! Sometimes it’s Check out MikeG
not your fault! silsdorf’s DOS Bugs
and Quirks. Some you may have encountered, some you may want to avoid.
PRGis loaded! Check out ournew text readers, Text to Screen & Text to Printer by Ernest Barkman, complete with word wrap and a paper saver option. These puppies run on any commodore 8-bit machine! James T. Jones’ Label Printer makes quick labels a snap!
On this month's Spinner we have Ted Meyer's Bingo! This is a full featured Bingo program that can even keep track ofeverybody’s cards! Itwilleventell you who wor
can continue the game until everybody has a Bingo!
This, issue on newsstands, is our First Annual Rarities issue! We've gone through our listings, updated them, added more and here they are! The largest list of commodore supporters we've ever published, Plus Scot Derrer's own Rarities column and a special You won't want to miss it!
dieHard, the Flyerforcommodore 8bitters is now able at many B, Dalton, Bookstar, and other Barnes and Noble book stores.
- Brian L, Crosthwaite, Editor
our second
FUN GRAPHICS
MACHINE
GETTING OVER THE FGM HUMP
Getting started with the FUN GRAPHICS MACHINE (FGM) is without question the hardest hurdle
Volume 1, Number 2
to jump. So why bother, RIGHT? Wrong! That's what! thoughtat first. Month's later, and I emphasize the
11
“s" onmonth’s, [found myselfdoing the unthinkable. I started to read the MANUAL (when all else fails, read the instructions, is my motto). After a few pages the light came on. This program will do ANYTHING my printer can handle, Now I knew why to bother getting started with FGM. Myaddiction grew, asl usedit for everything.
Lets kick some of the hurdles. I willassumeyou'vebeenlettingFGM
collect dust as I did. From the
beginning: Place your BACKUP COPY of FGM in your drive and enter:
RUN
Ifyou are using JiffyDOS it will load bit slower with fast load cartridges. A MENU willsoon appear asking you to select a section. The
(continued on next page)
Commodore World
THE CGonnNectTION
Fun Graphics Machine (continued from previous page)
selection bar defaults to CREATOR. Press the RETURN» key, Next you are asked if you want touse FGM'sfastload. Donot use FGM 'sfastload ifyouare using JiflyDOS, a cartridge, orany drive buta 1541,
Now the MAIN MENU for CREA'TOR is showing. The highlight bar de number 4, ( sc Press the number <
ults to option
key or the <RETURI
key, What's this! A bunch of trash is showing on the sereen, This is correct, FGM looks for Hi-Res screens left behind by other programs. Now press and hold down the following three keys: <SHIFT><CTRL><E>. A prompt will show RASE’; press the <Y> key and the screen will clea what! No way; I've got a goofy looking dog. The dog is your cursor. You can move it
around with thecursorkeys ikeany other cursor, Try it, This cursor happens to also be your GRAPHIC BUFFER no.3. Youh iRAPHIC BUFFERS to choose from in . Press the <2> key to see a cat. Now the cat is your cursor. Press <3 >again tose the dog. By pressing, <1> through <6> you will see six different graphics. You can load your own graphics in buffers 1 through (GRAPHIC) on the screen, press the <P> key to PASTE it to the Hi-Res screen, The dog should have flickered and a faint ding sounded to let you knowit was pasted, Press the cursor keys again to see two dogs, One is your cursor, while the other is part of the Hi-Res sereen.
Letsadd some text to ourscreen, Press the <P> key. You are now in MODE. Your text cursor is now a small square box 8 pixels by 8 pixels, Use the cursor keys to see it move around. For fun type your name on the s five TEXT BUFFERS to choose from while in the JR SECTION of FGM, Press and hold the L> key and press the <1> key. Now type something. The textis different, Usethe<CTRL> key alongwith thekeys forthe numbers I through 5 to select any of the five TEXT BUF! S.
To escape from any MODE, press the <RETURN> key, It will track back to the MAIN MENU.
Next month 1 will explain TEXT and GRAPHICS MODES in more detail. And how to load your own graphics and text into FGM.
- Jerty Freadman
fo place the cursor
ereen, You have
Volume 1, Number 2
User Group CoNnNECTION
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL USER GROUP
Alabama
Birmingham Commodore Club PO Box 59564
Birmingham, AL 35259-9564
California
C-128 West User's Group 17047 Devanah St. Covina, CA 91722
‘The Fresno Sixty-Fourum PO Box 16098
Fresno, CA 93755
Colorado
Western Slope Commodore User Group P.O. Box 81
Mack, CO 81525
Florida
Commodore Computer Club of Jacksonville 141 Mango Court
Middleburg, FL 32068
Port Orange Commodore User's Group
52 Windward Crt.
Port Orange, FL 32127
Hawaii
Commodore Hawaii User’s Group c/o M.N, Daniels
46-329 Kumoo Loop
Kaneohe, HI 96744-3532
Mlinois Champaign-Urbana C.U.G. 2010 W. William Champaign, IL 61821
Indiana
Midwest Computer Users Group P.O, Box 9311
Highland, IN 46322
lowa
Commo-Hawk Commodore User's Group PO Box 2724
Cedar Rapids, [A 52406-2724
Michigan
Michigan Commodore User's Group 800 Lloyd
Madison Heights, MI 48071-1915
Missouri
Commodore User’s Group of Kansas City PO Box 36034
Kansas City, MO 64111
Pennsylvania Lehigh Valley C.U.G. c/o 931 Lawrence Drive Emmaus, PA 18049
South Dakota
Sioux Empire Commodore Club 1932S. Menlo Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD. 57105-2717
Texas
Commodore Houston User's Group PO Box 441252
Houston, TX 77244-1252
Correspondence Groups
Last issue we incorrectly listed the group below as an Illinois group; it is in fact a correspondence group made up of users that keep in touch via mail, There has also been a change in their addres Meeting 64/128 Users Thru the Mail c/o Francis Redmond
Route 7, Box 7614
Palestine, TX 75801
Attention User Groups! Send us your group's name, contact person's name and phone number, when and where you meet, number of users, and an address where users can write to you. Send your info to:
CW UG Connection
c/o Creative Micro Designs, Inc.
P.O, Box 646
East Longmeadow, MA 01028-0646
12
Commodore World
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This collection includes 40 page manual titled “How to Desktop Publish’, a complete compendium of tips and tricks. It also includes selected illustra- tions of the disk images boumd in a loose leat manner
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Volume 1, Number 2
13
Commodore World
Top Tips
FROM OUR READERS AND STAFF
24-Pin Printing
In our Premier issue of Commodore World, our feature article on Printers & Interfaces had a short program that helped adapt newer 24 pin printers tosomeolderC-64/128 software. This suggestion prompted a letter from Mr, Arthur Herbig of Derwood, Maryland who attempted to use the program with Printshop and his Panasonic KXP-1123 24-pin printer, In his letter, he states that our program didn’t work, and his document continued to print elongated. However, another program which was offered in Loadstar #105 worked fine for him. The two programs are listed below; the firstis ours, thesecondisfrom Loadstar,
Program 1:
Program 2: 0 PRI
4,4 IT#4, CH CLOSE4
27) 4"3"+CHRS (21);
Okay, so why does one program work with Printshop on a 24-pin printer while the other program does not? There area couple of possible reasons. First, there is the difference in the way that the two programs try toaccomplish the task. The Commodore World program uses an Escape “A” followed by to set the line spacing to 2 of an inch. The LoadStar program
pe “3” to adjust line spacing to ?Ya16
uses an E ofan inch,
Itis our understanding that there have been a couple of different revisions of the Printshop printer drivers, which may explain why one adjustment works but the other does not. We feel that both drivers are going to be useful with different programs. One will probably work with certain programs while the other will work witha different set of programs.
We plan on looking into this issue further, and as soon as we get a chance to speak with George
Volume 1, Number 2
Wells, the renowned printer expert who gave us the tip, we will probably shed some more light on the subject. So in the mean time, try both programs and use the one that best suits your
particular application.
Laser PrintShop Here isa tip from Robert Reeves of Whittier, CA, for those of you who might be using an Epson Action Laser printer. If you are trying to print signs in Printshop and are having trouble with the sign getting split into two pages, Robert suggests using 8.5"'x14" (legal) size paper and change the paper size to legal on the printer, Also, if you are using Paperclip III with this printer, change the page length from 66 to 62.
RUN Paint Mouse Fix A few weeks ago we got a call from a user asking if the new CMD SmartMouse would have the same problem that the Japanese version of the 1351 had with RUN Paint. While we too had experienced mouse problems with RUN Paint, wehad noidea what this had to dowith aJapanese version of the mouse. The caller directed us to a tip published in the November 1989 issue of RUN, in the Mail Run column, Sure enough, here they stated that it was a “Japanese-made version of the 1351 mouse” that caused the RUN Paint pointer to jump around on the screen After looking into this problem, we di: thatthe problem had nothing at all to do with the version of the mouse; the true problem lies in RUN Paint itself, which fails to provide a proper delay after switching the internal POT registers to read joystick port 2. The program below will correct the problem without affecting any other functionsofthe program. Runth ona 64 using a backup copy of RUN Paint,
covered
452A | 10 A=A+1:IFA=1THENLOAD"O B.RP”,8,1 20 POK eels
5,"S0:0B.RP
1AE7 D006 apc7 | 40 46, PEEK (175)
45, PEEK (1174
+ POKE4 B.RP",8 D218
TOP TIPS Needs Your Input!
Each issue we'll print the very best tips we receive from our readers. One of these will also be chosen as the top tip of the issue, and the contributor will receive a special bonus from Commodore World. Send us your tips on using and programming your Commodore 64 or 128, and you may just be the one to get honored as the contributor of Commodore World's Top Tip!
Send your tips to:
CW Top Tips
c/o Creative Micro Designs, Inc.
P.O, Box 646
East Longmeadow, MA 01028-0646
14
Commodore World
Dependable Service for your Commodore! C64, 1541, C128, or 1571: $15.00 PLUS PARTS
Send computer (& power supply) or disk drive with name, address, phono, & describe problem. We'll call with parts estimate, Repaired unit is returned to you via UPS. Payment can be COD, VISA, MIC, or DISCOVER.. Minimum charge for estimate only is $10.00.
We Also Sell the Following:
Refurbished: (As Available)
Authorized Commodore Service Center Since 1979 90 Day Warranty on all repairs. FAST TURNAROUND
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Includes C-64 & Power Supply, | Includes 1541, Power Cord, & (without books or TV cable) cable (without books or disks).
Monitor Cable, 5-pin DIN to RCA jacks 5.95 Serial Cable, 6-pin DIN, 6 9.95 Serial Cable, 6-pin DIN, 12° 12.95 Commodore Power Supply for C-64 19.95 Commodore Power Supply for C-128 39.95 Power Cord for 1541 4.95 Power Supply for 1541-II 32.50 New! CD-32, USA version 399.00
TYCOM Inc. (413) 442-9771 503 East Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
Prices subject to change. Shipping charges will be added.
What do all of these drives have in common? They all perform at their best with The Compression Kit. The Compression Kit Backup System 7 HOT Must Have Utilities
v0, dolote, and replace files
oe CMD FD 2000/4
Lctitints cc: 4 ¥ 1541 Disk Boa: sa : Fao 9 Disks into convenient backup files (Backup those disks.) ¥ 1571 Disk Boa: Squeeze your 1571 5.25" DS/DD Disks evn RAMLink into convenient backup files (That means both sides folks.) Y 1581 Disk Boa: Squooze those big 158135"08/00 |? "Rl Disks into conveniant backup ti bs ¥ CMD Native Boa: Backup your CMD Native Panitions ‘with contidenco (Safeguard your valuable data.) All utilities include a full featured 3 stage verify, CMO. RAMDnve Menu driven - No cryptic command codes.
Includes a full sized custom 3 ring binder with a 50+ page, easy to understand User's Manual. “Now shipping v1.10" Please encose crocker mor) oar or $39.95,
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(G07) 632-1178 information
Creative Pixels Presents
PAY ON THE LIFE OF a PREHISTORIC M cutth your host, Salisbury Smythe, of Publle Network Telewiston COMMODORE 64/128 IN 64 MODE A GREAT ‘etlon Aduenture/ Comedy ADDITION TO EACH GAME COMES WITH AN Anew Public Network ILLUSTRATED Television documentary MANUAL! describes a typical day in the ORDERS SHIPPED life of a prehistoric man! Now THE SAME DAY! you can participate in bone collecting, saving your mate, discovering fire, and dodging dinosaurs! SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER E FOR $19.95 TO; CREATIVE PIXELS LTO. pall)
Volume 1, Number 2
P.0, BOX 592
LIBRARY, PA 15129 "SHIPPING IS INCLUDED!
Commodore World
Just For Starters
by Stose Vander Ark
SD
FOR USERS JUST GETTING STARTED INCOMMODORE COMPUTING
Lastissue | started off this column by saying that my computer talks a lot. But then I proceeded to spend most of my allotted word count talking about how you, the user, talks to the computer. I did that on purpose, since talking to the computer by means of typing on the keyboards one of the very first things you'll do once you get everything plugged in and powered up. (Take a look at the sidebar accompanying this column for more information about getting the cables all hooked up correctly.)
But now that you've started typing commands. into the computer using that built-in computer language called BASIC, you'll need to know more about how the computer talks back to you. As 1 mentioned last month, the Commodore tells you right off the bat that it’s ready to get started by saying “READY” and flashing its cursor. handy thing to know, actually; if we started the computer and it didn't say “READY”, we'd to figure out what was keeping it so busy that it couldn't stop to talk to us.
Now I teach a class of third graders for whom computers are as natural as recycling bins and roller blades. But when one of our computers starts doing something they don't expect, likenot sayingit's "READY" whenitshouldornotloading a program, they get frustrated. All of a sudden, that familiar old machine in the corner has become a blithering idiot. Some of them will try one or two quick fixes they have seen me use before, but usually theyjust nd frown and holler, “Go get Mr. Vander Ark!” They know, you see, that I understand what the computer is saying and that I know how to tell it to get back to work,
that’s a
ave
Volume 1, Number 2
You, of course, won't be able to use the same strategy that my third graders use; you won't be ” You can,
able to “go get Mr. Vander Ar howev what the computer says when it isn’t acting the way you expect.
The folks who designed the Commodore 64 and 128 knew that you and I would often need information about what was going on with our achines, so they included a set of “error messages” into the operating system (that’s the built-in set of routines and commands that run theshow, asyou might recall). Error messages are one of the most obvious ways the computer hasto tell you what's happening. To see an example, try typing “QWERTY” at the cursor and hitting ETURN, After a brief moment, you'll see the words “SYNTAX ERROR" on the screen. That is your computer's way of telling you that it has no idea what “QWERTY” means. The words “SYNTAX ERROR" are an error message, telling
, learn for yourself how to understand
16
you that the computer doesn’t understand what you just told it to do.
I think it’s fairly safe to assume that you won't usually be trying to type commands like “QWERTY” into your computer. So why does the operating system need such an error message? You'll understand that well enough the more you type commands; the most common reason for a “SYNTAX ERROR’ typing mistake, like entering LOAF instead of LOAD, Then, instead of cheerfully loading your program as you would expect, your computer will just sit there. That's when my third graders will come looking for me, That's when you can look at the screen and see that your computer is telling you with an error message what the trouble is.
You might wonder why the computer can’t 'm sorry, I didn’t understand that last
just say message.” Asa matter of fact, there’sno particular reason why it can’t. The phrases the computer uses are stored verbatim somewhere inside in its memory andifyouknow how to program youcan actually change them to say whatever you want. | can only suppose that the ori igners used fancy, technical terms RROR to save memory space, since every character of the message has to be stored. The trend nowadays, however, is to make error messages a lot more informative and helpful, since most computers havea lot more memory to play with than the 64 and 128 have.
There are other error messages you might encounter as you work with your computer. Another one you will see is “OUT OF DATA ERROR,” whichsounds pretty alarming, Chances are, that means that you've just accidentally
Commodore World
“IE WE STARTED THE COMPUTER AND IT DIDN’T SAY “READY”, weE’pbD
HAVE TO F
IGURE OUT WHAT WAS KEEPING IT SO BUSY THAT IT COULDN’T STOP TO TALK TO US.”
Making All the Right Connections
What's the first thing anyone does with a computer? You gotit: they plug itin. Now that can be a daunting task for a first-time computer user, especially if they boughtthe computer used, without a manual. So here’s a quick run through of what you need to do to get your Commodore computer plugged in and ready to run:
First of all, you'll want to make sure that the place you've selected for your computerhas enough grounded outlets (the ones with three holes). A very handy way to take care of this requirement is to use a power strip with abuilt-in surge protector. Using a power strip is more than just convenient, however. It's commonsense. Thatsurge protector will can prevent a lot of problems and repairs down the road. Since Commodore equipmentis scarce and knowledgeable repair personnel scarcer still, the surge protector can mean the life or death of your system. You'll also want to find a place well ventilated and relatively free of dust. A phone line is essential if you plan to do anything on line (with amodem, thatis, like on the Internet or GEnie).
Once you have a place selected, you can begin hooking things up. The computer unit itself has a power pack, one end of which plugs into the wall and the other into your computer. It's a good idea to keep this power pack away from the rest of your equipment, since it could damage disks and cause interferencein the monitor. The monitor, disk drives, and printeralso have power
Volume 1, Number 2
cables. Plug in each of these components (with the power off to the power strip) and arrange things so that you can reach everything easily. If you wanttobe able toturnthe whole system on at once with a switch on the power strip, make sure that switch is going to be accessible as well.
At this point, you have a whole bunch of separate pieces with no way for them to talkto each other. Let's hook them up one ata time, starting with the monitor. Ifyou havea Commodore monitor, there are several ways thatyou might need to hook it up, depending on the screen modes of which yoursystemis capable. On the back of your computer you'll find several places, often called ports, where you can plug in different sizes and shapes of cables. The small round one will let you connect your 64 or 128 toa monitor or to a television set by way of a TV/COMPUTER switch box. There are two larger round ports, one of which is for a video cable and the other for your disk drive. Make sure you don't force a cable into one of these ports; that cable might actually be intended forthe other port. The 128 also includes a vaguely rectangular port which hooks the computer up to an 80-column monitor.
Once you've determined how to hook up the monitor, the rest is easy. Your disk drive connects to the computer using the other round port and that rather thick cable with the large round plug on either end. You'll notice when you look at the back of the disk drive
17
that there are two identical ports to chose from. Itmakesno difference which one you use; the other can be used to run another cable on to another disk drive if you have one. Commodore printers also can be connected to your system this way, into the extra port on the back of the last disk drive in the line. Running drives linked together like this is called “daisy-chaining.”
If you don't have a Commodore or Commodore-ready printer, you willneed some kind of an interface to connect your computer to it. For a discussion of printers and connection options, check out the article in last month's issue of Commodore World.
Otherdevices, such asmodems, RAM. devices, cartridges, andsoonalsoneed to be attached to your system before you power up. Check the documentation for each device to find out how it should be installed,
There has been a friendly debate running for years in the Commodore community about the best orderin which to start up your system's various components. Some people are convinced that the drives and monitor shouldbe turned on before the computer itself; others are just as certain that it's the other way around. | personally just hitthe switch on my powerstrip and kick everything on at once. One thing to remember: never switch on a 64 and 1541 with a disk in the drive.
-SVA
Commodore World
moved the cursor over the word READY before you hit RETURN. The cursor is under your control, you see, using the arrow keys, and if you move it onto a word that’s already on the sereen and press RETURN, the computer will assume you just entered that word as a command. That's very helpful if you want to, say, give the same command twice orifyou just received aSYNTAX ERROR and you want to fix your typing, But if you hit RETURN when the cursor is on the same line as some other word, the computer will probably not know what you mean; the result will be a SYNTAX ERROR, An exception is READY, and here's why: the word READ is actually a command in BASIC, so the computer tries to READ when you tell it to, and since the READ is followed bya Y, it tries to "READ Y". It can't doit and it tries to tell you so by saying that it’s out of data.
There is a list in the manual that came with
your computer of all the error messages the Commodore uses. That list gives
explanations for what the errors mean a
ome well, so it's handy to have around. Unfortunately, the writers of the manual aren't always very good at putting things into plain language, which is probably why most people don’t read manuals if they can help it. For example, you might see the error message “DEVICE NOT PRESENT” when
you try to load a program. The manual defines this as follows: “The required I/O device was not available for an OPEN, CLOSE, CMD, PRIN’ INPUT#, or GET#", That may be true, of course, but what it really means for you is that you probably didn't turn on your disk drive and so
thecomputercan'tfindit...thedevice youwanted, the disk drive, is apparently not present.
It would begreat ifthere werean crrormessage ‘on the screen every time something went wrong, but unfortunately thisisn’t the way it works. A lot of the errors you'll encounter as you try to load and run programs will actually not be computer problems but disk drive problems. The disk drive has its own set of error messages, but they don’t appear on the screen automatically. Instead, there’salittle light on the drive that just blinks on and offas away of saying, “Hey, something went wrong!" Then it’s up to you to type a command to ask the drive what the problem is. Sometimes, though, adrive problem will makeyour computer sort of freeze up, which means you won't see a cursor to type in anything. If you don’t see a cursor, your computer is stuck trying to talk to your disk drive but the drive is not answering. You can manually tell your computer to give up
the attempt by pressing the RUN/STOP key; if
that doesn’t work, you can press RUN/STOP and RESTORE atthe same time to reset the computer.
Ifthat fails, you'll usthaveto switch the computer offand back on again to clear things up. Aslongasthe disk drive'serrorlightis blinking, though, an error message is being saved in a special spot in the drive's memory for you to check if you want. With the BASIC that comes built into a
sa fairly simple task: you type PRINT DS$ and the message shows up on your screen, On the 64, thought, things are a lot tougher. Here’s the sequence youneed to type in:
10 OPEN 15,8,15 <RETURN>
20 INPUT #15,EN,EMS,ET,ES <RETURN> 409 PRINT EN,EMS, ETURN>: 40 CLOSE 15 <RETURN>
Remember, thisisin the computer's language, soyou have to obey all the rules and type thingsin exactly as you see it here. When you have typed this all in, type RUN and press <RETURN> to execute all the commands in order. The result will bea listing ofall the error information on the screen.
The disk drive is one of the most important devices that you attach to your 64 or 128, so next month we'll continue this di ion from here, talking about various types of drives and how you use them. In the meantime, have fun with your Commodore!
COMMODORE TRIVIA
Reprinted from Commodore Triv #1 on the Internet, courtesy of Jim Brain, Brain Innovations,
$000 Commodore started out into computing with the PET series of computers. What did the letters P.
stand for? $001 Commodore planned tomanufacture two successors to the popular Commodore 64 home computer, and both were intended to be business machines, What were these two machines originally called, and what were the differences between
the two?
1 ‘Sioq punoy) Joc punoy) 9ZgT
Wad “(e OC aaenbs) ZO8 Sd 6O0S £20) ESTING ‘208 SAW 8008 TIITOIA 2008
jaoeyd ysay ay uy apn sty uMo PrNoYs youn ‘gZgT ay) Aq uaxeyAAO pue pajueyddns ¢jyamb svay saquud
Volume 1, Number 2
Questions
How much BASIC free memory does a VIC-20 have (unexpanded)?
$002 $003 What early 80's Commodore software company had a Light Bulb as a company logo?
What was the model number of the disk drive used with the VIC-20?
$004
$005 What was the model number of the
cassette device used with the VIC-20?
Answers
sty, isjiod/a zaded yo yapias pny yueaut 1G°8 1YSNoY auoawos ‘<puaplag “taded uG'Z an ATUO pynos ‘uoeoTuNUWOSsTIE
ve xq ‘yor Gg TST OIA 900$ OEST-OIA SO0$
‘paads [elas soysey Kuo T PGT seaues-OPST-DIA FO0$ SMIOM IIT sad EO0$ DISVAIWVUOSAAG ESSE sey AML ZOOS
18
$006 What was the model number of the
printer used with the VIC-20?
$007 What was the model number of the 16K RAM expander used with the VIC-20?
Commodore introduced 3 printers that used the same printer mechanism, What
are the model numbers?
$008
$009
What is the difference between the printers in question $008?
*paddesas € ay) INoge arow yon Mouy Jaaau Ajqeqord |],aM ‘WYY JO MPO YIM “p syd ayr OVuy pata pgz ayy, Cay soumnu e snyd pavoq say zvpnBas at) pasnoy yu) ased adds p snjq JadaLy V
pey ‘sSuryy s9yi0 Suoure yoryas “pgg ay, TOO$ “1oyeISURI,
dUOIDaI_I [PUOSIAg IO} spur}s [Jd ‘APIN
dUAIAPPY [H-MEINIY yOLTUIpsoy 00S
Commodore World
Viewers who tuned into CNN on the evening of April 29, 1994, or the Sunday Morning edition of NBC's Today show two days later saw and heard the news about Commodore, A brief, tersely worded announcement to the Associated Press after the close of the stock market on April 29th bore the bad news: Commodore was liquidating. In Dickens’ era, Debtor's Prison would have stepped in long before Commodore's financial whizs accumulated their enormous $350 million debt, especially with quarterly earnings of only $70-odd million to offset the heavy |
Atlonglast, thatsame company that designed, engineered and built your beloved C-64/C-128 publicly announced it’s on the verge of going, belly-up, Not that it matters a whole lot—after all, they all but totally ceased to recognize their record-breaking 8-bit product line when Reagan was still President. Thank the third-party developers instead for keeping those 8-bits alive long after Commodore gave them the heave-ho. That sense of abandonment so familiar to Commodore 8-bitters is but one of the reasons they're the Commodore enthusiasts least affected by the liquidation announcement.
A Look Back...
The primary reason for Commodore's downfall isclearly their poor marketing decisions, or, more accurately, a lack of understanding the dynamics ofmarketing. Theboard ofdirectors hidden away in New York City and the Bahamas should not be confused with Commodore Business Machines in West Chester, Pennsylvania, which performed admirably. Ifacompanyisasumofitsemployees, Commodore was perhaps one of the best computer companies anywhere, one that managed to attract and fillits hallowed halls with some of the brightest, most talented people any company could hope to find.
To reaffirm that statement, a few days ago I ived a call froma young lady who once served as one of Commodore Magazine's (remember that publication?) staffmembers. She later went on to work in CBM's marketing division. Laid off by Commodore long ago, she managed to land a good job at another West Chester, PA-based
Volume 1, Number 2
What Lies Ahead for Commodore?
company, and still maintained a positive attitude about Commodore. She offered her candid opinion of Commodore—describing it as a wonderful place to work, with unabashed love for her job.
There's nothing particularly unique about her statement, as most former Commodore employees echo similar sentiments. Nearly every former employee agrees that it was the best job they ever held, and continue to maintain close contract with their former fellow employees—a true rarity in the computer industry, The talent poolat Commodore wassurely something special.
What Went Wrong? Surely, those of us close to the source saw this
coming long before it arrived. For a run-down of
events, I'll go back a few years to the early ‘90's, when my calendar was always filled with marks denoting Commodore events. There were always the exciting CES (Consumer Electronic Shows), the World of Commodore and Ami-Expo shows in Chicago, New York, Pasadena, Toronto, and the occasional forays to San Francisco and L.A. We were always making plans, attending special events, talking to with numerous Commodore executives. The company was going places fast, with the strong leadership of computer management whiz Harry Copperman, followed by Jim Dionne—long-time CBM President and General Manager—the future looked bright. Commodore rapidly developed some of the greatest technology of its time. That was clearly
evident at the Chicago CES in 1991. With one of
the largest booths on the floor, Commodore packed their display with multiple third-party developers of CDTV titles. Those developers, under the guidance and finances of Commodore, created educational and game titles that are still timely three years later!
Riding the crest of the good years, changes
were made in top management, and the surge of
technology and profits hit a series of internal political roadblocks. Marketing and advertising all but ceased, and in June of 1993, Commodore Business Machines announced a massive $356 million loss, with earnings 50% lower than the
19
By Tam Walihs
previous years, CD32, their Sega/NES weapon, dy in time for the Worse yet,
‘93 the board of directors ceased all communications with outsiders and no contingency plans were
was not going to be re Christmas
son.
announced outlining a road to recovery.
Commodore's $350 million faux pas barely won them a couple of paragraphs in the Wall Street Journal, Apple easily overshadowed them with one billion dollar losses, and IBM's $8 billion in severance and restructuring costs over 18 months made Commodore's $350 million debt hardly newsworthy by comparison.
A Look Ahead... There is a silver lining to all this bad news. For starters, don't worry about the Commodore machines going away. Too many third-party developers are interested in the technology to let it die. A Commodore Shareholders’ Movement could still have an impact toexpect multiple, non-exclusive licensing of the technology. In layman's terms, this means you may see everything from C- ona card in the near future. Which isn't to imply your C-64s and C-128s aren't in good shape anyway, thanks efforts by third-parties,
Other good news is that Commodore isn't
no reason not
4 clones to Amigas
liquidating in its entirety. Viewed as valuable assets in the liquidation — process, income-producing Commodore divisions in Canada, the UK, and Germany look like they'll continue as on-going concerns. Getting parts for your Commodore computer may actually become easier in the future,
The constraints of professional etiquette forbids me from disclosing particulars, but suffice to say Commodore's best technical innovations were never released. There was no element of surprise for my colleagues and I when in recent weeks a number of the world’s largest foreign electronics giants expressed more than just a casual interest in bidding on Commodore's technology. Wait and see—you haven't heard the last of Commodore!
Commodore World
Foreign Exchange
By Joseph Gaudl
|
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE, WITH THE SOUND OF...PROGRAMMERS?
Allright now, what's the first thing that popsinto your mind when you hear the name Austria? Julie Andrews waltzing through mountain fields? Edelweiss? Downhill skiing? Mozart? Yodeling? Well, with the exception of Julie it’s all here, but 0 something special for Commodore -64/128 programmers! As I mentioned inthe last Foreign Exchange, we will beintroducing, you from time to time to some of the European Commodore kinsmen. In this article, Alexander and Rudi Sanda from Vienna, together with their programs for RAMLink take center stage. Alexisa chemist with the Austrian Mineral Oil Company who enjoys writing programs in his spare time for himself and his friends. After purchasing a RAMLink two years ago, he set out to write programs which support the features found in RAMLink. His efforts resulted in two programs, a BASIC program called RAMLink Manager for the C-128 and a Machine Language program called File Manager for the C-64, RAMLink Manager can be easily adjusted to fit your personal needs—it’s basically a framework onto which you may build. By inserting BASIC commands in the program the color of the text can be altered, other programs or games can be loaded from any active device or CMD partition, the date and time can be displayed to the screen, and more. RAMLink Manager offers ten different time-saving functions. By pressing <F1> you switch to the C-128, 80-column mode; <F2> switches back to 64 mode. <F5> is entitled “Programs”, and pressing it starts File Managerin 64 mode. From File Manager's menus you can select the program you would like to launch. Programs may be loaded from any active devices and/or CMD partitions. The remaining seven functions within RAMLink Manager are available
Volume 1, Number 2
to be defined by the user.
Alex's File Manager is written in machine language; if you know your way around ML, you can alter this program as well. If not, you'll find the program to be useful just the way itis.
File Manager is started either automatically from RAMLink when the computer is turned on in 40-column mode or from RAMLink Manager in 80-column mode. The opening menu has five options: BASIC, Programs, Parameters, Manager and Info. The options are started by pressing the corresponding number key. The Parameters option allows you to change screen colors, redefine the Function keys, insert text and programs, and to save the parameters. This option, along with the Manager option, are the heart of the program. Here you can play with the different features and customize the program to your own likin;
Ifyou'researching the market fora well thought out and uncomplicated autostart program for your C-64/128, write to Alex for his shareware masterpiece.
Austrians are proud of their contributions to the arts. Rudi Sanda, another Viennese, can be proud of his piece of art: RAMLink Commander, Rudi is a post office official who has a passion for details! This passion is evident in his programming. RAMLink Commander is a beautifully written autostart program (BASIC7.0)
20
for the C-128. It boasts a loader and new screen fonts which were written in assembly language.
After configuring your RAMLink for use with RAMLink Commander and starting the program, you'll be faced with the commander screen. From this screen you can start up to 18 functions or programs; view date and time; and perform diverse drive access using JiflyDOS commands. In each of the eighteen available function or program options, sub menus canbe programmed into the option. If, for example, the option RL/FD/HD.-Jobs is chosen, a sub menu appears offering partition, directory, sub-directory and other choices. fone ofthese options from thesub menu is chosen, another sub menu appears offering additional options! The program is extremely powerful and versatile.
Programmers can alter the program or insert command lines to suite their taste and needs. A complete printout of the program's code is supplied with this shareware program, so it's easy to follow the program's logicand make your own alterations.
Both Alex's and Rudi’s programs come with a German handbook. Depending on the response from Commodore users in the U.S., an English program description may be releasedin the future, The shareware fee for either program is $10.00 plus postage, and they are available from their respective authors, listed below.
Alex Fiisi Anton Dengler Gasse 22/5 A-1210, Vienna, Austria
Rudi Sanda
Otto Probststrasse 3/68/11 A-1100, Vienna, Austria
Commodore World
THE MOST POWERFUL DATABASE EVER
DEVELOPED FOR THE C-64 AND C-128
Superbase 64/128
Software The Programmable Database for yi Commodore" 128
Over 70,000 users worldwide
For years, Superbase has been the most powerful database system available for Commodore 8-bit computers. Why? Because not only can you access its commands from menus, but you can also create your own custom Superbase applications using the built-in programming language. Superbase can also import and export data using standard sequential files for easy portability with other applications. Additionally, the C-128 version will load with, and pass Macro commands to, the SuperScript word processor to create a completely automated office system.
With its built-in programming language, Superbase is ideal for custom applications such as invoicing, inventory, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable or just about any task you can think of. Superbase version 3.01 is available on 5.25" or 3.5" disk formats, making it ideal for use with CMD's FD-2000, FD-4000 and Commodore 1581 3.5" disk drives, CMD Hard Drives and RAMLink.
So if you've been looking for a powerful, easy-to-use, programmable database - look no further! Superbase is back and ready to tackle the toughest job of all—keeping you organized!
DON’T MISS THESE OTHER FINE PRODUCTS FROM THE MAKERS OF SUPERBASE
Superbase: The Book
Superscript 64/128
The final word on Superbase programming techniques from getting started through advanced programming techniques. This book is filled with a plethora of hints, tips and practical examples. Superbase: The Bookis required reading for anyone already using Superbase as well as those who are contemplating using this powerful program in the future. This book is a rare find and quantities are limited, so get your copy today!
SuperScript has everything your looking for in a professional word processor. Its menu driven command structure is easy-to-use and eliminates the need for complicated commands. Superscript includes professional style editing, spell checking, calculator, row and column arithmetic and full mail merge facilities. The phrase glossary allows you to store entire passages of text or Macro commands and recall them with a key stroke.
Available from
Creative Micro Designs, Inc. P.O. Box 646 E. Longmeadow, MA 01028
Software Hut, Inc. 313 Henderson Dr. Sharon Hills, PA 19079
Software Support International 2700 NE Andresen St., A-10 Vancouver, WA 98661
Volume 1, Number 2
21
Commodore World
INTERNET
— een
will differ from another's. Many companies that offeraccess to the Internet claim that the Internet is the Information Superllighway. Right now, however, no one knows how the Information SuperHighway will comeabout—they just know that it is coming Why the uncertainty? The U.S. Government is taking the position of encouraging businesses— through special incentives—to create the data highway. Hence the bureaucracy is out of the Superligh creation business, yet there is still a lot of uncertainty present. Many companies are seeking alliances to promote their own ideas for the SuperHighw using the term /nformation SuperHighway as a buzz-word for
“It's been obvious for a long time that we must have an
information-superhighway network that is as accessible and
asopenandasdemocraticandasubiquitousas the telephone network that will carry vast quantities of data quick! - Vice President Al Gore.
What is the Internet? What does Information
SuperHighway mean? How will these affect 1 Are there any benefits to Commodore 8-bit users?
Read on for answers,
What is the Information SuperHighway?
There’s been a lot of discussion over exactly what the Information Supertlighway are saying they're already on the Information SuperHighway. They are and they aren't. One person's definition of the SuperHighway
Other companies are
is, yet many companies
commercial
ation—yet many of
these companies are doing very littletohelp promotetheactual spread of information.
Volume 1, Number 2 22 Commodore World
Visions of the Information SuperHighway abound, but what the highway is certain to hold is the following:
- On demand movies (you watch, rent when you want to watch).
- Expanded research queries (easily ask whether rain was falling on a certain date in acertain place, etc.)
ily pull up databases from various governmentaland commercial sites with the touch of a key.
Since the Information SuperHighway willbebuilt because of businesses, it’s likely that electronic shopping—for everything from computer software to home appliances—will become an integral part of the pathway.
How’s it going to be done? There are a few possible scenarios currently the Information SuperHighway will be created. How quickly the information can be transmitted, ease of access to the highway, and cost are all important factors. In fact, speed and cost of information transfer will no doubt govern how the Information SuperHighway is created.
The Internet (described in detail below) already offers a lot of services that the Information SuperHighway is probably going to offer. Currently available through on-line services or through educational orcommercial organizations itprovidesawidearray ofservices. Ithas, however, suffered recently from the large influx of individuals beginning to just use it, Within the scope of the Information SuperHighway, the
envisioned as to how
Internet as it currently exists would be unable to handle the strain,
Cable hasalso been speculated on asthe means of being the information carrier, Because of the wide availability andthe enormousband-rangeit offers, cable is an attractive choice. But because cable doesn't have the capability of receiving information from consumers in mostareas ofthe U.S., cable companies are scrambling to develop the methods and protocols to do this.
Another possible (though less likely) carrier for the information is that of the telephone he unlikelihood of this stems from
companies. | the fact that current phone lines are prone to suffer from static, and lack the bandwidth necessary to carry full-time video and audio realistically while performing other tasks. Fiber-optics could help, but that technology is currently used only between long-distance locations—not between local subscribers. Replacing all the lines will be prohibitively expensive, and would take a lot of time.
What will probably happen
Although the Internet is very strong, it is lacking in numerous areas—the primary one being the ever-increasingslowdownasnewusersareadded. In my view, cable television companies will be the information carriers, as they already have the existing bandwidth, wiring, and need to make changes only at specific line points instead of everywhere like the telephone companies. Due to the available bandwidth it’s entirely likely that telephones themselves [as they exist today] will gradually fade to non-existence, with communications being shunted through the wires of the Information SuperHighway instead of the
Commercial On-line Services with Internet Access
There are numerous providers of access to the Internet. I've also listed to what degree they support the Internet. Depending on your needs you may be satisfied with just Internet mail. Remember, some of these On-line Services offer their own menus, programs and message areas. Take a look at the definitions box to see what the terms such as Gopher, Usenet News, etc., are. Before you sign up for one ask yourself what your needs are and then look at
the services offered by each.
America Online: 1-800-827-6364 ext 8856; $9.95 monthly, $3.50 hourly. No Telnet, FTP access. Does have Gopher, Usenet News. CompuServe: 1-800-848-8199, $8.95 monthly for unlimitied basic services, $8 to $16/hr depending on speed. Internet mail only.
Delphi: 1-800-695-4005; $10 monthly, $4.00 hourly. Full Internet access.
Volume 1, Number 2
GEnie: 1-800-638-9636; $8.95 monthly with 4 hrs free, $3 - $12.50 hourly. No telnet access. Supports FTP via shell. Internet mail access.
Prodigy: 1-800-776-3349; $14.95 monthly, $3.60 hourly. FTP, mail access.
The WELL: 1-415-332-4335; $15 monthly, $2 hourly. FullInternetaccess.
23
Glossary
Definitions of some of the terms you'll see used while exploring the Internet
BBS - Standing for “Bulletin Board System" this indicates a network or service which can be accessed via use ofamodem anda terminal program on your computer.
Commercial Service Providers - These systems are what might be considered to be “commercial BBS's.” They offer message bases and file libraries covering a wide range of subjects andinterests. In addition, they offer more specialized services, such as access to on-line stock information, andairline reservations. Avastnumber of users may access these services at the same time.
E-Mail - Stands for “Electronic Mail” and indicates messages that are left onacomputer system for another user to later read.
FTP - Stands for “File Transfer Protocol” - This is a method whereby Machine A can login to Machine B and “get” certain files.
Gopher - Is a menued information system that also supports obtaining files, sounds, text, and graphics; sort of a multimedia retrieval system. Modem - Standing for “MOdulator DEModulator’ it allows a computer to communicate to another computer over normal telephone lines,
News groups - Areas where messages pertaining to a specific topic can be read from or written to. These are generally accessible by a large group of people.
Telnet - A method that allows an individual to gain access to another computer for the purposes of getting orsending information. Internet BBS's, Games, and other services usually work via Telnet. Telecommunications - The process of exchanging computer data over the telephone lines,
Usenet News -Represents the vast array of newsgroups available through the Internet. Currently over 3000.
Commodore World
regular phones. For those of you without cable, like myself, consider getting it soon.
On To The Internet Getting back to the Internet, le what it’s currently capable of, and what it may offer to you.
Defining the Internet isn’t quite as easy as explaining how it works, though phrases such as ‘controlled anarchy’ come to mind in trying to think up something to describe this global network.
ake a look at
INTERNET
Imagine one computer. Now, take that computer and hook it to another. And then another, and another and another and another untilyou'reout ofbreath repeating “andanother.” After you'veimagined all those computers linked together to form one huge network, imagine iton a global scale from Antarctica to the U.S. to New Zealand to Austria to Switzerland to Russia to Mexico to the Netherlands. This is the Internet.
With a network of this size there are numerous services for practically any hobby or interest. There are people to answer your questions;
Accessing The Internet: A Sample Session
‘The following is a sample FTP session showing how easy itis to get files. I've included comments in parenthesis beside each of the commands I've made to better explain what I'm doing.
ftp ccnga.uwaterloo.ca_
(This is what I typed and how I connected:)
220 conga FTP server (Version 5.2 Thu Mar 31 16:31:53 EST 1994) ready.
Connected to CCNGA.UWATERLOO.CA. Name
(CCNGA.UWATERLOO.CA:duck) : _anonymous_
(Now it wants me to enter aname.) (Anonymous is fine on most systems)
331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.
Password:
(Here I gave it my email address)
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
FTP> _¢d pub_ 250 CWD command successful. FIP> _dir_
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection
total 5
drwxr-xr-x 22 184 0 512 Apr drwxrwsrwt 2 0 0 1024 Apr drwxr-xr-x 4 67 0 512 Jan drwxr-xr-x 2 200 0 512 Mar drwxr-xr-x 5 106 t) 512 Mar
226 Transfer complete.
(I want to go into the PUBlic directory) (Let's see what's available) for /bin/1s.
25 28
20:59 21:31 11 14:43 30 16:00 1 12:56
ebm incoming jpblack xcgood wireless
321 bytes received in 00:00:00.25 seconds
FTP> _cd chm_
250 CWD command successful. FTP> _dir_
200 PORT command successful.
(Hmmm, the CBM directory looks good)
(Let’s do another directory to see what's available)
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for /bin/1s.
total 97
=xw-r—r— 1 184 0 5331 Apr drwxrwxrwx 23 184 0 512 Apr epee
drwxr-xr-x 3 184 6 1024 Mar drwxr-xr-x 4 184 0 1024 Apr drwxr-xr-x 2 184 0 1024 Mar
226 Transfer complete. 1403 bytes received in 00:00:01.
(continued in sidebar on page 25)
Volume 1, Number 2
25 25
20:58 20:59
OOREADME INCOMING
27 06:44 25 21:18 2 02:28
utill28 utiled vic-20
37 seconds
24
mailinglists, and news-groups onan ever-growing number of topics. Many systems also support what is known as FTP or GOPHER, which allow you to access their site to obtain programs.
For those of you already involved with telecommunications and BBS'ing, the Internet is similar to one large gigantic BBS with unlimited time, numerous message areas and free downloading.
Originally implemented in theearly’70sby the Department of Defense to implement a system that could transmit messages across the nation in anational emergency, the Internet has grown by leaps and bounds. Universities worked with the Department of Defense on the project and they have since used the Internet to provide a vast array of educational resources. More recently, commercial companies have placed themselves on the Internet.
Because of the educational aspect of the Internet, and because it’s governed by no single body but by “organized chaos” (which works surprisingly well), there exists several interesting and unique areas on the Internet where items such as a list of smiley faces can be found.
Smiley faces are a group of characters that need to be looked at side-ways to see what they are. Some common ones are:
+) (Grin)
+) (Smile)
+( (Frown) 8-0 (Shocked)
In addition to smiley faces (there's a large list of them available) there's a “cow list” (similar to smiley faces except for cows—yes, the Internet is unique at times).
Mail on the Internet is called E-Mail, which stands for Electronic Mail. Regular U.S. Mail is often referred to as “Snail Mail” or “S-Mail", because of the length of time it takes compared to E-Mail. Typically a message from California to Virginia should only take 10 minutes at most— often times it arrives almost instantaneously. I've had messages from someone in Australia in my mail box only 5 seconds after being sent! With mail you can communicate with people in other states and countries; and the smiley faces above, plus other expressions suchas *hugs* inasterisks
Commodore World
help to give the conversation a more “human” feel, creating a form of personality punctuation.
Also available are what are known as News Groups. These are areas where discussions concerning a wide range of social, political, science, computer and educational topics can be carried on. Two groups for Commodore 64/128 users are comp.sys.cbm and comp.sys.binaries.
Comp.sys.cbm is the primary news group for the Commodore 8-bitters and discussions cover such topicsas help in diagnosing repair problems, programming, individuals selling related items, thelatest newsand rumors, anda whole lot more.
Comp.binaries.cbm is a news group that posts programs and files of interest to the Commodore 8-bit community. These are first converted to text from their binary equi process called uuencoding, be posted just like a message. Thus, a user can ‘capture’ this text and saveit, then convertit back into a binary program through uudecoding.
With over 3000 topics to choose from in addition to these two, it’s very easy to get hooked on using the news-groups.
Another way of getting information is from E-Mail servers, which are special programs that will send files and/or messages to you automatically. From Email servers you may request certain files; catalogs of programs that are available for request; send messages to be distributed to other individuals, and subscribe to mailing lists for news items.
‘The only E-mail Server specifically designed for the Commodore computers is one run by the author. Its major intents that of distributing the free Commodore Hacking magazine as well as programs thatarein the magazine. Toget helpon how to use it, send a message to the author in the following format:
To: duck@pembvax1.pembroke.edu Subj: MAILSERV Body of message: HELP
This specific mailserver is operated twice a day, soyoushouldreceiveareply withinapproximately 12 hours. Please be sure to have a subject line of “MAILSERV”.Ifanyoneknowsofany other Email Servers existing for the Commodore computers please let this author know (I'm interested!).
Volume 1, Number 2
INTERNET
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocols and is a method of obtaining programs that are storedon another system’scomputers. Thereare numerous FTP sites out there in Internet land. One of the best currently available for the Commodore computers is operated by Craig Bru cenga.uwaterloo.ca. There are literally mi of files available for downloading via FTP.
Gopher is a fairly new method of obtaining information on the Internet. It allows an individual to followa series of menusto reach the appropriatefile (or groups offiles) forthe subjects the user isinterested in. Itlinks information from many different computerstogetherinasomewhat ordered method. If you wish to find something ‘on say, the latest speech by President Clinton, then you'd probably look under government agencies, then look under press rele;
es and
eventually through this process of narrowing things down you'll find a list of his speeches.
Accessing Internet Sounds great you say, but how do join up? There are a number of Some colleges and universities offer free Internet access to their students and faculty, or chargea (hopefully small) computing fee. Many commercial on-line services providesome form of Internet access. Local BBS's mayalso hook up tothe Internet—thisis typically done for access to news groups and E-Mail. Some of the commercial on-line services providers are listed in a sidebar along with some of the Internet services they provide. Which one is best for you depends on what you want to use the Internet for. Regardless of how you do it, I highly recommend getting on the Internet!
Accessing The Internet: A Sample Session (continued from page 24)
FTP> _cd util128_
250 CHD command successful. FTP> _dir_
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection
(Ah, it listed a lot. Let’s look in UTIL128) (And again a dir to see what's available)
for /bin/is.
total 511 1 184 0 57 Mar 2 03:35 OOREADME 2 184 0 512 May 5 1993 DISK 2 184 O 420 May 24 1992 cre32a 2 184 ° 1203 May 24 1992 crc32a.doc 2 184 0 3218 May 24 1992 cre32a.s 1 184 0 3072 Mar 23 1993 filetype.128 1 184 0 25389 Mar 9 18:42 1rr200.asm 1 184 0 25463 Mar 9 18:39 1rr200.doc 1 184 0 28917 Mar 14 17:31 1rr200.sfx 1 184 Oo 16679 Mar 9 18:41 1rr200.uua 1 184 0 22000 Jun 4 1993 zed-128-077.sfx 1 184 0 38193 Feb 18 1993 zed077.uua
226 Transfer complete.
2222 bytes received in 00:00:02.39 seconds
FTP> _binary_
200 Type set to I. FIP> _get 1rr200.sfx_ 200 PORT command successful.
(The LRR looks interesting. Let’s tell it we want it in BINARY instead of ascii. Otherwise it would mess up the transfer)
(Now we “get” the file)
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for Irr200.sfx (28917 bytes).
226 Transfer complete.
(And tell the computer we're finished).
local: LRR200.SFX remote: 1rr200.sfx 28917 bytes received in 00:00:10.65 seconds FIP> _exit_
221 Goodbye.
25
Commodore World
HARD Tips
OUR TOP HARDWARE EXPERT DETAILS SOME SIMPLE FIXES
Ly Mark Fellows
Almost everyone has had it happen at least once. Nearly everyone has had it disappear mysteriously, Ittends to reappear when you least expect it, or at the worst possible time. Reminds you of acne, doesn’t it? Fortunatel computeris not likely to have skin problems, but it can come down with a number of minor ‘illnesses’ that can be hard to diagnose and even harder to repair. In thisissue we'll concentrateon the sometimes deceiving problems related to the Cartridge Port.
Whena Cartridge Port device(RAM expander, utility or game cartridge, ete.) fails to work properly, the first instinct is to blame the device itself as being defe under anty, you will probably call the manufacturer and arrange to have the ‘defective’ unit replaced. If the manufacturer does not offer any troubleshooting advice and simply agrees to take the unit back, you are most likely in for a surprisein thenearfuture. What kind of surprise? Well, if your ‘defective’ unit is like most others you will probably receive notification that the unitwasnotreally defectiv In thisinstance, most companies will send the same unit back to you, and some will charge you for the return postageand/ortheirtime toevaluate the perfectly good device. In any case, you will most likely be right back where you started - with a device that does not work with your computer.
At CMD, we have found that over 90% of the problems that users report with our Cartridge Port devices (RAMLink, SwiftLink, SID) are actually the fault of the computer and not the device itself, Most computer-related problems will cause one ormore of the followingsymptoms to appear:
tive. If the device is covered
pical Symptoms: Device plugged into the Cartridge Port does not work or works intermittently; computer does not work with the device plugged in; device causes computer to reset, lockup, oractstrangely- generating garbage orincorrect characters on the screen, and possibly corrupting disks or files,
Volume 1, Number 2
‘The good news is that most of these problems can be solved by the user if a few simple troubleshooting procedures are applied. The causes and corrective procedures we give you in thi le apply to all Cartridge Port devices, and should work regardless of the type of device that you have.
Causes and Corrective Actions 1. Bent, loose or dirty Cartridge Port connector contacts, Poor connections account for nearly all Cartridge Port problems, The Cartridge Port connections must make tight contact with the device to ensure proper operation. A single bent contact in the connector is enough to cause any device to either fail completely or operate intermittently. In any case, always good practice to take a jewelers screwdriver and bend all contacts on the connector slightly so that they will make tighter contact with the device. Refer to the diagram below:
Insert screwdriver behind contacts in order to bend them back into the proper position
The contacts in the computer's Cartridge Port connector and in the device can (and should) be ned using an electrical contact cleaner able at Radio Shack stores and other electronic supply houses. An aerosol type is best for reaching the contacts inside the Cartridge Port.
2. Weak or intermittent computer power supply. The number two cause for all sorts of unexplained computer problems. Occasionally, a faulty or old and ‘tired’ C-64/128 power supply will be adequate to power the computer by itself but will not be able to provide enough power to operate theadditional circuitry ofa cartridge port plug-in
26
device. Insuch cases, the easiest way to isolate the problem is to try your computer with another power supply,
Note: C-64’s and 64C’s were not designed to power Commodore REU’s (1700, 1764, 1750) without the help of a heavy-duty power supply, whereastheC-128and 128D can handletheadded load of the REU without the need for a beefed-up
supply.
3. Faulty ‘PLA’ (or other chip) in computer, An otherwise healthy and properly functioning computer may havea faulty chip that only affects the operation of the Cartridge Port. The PLA is almostalways the culpritin these cases. Ifpossible, try your Cartridge Port device on another computer to help isolate the problem,
Note: Determining which particular chip is at fault may require the help of an experienced technician, Replacing the faulty chip can also be difficult for the average user as it may involve soldering.
64/128 Cartridge Port Connector
4. Dirty or corroded computer power switch. A faulty switch may not deliver adequate +5V power to the Cartridge Port connector, thus affecting the Cartridge Port device, Again, the best way to try to isolate the problem is to try the device on another computer.
Note: Determining whether or not the switch is at fault may require some specialized instruments. Werecommend you obtain the help ofatechnician to troubleshoot at this level and to replace the soldered-in power switch ifitisin fact at fault.
Commodore World
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GAME STAR 1 - Brand new! MJ SONGSMITH - LOADSTAR’s own music ght of the best games from JJ making program. With this deluxe mu LOADSTAR #70 - #100). The f@ editor/player you can easily transcribe music from Tenement, Stac sheet music or make up your own tunes. Sherwood Open, Gems, Stea Songsmith comes with a slick 30-page manual and Bomber, Eagle E : aker ¢ a jukebox player with eight tunes. $19.95 Circuitry. $9.95 (C: -64/128) Item 080825 (C-64/128) Item #069525
CARD STAR #1 - Brand new! Eight of Maurice fj JUST FOR FUN - Eight original games. There Jones’ best card solitaire games. Klondike, Double or J are uae games, educational games , puzzle Quits, Strategy, Captive Queens, Baroness, Golf, games that are just plain fun on this Collins and Chameleon, $9.95 (C-64/128) Item sk, $9.95 re 64/128) Item #073525 #080925
Visa/Mastercard Discover & Amex Accepted! GEOPOWER TOOLS - 19 Geos utilities: Calendar Credit card orders:*1-800-831-2694 Printer, Fast Format, Geo Fetch (grab any portion of a Questions: 1-318-221-8718 screen as a Photo Scrap), Phoenix (resurrect a Softdisk Publishing trashcanned file), Programmer's Calculator are just a P.O. Box 30008, Shreveport, LA 71130-0008 few of the handy tools. Side Two is filled with Clip Art Domestic shipping $4.50. (in Photo Album format) and fonts, $19.95 (C-64/128) International Shipping $10.00. Item #080525 All funds in US dollars.
CWLS34
Volume 1, Number 2 27 Commodore World
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Samsung SP-2412 24-pin Epson-comp. Printer $199.00
1541-11 Disk Drive (returt, no Power Supply) ..... $89.00 154 1-II Disk Drivo (roturb, w/Power Supply... $109.00 ©-64, C-64C Powor Supply (Repairable) $39.00 C-128 Power Supply (Repairable) $45.00 1581/1541-II Power Supply .... $25.00 CMD Unites... $24.95 slilyMMON-64 (ML Monitor) $19.95 Big Bluo Reador V4.10 (SOGWAP) $39.00 The Compression Kit (Mad Man) $39.00 CMD's C-1351 Compatible Smart Mouse jon... $49.95 GEOS 64 v2.0 $44,00 GEOS 128 v2.0 $49.00 ‘g90Cale 64 oF gooFilo 64 $40,00 ‘geoCale 128 oF gooFilo 128 $45.00 ‘gooProgrammor $45,00 geoPublish $40.00 geoChart. $29.00 Desk Pack Plus $29.00 FONTPACK $25.00 Intornational FONTPACK sees $25,00 geoBASIC $20.00 BockorBASIC $20.00 RUN GEOS Companion $20.00 RUN GEOS Powor Pak | or II (Spocity) $20.00 gatoWay/64 or 128 (Spocity Vorsion) $29.95 Collotto Utilties (Handy Goos Utitias) $19.95 Perloct Print LO for GEOS (Lasor-tke output)... $49.95 ‘geoMakeBoot (Makos Bootable copies) $12.95 ‘geoShell V2.2 (CLI for GEOS) ses $24.95 Dweezils Greatost Hits (NowToole2,Stamp,Labelt28) $30.00 Supertasa - Tho Book $15.00 Anatomy of tho 1541 $12.00 C128 Computor Aided Design $12.00 Commodoro 64 Tricks and Tips $12.00 Graphics Book for the C-64 $12.00 Printer Book tor the CB $12.00 Ideas for Use on Your C-6 asses $12.00 Languages/Compilers BASIC 64 Compilor (Abacus) $17.00 BASIC 128 Compiler (Abacus) $25.00 Bitz! 64 Compiler (Skyles) $30.00 Bitz! 128 Compilor (Skyles) $30.00 Cobol 64 (Abacus) $17.00 Fortran 64 (Abacus) $17.00 Pascal 64 (Abacus) $17.00
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CrneD
Volume 1, Number 2
East Longmeadow, MA 01028
RAMLink Power-Backed RAM RAMLink with 0 MB RAMCard
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Paraltol Cable (RAMLink to HO)
AcroJot $12.00 Airborne Ranger $16.00 Atomino $17.00 Ballistix $13.00 Blackjack Academy $12.00
ood Money $15.00 Chomp! $10.00 Conflict in Vietnam. $16.00
eee ao Laser Squad $13.00 Mainframe $13.00 Marble Madness: $13.00 roo He Rings of Medusa $16.00 ence a icone ae Laren con me oo ap marie ae sen Ultima III or V (Please Specity) $17.00 ted a a Tax Pertect 128 $79.00 eee aa a Pockot Writor 3 (64 or 128) (Digital Sol) $70.00 Pocket Planner 2 of Pocket Filer 2 $35.00 ‘SuperScript 64 (Precision) $15.00 ‘SuperScript 128 (Precision) $20.00 epee lite ae ‘Suberbase 64 Version 3.01 (Precision) $35.00 ‘Superbase 126 Version 3.01 (Precision) $35.00 PowerPian 64 (Abacus) $16.00 ‘SwiftCalc 64 (Timeworks) $16.00 Cadpak 64 (Abacus) $22.00 Cadpak 128 (Abacus) $25.00 Chartpak 64 (Abacus) $17.00 Chartpak 128 (Abacus) $25.00 1 Paint v1.5 (128, 60-col,, 64K VOC) (Living Proof) .... $39.00, | Port v1.54 (128, 80-co1,, 64K VDC) (Living Proof) ... $29.00 RUN Productivity Pak |, lI. of Ill (Specity) $15.00 Bi see Oe A eae ae Dialogue 128 $29.00 apr = ilinre errr mere ‘SwiftLink Modem Cable (089-0825) $9.95 Commodore 1660 Modem (300 baud) $10.00 Some eee a eee
BOCA 14.4K Baud Modem BOCA 14.4K wiSwiftLink & Cable
Music/MIDI Software
Dr. T KCS64 & MIDI Intortaco ‘$150.00 Dr. T KCS128 & MIDI Intertace $189,00 Dr. T Algorithmic Composer $20.00 Or. T4-OP MIDI EdLib $20.00 Or. T CZ-Rider MID} Ed/Lib. $20.00 Dr. TOX-7 MIDI Ed/Lib $20.00
Creative Micro Designs, Inc.
Info: (413) 525-0023 Fe (413) 525-0147
28
Increase Speed Up to 1500% while retaining 100% compatibility
Ss speeas up Loaaing, saving, Verifying, Formatting and Reading/
Writing of Program, Sequential, User and Relative files unlike cartridges which only speed up Loading and Saving of PRG files
* Built-in DOS Wedge plus 17 additional features including file copier, text dump, printer toggle, and redefinable function keys make using your computer easier and more convenient
* ROM upgrade installs easily into most computers and disk drives. Supports C-64, 64C, SX-64, C-128, 128-D, 1541, 1541C, 1541-
11,1571, 1581 and more. EDSeries — 3.2 and 1.6 MB 3.5" Floppy Drives The FD-2000 and FD-4000 disk drives utilize today's latest 3.5 inch disk drive technology. FD-2000's support 800K (1581 style) and 1.6 MB (High Density) formats, while the FD-4000 also offers support for the 3.2 MB (Enhanced Density) disk format. Fast and reliable, they support 1541, 1571 and 1581 style partitions, Native Mode partitioning and can actually read and write 1581 disks. FD's feature built-in JifYDOS, SWAP button and optional Real Time Clock. High capacity, speed and compatibility make the FD right for every application, including GEOS. Power-Backed Expandable REU The fastest possible form of storage, WS RAMLink provides instant access to files and retains data while your computer is turned off. Easy to use and expandable up to 16 MB, RAMLink utilizes the same powerful operating system found in CMD Hard Drives. Unlike Commodore REU's which are compatible with less than 1% of commercial software, RAMLink supports more than 80% of the commercial titles. RAMLink also offers built-in JiffyYOOS Kernal, SWAP feature, reset button, enable/ disable switch, pass-thru port and RAM port for REU/GEORAM use. RAMLink offers maximum speed, expandability and compatibility with all types of software and hardware including GEOS. HDSeries SCSI Hard Drive for the C-64/128 HD Series Hard Drives are available in capacities up to 1 GB, are fully partitionable, and can emulate 1541, 1571, & 1581 disks while Native partitions utilize MSDOS-style subdirectories. HD's connect easily to the serial bus or parallel via RAMLink. Includes built-in JitfyDOS, SWAP feature and RTC. HD's offer superior compatibility with most commercial software including BBS, Productivity and GEOS. And with new pricing, HD Series drives offer the lowest cost per megabyte of any C64/128 storage device. Shipping and Handling Charges Use tho chart bolow to match your order subtotal with your shipping zono and method ert | a Order Subtotal Dey_| HLPR [canada | orion 001 51999 Sw] sm | sire | sc | e500 | $1500 200082009 Sw | som | sic | sac] e700 | s2000 oes s00 | 1000 | sa0c0 | ste00 | smn | so500 Manse S500 | sizc0 | sza0 | sio00 | sre00 | wa500 fsisoooseoave | $1000 | sra0o | s270n | 2x00 | s2000 | e000 fseoncosrea% | sis00| e200 | ssao0| 2700 | $2500 | son00 520000 s2000 | $2500 | ss000 | saz00 | $3500 | $20.00
{UPS C.OD- add $5.00 (US/PR ony)
Payment and Delivery: CMD accepts MC, Visa, Money Orders, COD and Personal ‘Checks. Personal Checks are hold for up to 3 weeks. Most items are stock, contact CMD for current delivery schedules. Returns for merchandise credit only within 30 days with prior authorizations, All prices and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Commodore World
the 2.
CAD Releases Revolutionary New Mouse
Hickory-Dickory-Dock, SmartMouse has got a Clock!
For years, Commodore set the standard with the 1351 Mouse. Now CMD has seta new standard with the SmartMouse. Guaranteed 100% 1351 compatible, the SmartMouse does everything the C-1351 does and more! This highly-intelligent, three button mouse includes a built-in battery-backed Real-Time Clock, and a double-click feature for GEOS. Plus, it comes with a complete set of utilities, including: Auto-exec for setting the GEOS clock, a utility for setting the mouse clock from GEOS, and a easy-to-use utility to set the time and date from outside of GEOS. In addition to new features, the SmartMouse's ergonomic design makes it lighter, smoother and smaller than its outdated counterpart, So, if your old mouse is losing the rat-race, get out of that trap with SmartMouse!
What Makes the SmartMouse the BEST C-64/128 Mouse Ever...
Three buttons means convenience! If you're a GEOS user, the left button is configured as single click, the right as a handy double click and the center button is the TURBO button. When depressed, it doubles the speed at which the mouse moves across the screen. Additionally, programmers can assign their own functions to all three of the SmartMouse buttons,
Unlike other third party mice, the CMD SmartMouse uses the same custom gate array chip as the Commodore C-1351 mouse. This guarantees 100% compatibility with existing software and hardware.
Switches easily into joystick emulation mode on power-up by holding down the right button.
CMD 2+1 Cartridge Port Expander
Previously produced by Skyles Electric Works and recently acquired by CMD, the 2+1 Cartridge Port Expander provides two vertical and one horizontal expansion ports for the C64 and C128. Each port is equipped with four individual switches to control the +5, GAME, EXROM and ROML signal lines for utmost flexibility and compatibility. This tried and true system has been helping Commodore users get the most from their computers for years. For extra safety, the 2+1 is fuse protected and provides a convenient reset switch.
The 2+1 is great for using SwiftLink, SID Symphony, Super Snapshot, REU's, GEORAM or almost any other cartridge that you may have. By using the 2+1, you eliminate wear and tear on your computer's cartridge port caused by frequent use. Contact CMD for more information regarding compatibility and applications for
+1 cartridge.
* SmartMouse utilizes the same advanced mouse technology used in today's powerful 486 and Pentium-based PC's, providing you with unparalleled accuracy and smoothness of operation,
* Built-in battery-backed Real-Time Clock automatically sets the GEOS clock, displays time and can be used in your own programs.
* SmartMouseis supplied with utilities disk and detailed manual explaining the utilities and programming information.
* Attention Lefties! You're going love the SmartMouse! With a simple modification outlined in the manual, you can alter the SmartMouse for left handed use. (Or for a small fee CMD will customize your mouse for you).
Built-in Configuration RAM allows for future enhancements.
CMD Specials
CMD Power Packages
Best prices ever! Save up to $125
Includes: CMD HD, RAMLink, RAMCard w/RTC, 1 or 4 MB SIMM, RL Battery, Parallel Cable HD-40 w/RL1 $625 w/RL4 $745 HD-85 w/RL1 $700 w/RL4 $820 HD-170 w/RL1 $800 w/RL4 $900 HD-245 w/RL1 $875 w/RL4 $1000 HD-345 w/RL1 $975 w/RL4 $1100
Abacus Books
Great Prices on Great Reference Materials
Tricks and Tips for the C-64 $12.00 Ideas for Use on your C-64 $12.00 Printer Book for the C-64 $12.00 The Graphics Book for the C-64 $12.00 C-128 Computer Aided Design $12.00
Volume 1, Number 2
29
FD -2000/4000 Specials
FREE Copy of CMD Utilities Buy an FD-2000 or FD-4000 with RTC, mention
this ad, and get a copy of CMD Utilities absolutely FREE!
RAMLink Special
FREE Real-Time-Clock
Buy a 7 MB or 4 MB RAMLink w/ Battery and we'll give you the Real-Time Clock FREE!
Hard Drive Special FREE Copy of CMD Utilities or JiffyDOS
Buy any HD Series Hard Drive and get a JiffyDOS Kernal ROM for your computer or a copy of CMD Utilities !
Commodore World
i Paint
C-128 80-column interlaced graphics drawing program
T Paint, version 1.5, by Rick Kane; Living Proof, Ltd,, P.O. Box Minneapolis, MN 55408-8714
Graphics capabilities play an important role in the world of computers, and software author
Rick Kane proves that the
capabilities of our much loved Commodore computers are almost endless. Imagine having access to 4,000 colors from a possible 65,536 colors! Imagine a resolution of 640 X 400 pixels! And last, though certainly not least, imagine being able to use these capabilities with your very own, low cost, Commodore computer! Living Proof, LTD., presents | Paint; a graph ist's dream come true! 1 Paint requires a Commodore 128D or a Commodore 128 upgraded to 64K of video RAM, a graphics printer(ifyouwantto print your creation), a 1351-compatible mouse, a 1541 or 1571 compatible disk drive, and a RGBI color or 80 column monochrome monitor. Support is also provided for the following periphe “ommodore 1581, CMD
and color printers NX-1000 and NX-2400 color printers and Okimate 10 and 20 printers.
Volume 1, Number 2
Interlaced Graphics? In order to comprehend the I Paint graphics program, you'll need to understand the term “interlaced graphics”. A standard non- interlaced video image is comprised of two fields. Each field contains horizontal scan lines, one field containing data while the other field remains blank.
This results in a graphics display witha resolution of 640 X 200 pixels. However, in an interlaced graphics video image, both fields contain data, The sean lines of one field appear between the scan lines of the second field, producinga combined resolution of 640 X 400 pixels.
this additional resolution doesn't come without side effects— interlaced graphics produce a flickering effect on your screen, Flicker is a result of the first set of scan lines fading out as the second setareinterlaced, Fortunately, there are ways to lessen the effect. The 1 Paint manual suggests wearing a pair ol . However, if you
ng! feel bit silly doing this, the method I use is to work in monochrome mode until I actually need to work with the colors for my creation,
Getting Started
1 Paint required approximately 4 minutes to load on my 1571 disk drive, but it was certainly worth the wait. The title screen gives a fine
example of the available color and 34D graphic possibilities. I Paint’s main screen appeared after completion of the loading
process. The screen
conte
strip of icons (a graphical menu)
above a large white block which is your work area, You'll needtoselectadrawingtoolto begin drawing. | Paint provides three different drawing tools—a pen, a brush, and a spray can. Selecting a drawing tool isas easy as pointing to your choice and clicking a mouse button. Once you've chosen your preferences you'll be whisked into I Paint’s work area. Drawing is as easy as moving the transparent arrow tothedesiredareaand clicking, the “ON” button on your mouse. ‘The arrow then d may begin drawing by moving your mouse. To lift your drawing tool from the paper click the “OFF” button on your mouse. The arrow reappears allowing movement to a
appears and you
newareain thework space, A second click on the “OFF” button returns you to the menu,
Options
1 Paint’s options are too numerous to discuss at length here, so I will move on to a few of the more
interesting options. | had fun experimenting with all of the availablecolorsin the Palette feature. Acclick on the Palette icon reveals a submenu forselecting colors. Paint
30
refers to the foreground colors as “INK”, and to the background colors as “PAPER”. Now remember that interlaced graphics make use ofboth fields of scan lines. So, what this means to you is color for a foreground (or background) can be placed in both of these fields resulting in a wide variety of colors!
The Text option was another feature I enjoyed testing. The text option provides a selection of six fonts, plus the system font, plus a loadable custom font. Selecting the System Font grants the use of the Commodore Uppercase and Graphics character sets. 1 Paint possesses some very potent text possibilities. Text may flowin one of any four directions. You simply
select the direction you wish for the text to advance and type. It's as easy as that. The text may be re-sized by pressing the “ON” button while in the drawing screen. Doing so generates a “sizing box” in the work he text is sized by dragging this “sizing box” to the desired dimensions. I Paint provides some pretty powerful priority options for use with text. One of these features, the “WITH” option, allows text to be superimposed on top of the current image creating a 3-D effect, Afewoftheothertext options permit text to be underlined, flipped, reflected, rotated, unrotated, colored, and reversed. The function y even be redefined as
Commodore World
i Port
C-128 graphics conversion utility
I Port, version 1.54, by Rick Kane; $29.95; Living Proof, Ltd., P.O. Box 80714, Minneapolis, MN55408-8714
Living Proof, Ltd., compliments the I Paint program with I Port, a graphics manager program which can be used to convert graphics files for cross-platform compatibility or for editing.
Port-Ability 1 Port is every bit as powerful as it's counterpart as it grants the user the ability toimport Amiga IFF, KOALA, GIF, MACPAINT, GEOPAINT, BASIC 8, uncompressed DOODL and PRINT SHOP graphic file convert any of these to I Paint format; and export I Paint imagesas GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) files. 1 Port's main menu is very straightforward, The menu li eightavailableimport options as the export option. A selection is made simply by scrolling down the menuand highlighting a choice and hitting the return key. The
1 Paint (continuted)
suitable macros for those creations requiring repetitive lines of text.
Packed with Power All of I Paint’s options blend together to form a very powerful graphics program. But that's notall! Author Rick Kane has included several significant file features as well, The LOAD feature permits
Volume 1, Number 2
appropriate conversion module is loaded once a graphics format has been selected.
A graphics file must first be opened before it may be imported into | Paint. By switching the monitorto 40 column mode, Doodle graphics files may be viewed as they are loaded. A color table is provided allowing the colors used by Paint to be compared to the colors used by Doodle, Color tables are also provided for use with GEOPAINT files. Amiga IFF and GIF colors are adjusted with I Port's powerful Palette Equalizer, The Palette I zer permits the redness and brightness of colors to be adjusted by entering numbers for degrees for grey, color, and bright color. Once the equalizer settings have been set they can even be saved to disk for future use.
A Cut and Paste feature may be used with Doodle pictures, allowing any size portions ofthe Doodle’s320 X 200 source screen to be cut and carried over to I Port's 640 X 400 destination screen. | Portalsoallows
BASIC 8 and LACE be loaded into I opening up a whole new world of opportunities. Patterns and Clips can also be stored and loaded for future use. With the SAVE feature, 1 Paint pictures can even be i in a Lacemaker format for use with emaker 128 - The Interlace Utilities Workshop”.
Of course, after the picture has been saved to disk, hard copy isa
31
youtoadjust the width and height of Amiga IFF and GIF images.
After the imported file has been altered to satisfaction, it’s sily transformed into an I Paint file by selecting the Save I Paint option. Once this has been accomplished, it maybeloaded into I Paint and modified the same as any other | Paint file,
1 Port's export option transforms any I Paint picture into a GIF file, Author Rick Kane has thoughtfully provided five levels of compression
forsaving GIF files to disk, A value of
one will produce the largest file but will save the file in the shortest amount of time. On the other hand, a value of five creates the smallest file but requires a much longer he GIF export feature provides the user with
conversion time,
endless possibilities as files in the PAINT, BASIC 8, KOALA, DOODLE, and PRINT SHOP formats may all be
must. | Paint's printing fe: enable you to specify a print density as well as a height specification, though the ability to employ these features is dependent upon the capabilities of your printer,
Rick Kane began the | Paint project in the sammer of 1988, and has continued to improve and support the program since its release. Onecan clearly see that alot of thought has been placed into this
BASIC 8
converted into the I Paint format and then to the popular GIF format,
All of the above listed features createa powerful companion forthe I Paint program. I Port comes complete with documentation which can easily fit into the 1 Paint I. The addition ofa few more examples and details pertaining to I Port'scoloreditingfeatureswould help the novice user tremendously. But the manual is sufficient to allow users to be up and running with all of | Port's other features. I Port, in combination with I Paint, present Commodore 128 users with an almost unlimited resource of powerful graphic tools.
- Sherry Freedline
manua
program, | Paint even provides for right and left handed mouse users. The Setup Menu allows the mouse to be customized to the user’sliking. The manual packaged with I Paintis a very nice spiral bound booklet. The documentation goes into great detail with all of the many available options. | Paint is an asset to the novice, as well as the skilled computer artist.
- Sherry Freedline
Commodore World
VIEW
SmartMouse
C-128 80-column interlaced graphics drawing program
SmartMouse; $49.95; Creative Designs, Inc., P.O. Box 64 Longmeadow MA 01028,
You know, I've written a lot of
reviews over the last few years, for both RUN Magazine and for Compute. The first review I ever wrote was of Gateway, Creati Micro Designs’ file software for GEOS. Since then, reviewed a number of other CMD productsand written several articles about using CMD's RAM devices. I may be no ace programmer and I'm certainly no technical wizard, but I feellikeI'm pretty competent towrite aboutyet another of Creative Micro's products, the SmartMouse.
But this review is different from the others I've written. It’s is being writtennot for RUN orforCompute, but for Commodore World, a magazine put out by Creative Micro Designs itself. In other words, I'm being paid by CMD to writea review ofone oftheir own products, Sounds. pretty fishy, doesn’tit? Kind oflikea conflict of interest.
But no, I'm not planning to step: down, thank you very much. After all, I need my paychecks, same as anyone (maybe more). I also need themouse, butmoreabout thatlater. Idid worry alittle that readers might not take this review seriously under the circumstances. So what I am planning to do is give a good, solid review, pulling no punches and telling it straight, even ifthat means biting the hand that feeds mea little bit. To be honest, that's the only
Volume 1, Number 2
kind ofreview that CMD would want me to write, anyway.
Missing Mice...
That said, let's get on with it; let's talk about the mouse for the Commodore computer. As many of you know, lately there hasn't been anything to talk about in that department. There simply was no mouse available for the Commodore 64 or 128, and that was that. The 1351 and the M3 were no longer being made and all supplies were soon depleted, Wouldn't you know it, my trusty 1351 went belly up on me shortly thereafter, leaving me back in joystick mode. For a GEOS aficionado like me, that was sheer misery.
Now let’s face it, the Commodore market isn’t exactly booming these days. When Tenex and others sold the last of their stock of 1351's and most Commodore users figured that spelled the end of the 64/128 mouse. They weren't figuring on CMD, which stepped in and saved the day. The SmartMouse has} nd forme, it came in the nick of time. 1 was delighted when the package from CMD showed up on my doorstep. The box contained the three-button mouse, a disk of utilities (slightly bent), and a manual.
st been released,
Looking Smart
The SmartMouse is about two- thirds the size of my old 1351, andis light gray in color (my 1351 ismore of a light beige). When I took it out
of the box, I was immediately impressed with the way itfelt in my hand: solid and heavy, like it was built to last. The three buttons depress with a firm click, adding to the impression of quality construction, This is definitely not a cheap mouse.
Test Drive
1 first tried the SmartMouse with GEOS, using the 1351 input driver | already had. The mouse worked beautifully, gliding effortlessly around the mouse pad, luseditin geoWriteand geoPaint and was very pleased with the smooth motion and the comfortable feel. Again | realized that this was definitely not a cheap mouse.
After spending an enjoyable time messing around in geoPaint and then playing solitaire, 1 figured it was time to get serious: | opened the manual. As is usually the case with CMD products, the documentation was very complete and easy to understand. All the various features ofthe mouse are carefully described. I discovered, for example, that new and improved GEOS mouse drivers made specifically for the SmartMouse were included, and the documentation clearly explains how to install them onaGEOS boot disk.
1 followed the installation instructions and switched to using thenew 128 driver, whichisincluded
32
along with the 64 version on the . Once I had done this, several additional functions were available to me as | cruised around GEOS. The right mouse button now “double-clicked” with only one press ofthe button. I discovered that [had to make that one click just a little slowerthan usual forthe doubleclick tohappen, but once! gotthe hang of it] started to find lots of uses for that easy double-click besides just opening files on the deskTop. Using, it on the brush tool in geoPaint, for example, neatly brings up the brush selection box.
‘The middle button, a first for any Commodore mouse, has been programmed with those new GEOS drivers to activate something called “turbo mode.” In “turbo mode” the pointer zipsacrossthescreen almost instantly, which is very handy when you need to, say, set margins first on one side and then way across on the other side of a page in geoWrite.
Commodore World
SmartMouse (continued)
As if that weren't enough to earn this mouse its name, it also includes areal-time, battery-backed clock. By including a simple autoexec file on your GEOS boot disk, you can automatically set your GEOS clock everytimeyoubootup. Theprogram you need is included on the disk, of course, and fullinstructionsforusing it are included in the manual.
Compatibility
The manual claims that the SmartMouseis fully compatible with any software that supported the 1351 mouse. Sol left GEOS to check out that claim, There aren't many programs besides GEOS which support the mouse, but there are a few. 1dug out my copy of FlexiDraw, which supports not only thejoystick
and mouse but also the Koala Pad andlightpenas well. Ifound thatthe program worked just fine with the SmartMouse.
In order to use the SmartMouse with other software packages, I had to switch the mouse into joystick mode by holding the right button down while booting up the computer. In this mode, I used the SmartMouse to draw in Doodle, which makes that program much more fun to use, in my opinion. | also played a few events of Summer Games, but I discovered that for games like that a joystick is actually a better choice. Then I broke out my stack of shareware disks and started playing various games, Every single one worked perfectly with the mouse. Some, like Summer Games, were easier to play using the joystick
itself, but that’s not the fault of the mouse.
Besides the GEOS utilities on the disk that comes with the mouse, there are several other goodies, One is RUN Paint, a full-featured paint program which nicely supports the mouse. This program gives a user plenty of graphics power and it’s included free on the disk. A simple but well-designed clock-setting utility is also included.
If you are the hacker type who understands things like “command bytebitassignments,” you'rein luck. The manual provides all the information you need to access and command the inner workings of the SmartMouse yourself. A number of mouse driver routines are included on the disk, ready to be used in your own programs to support the
SmartMouse. Left-handed userscan adjust the SmartMouse to work in reverse of the standard mode (the right button becomes the left and so on). This procedure is outlined very clearly in the manual along with a picture.
Allin all, the SmartMouse from Creative Micro Designs is an excellent product. It is well constructed and performs very smoothly, The documentation is very understandable and extensive. The utilities disk provides GEOS support, programming support, and even RUN Paint. Even if there were more than one mouse around to from, 1 would still recommend the SmartMouse.
And, no, CMD isn’t just making me say so,
choose
~ Steve Vander Ark
Chomp!
(Cosmi)
Great sharks alive—it’s Chomp from Cosmi!Chomp places youin the role ofa fish where you must master the art of survival in a world swarming with voracious aquatic creatures.
Life begins in a fish bowl environment free of predators. In the fish bowl you must feed on worms as they are disbursed from the decorative castle. It’s not as easy asitsoundsasthewormswill provide you with a challenge by swimming atoddangles. Lack of food willshrink you down in size until you are too small to survive, Another key factor to survival is to keep yourself in motion to provide yourself with an adequate supply of oxygen. Lack of oxygen will turn you blue and eventually result in death.
Youwill eventually increasein size ‘once you have consumed enough worms. Youarenow ready to venture into the tank next door. To travel to theadjacent aquarium makea quick run for the top of your fish bowl and jump into the neighboring aquarium. Your new home will provide you with a larger
Volume 1, Number 2
MINIVIEWS
dy Commodore World Staff Reviewer Sherry Preedline
environment containing predators and prey of various sizes. You are now able to devour fish and insects alongwith worms. But keepin mind, you are also prey! For kicks you may want to venture to the top of your aquarium where you will be quickly scooped up by a giant cat paw. The screen will then change to allow you towatch as your life “flushes” before your very eyes. Each successive level in Chomp takes you to a new and bigger water world fullofeven bigger opponents.
Chomp requires a joystick for gameplay. Yourfishswimssmoothly and responds rapidly to your requests. Your adventure is accompanied by a very fitting suspenseful tune. You will find the graphics quite captivating from viewing a bony blue fish to the ever unforgettable shark!
Chomp is one of those games for youngand old alike. Each successive level in Chomp takes you to a new and bigger water world full of even bigger opponents. You'll findithard to tear yourself away from this underwater world.
The Three Stooges (Cinemaware)
The Cinemaware Corporation has done an outstanding job of bringing the Three Stooges to life in a game for the Commodore 64, The introduction to the game is truly a spectacular graphics delight as you are treated toa richly detailed frame straight out ofoneofthemany Three Stooges film shorts. Cinemaware has topped the game off with a fantastic assortment of di d speech and sound effects including my all time favorite “nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!”
The opening screen reveals our beloved Stooges out for a stroll in Stoogeville. Upon hearing a urbing sound, they rush to investigate the origin. The trio discover Ma sobbing in despair over the fact she must produce $5,000 in thirty daysto prevent foreclosureon her orphanage by the evil banker, Mr. I. Fleecem. The Stooges vow to help Maraise the fundsandthegame begins! The gameresemblesa board game as the threesome stroll along Stoogeville’s one-way street accommodating 180 locations. Larry, Curly, and Moe wander
33
through town working in various off-the-wall positions including: boxing, piethrowing, crackereating, ‘a, hospital racing, and slapping. My favorite event was a toss-up between guiding the Stooges throughacrowdedhospitalcorridor inmidget racecarsand participating in a pie tossing brawl at a very eloquent dinner affair. If you're a very skilled Stooge-a-maniac you may even earn enough money to marry the Stooges off to Ma's lovely daughters Mary, Leona, and Cynthia!
TheThree Stooges Movierequires the use of a joystick. A little practice time may be required to master control of the joy . The manual packaged with the game provides a fascinating history of the Three Stooges. Cinemaware did an excellent job of fashioning the game inthestyle ofa typical Three Stooges filmshort. Fachevent is heaped with laughs resulting from various digitized speech clips and sound effects acquired directly from their film shorts. This is one game Three Stooges fans coitainly cannot do without!
Commodore World
Graphic Interpretation
by Stove Vander Arh
A FUNNY THING HAPPENS TO STEVE ON HIS WAY TO WRITING HIS COLUMN
When the editor of this magazine asked me to write a column about GEOS, I’m sure he was expecting something very solid and no-nonsense from me—something useful, ifyou will. Afterall, GEOSis without a doubt the premier productivity package for the Commodore 64 and 128 computers. Whatever type of work you need to get done, there's probably a way to do it easier with GEOS, And work is serious stuff.
So in this column I'll be talking about things like better ways togeoPublish andthe bestadd-on programs for geoWrite. I'll try to give you a first glimpse ofall the most powerful andefficientnew GEOS products that come along (of which there are a lot more than you might think). In other words, I'll make sure things stay solid and no-nonsense. Thisis GEOS, not The Muppet Print Kit, for Pete's sake.
To get things off to a rousing start, I've been poking around in my drawer full of disks which hold all the hundreds of GEOS programs I've accumulated from Q-Link and GEnie over the years, I know there are a lot of great shareware and public domain programs in there that make working in the GEOS environment extremely efficient and productive. I checked some disks I haven't looked at for quite a while, and T was gratified to see plenty ofinteresting applications, desk accessories, and so on to choose from. Ialso found, tucked away on a back page, something called Yahtzee.
Ofcourse I recognized that name; Ilove Yahtzee (the kind with real dice). | honestly couldn't remember if!'d ever played this GEOS version, so [figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. After all, Thad plenty of time to get down to business and start working on this column. As it turned out, this version of Yahtzee is really quite good. |
Volume 1, Number 2
played it a few times (and since it’s a two player game only, each game was really sort of like two games, so it took a while) and then decided to copy it to my RAMLnk so I could play it some more later. | also uploaded a copy of the file to GEnie, just in case anyone else likes Yahtzee too. It’s file number is 14783.
On the same disk where I found Yahtzee, I foundalittlegame called geoNim. Ido remember playing that game before and seem to remember not likingit particularly well. couldn'tremember why, so I played it again a few times. I was right, Idon'tlikeit very much; it didn’tseem to bemuch of a challenge, although it was designed well enough. But the game seems kind of pointless and the computer a pretty dumb opponent (or maybe I'm just really, really clever, I guess).
There are lots of better games around. A good example is Blackjack. I'm talking, ofcourse, about the Blackjack that comes on the DESKPACK Plus disk (available through most GEOS dealers). That version is especially nice because it’s a desk accessory, which means I can play it whenever I
34
feel like it, even when I should be writing this column, which is what I'm really supposed to be doing rightnow. But since I'm thinking ofit, [just copied it over to my RAMLink so that I'll be able to play a few hands if | need a break. And [also tested it a few times, just to make sure it’s as cool as | remembered. It is.
‘There is another desk accessory game that I like called Skeet, which was originally a type-in program in Compute’s Gazette and which they released on their GEOS Collection disk. Skeet is a (surprise) skeet shooting simulation. I copied it over to my RAMLink too so that I'd have a few choices of desk accessory games. I had a feeling that Skeet wouldn't be very easy to play now that my mouse is defunct and I'm back to doing everything with a joystick; I was right. I only played that one a couple of times.
In that same pile, which is set aside for commercial disks (see how organized I am?) 1 found my copies of the RUN GEOS Power Pack disks and GEOS Companion (all available from CMD). I knew of several games on those disks, including Breakout, but decided I shouldn't let myself start playing those or I'd never get this column written. I settled for just a few practice rounds of my favorite GEOS game, geoTiles. This jewel of a game is found on GEOS Power Pack 2, and I think it’s worth the price of the whole disk all by itself.
I had forgotten just how many GEOS games there actually are. I haven't even mentioned geoWar or Cluster Wars or any of the card games like Solo Poker, all of which I haven’t played in ages! I guess the serious work can wait until my next column. Check back then and'll talk about something no-nonsense and efficient. For now, T think I'll play geoTiles a few more times.
Commodore World
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Volume 1, Number 2
LOR 64 BBS
THE COLOR 64 BBS SYSTEM, one of the most sophisticated BBS systems for the Commodore 64 computer, has always been built to be functional when first installed yet completely modifyable by the SYSOP. Now we are proud to announce the release of version 8.0, the latest form of the BBS system that is popular with both beginner and advanced Sysops.
In its stock form Color 64 supports: 300 to 2400 BPS; up to 38,400 BPS with CMD's SwiftLink; Hayes compatible modems; Commo- dore or compatible disk drives; CMD HD Series, Lt. Kernal and ICT hard drives; IEEE drives; Commodore REU's up to 2 MB; CMD's RAMLink and MORE. A minimum of 1300 blocks of disk space is recommended as well as some form of disk drive speed enhance- ment such as CMD's JiffyDOS, Skyles Flash Interface or fastloader, Color 64 also features: upload and download directories; Punter and Xmodem protocols; an advanced public message system; a full featured message editor; built-in MCI commands for message formatting; 40 and 80 column support; an automatic page pauser; Commodore graphics and color; ANSI graphics and color; Built-in terminal program with phone book; Built-in networking with net- worked mail, public messages, and file transfers.
More information about Color 64 BBS can be obtained by contacting the SYSOP of the Sonic Temple BBS at 410-285-0428, You can also send GEnie mail to F.OGLE, Inet/Usenet mail to
F.OGLE@GENIE.GEIS.COM or U.S. Mail to Fred Ogle, P.O, Box 35427, Dundalk, MD 21222-7427, Send all orders via Mail.
Pricing for Color 64 Version 8.0, a four disk set with documentation: the costis $65.00, Postage/handling charges: US Mail 3rd Class add $2.00 (Surface), US Mail 1st class(Air) add $3.00, Priority Mail (2nd Day) add $4.00, Express Mail (Next Day) add $15.00. U.S. funds only, checks or money orders accepted. Canadian orders add $5.00. Prices and features are as of 3/13/94 and are subject to change.
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1409 Mill Street Laramie, Wyoming 82070
35 Commodore World
deo? rogrammist
By Maurice Randall
Before getting too deep into GEOS programming, I must emphasize the importance of obtaining one or both of the following publications: The Official GEOS Programmer's Reference Manual, and The Hitchhike juide To GEOS (both of these are available from CMD). Each of these works contain information about the GEOS system that is invaluable to the programmer. On asmall scale, you can get by with just one or the other; the serious programmer, however, should haveboth. The manual that came with your copy of GeoProgrammer is quite thick, and even though it contains a good deal of information, the bulk of it is devoted to the actual use of the applications, geoAssembler, geoLinker, and geoDebugger.
For the time being, open up your manual and study chapters 3 and 4. This will give you a basic understanding of how to mble and link a GEOS program. Now, let's dig right in and work ona very simple application.
Begin by copying the two files, SamSeqHdr and SamSeq.Ink, from your geoProgrammer disk to a work disk or your RAM disk. You alwa need a *Hdr file and a *.Ink file. The header (*Hdr) file contains the information that, when assembled, will make up the 256 byte block that is considered the header block of a GEOS file. This is where the Desktop looks when you select ‘info’ from the file drop-down menu. The link (*.Ink)fileis needed by geoLinker. It contains the info needed to properly link your assembled source codeintoa usable application. Ifyoustudy the contents of these files, you will see parts that you may alter for your own purpose. In the *.Ink file, you would change the filenames to match the files that you are working on. For now, let's keep
Volume 1, Number 2
it simple and use these files just as they are.
What we must do nowiscreate the source code for our‘program’. Instead of copying the SamSeq file, we will refer to it while we write our own version of it. So, on your work disk, use geoWrite to create a file called SamSeq. Get into the habit of making your source code organized and easy toread by setting up tabstoseparate the element: that make up each line instead of using spa I've found that on an 80 column display, tabs at 1 7 inches work pretty good. Fora40columndisplay, something like .Sinches, 1.5 inches, and 3 or 3.2 inches is better. You'll want to avoid having to scroll side to side if you can.
On the first page of this source code, typein the following:
.include geosSym -psect
‘The geosSym file contains many symbols that
36
refer to various parts of GEOS for use in your own programming. The symbol ‘EnterDesktop’ is defined in this file.
Press <RETURN> a couple of times and add a label to your program code, perhaps ProgStart, as it is in the actual SamSeq file. Even a small application needs to start out with a label— geoProgrammer doesn’t seem to like it if you leave this out. The .psect tells geoProgrammer that the code following from this point is to be assembled torun beginning with thecurrent value of the program counter. In other words, this is a ‘program section’ of code. We will get into this a little later.
At this point in the operation of your application, it will be in control of the machine. ‘The ideal situation is for your application to just do what it needs to doand then put GEOS and the userbackin control. Ifyou have written programs for the native mode of your computer, you know what happens when your program ends with an ‘rts’. Your program ends and control is returned to the user. Thisis not the case with GEOS. Ifyou want your program to end, you need to jump toa routine called ‘EnterDesktop’. Remember that we are working with a point and click environment. Built within the GEOS Kernal are many routines that have already been written for us. There isa great deal of programming already done that we can avoid including in our own programming.
Ifyou think you are ending your application with an‘rts’, youare returning control to the user and to GEOS, but your application is still in use. At this point, the GEOS Kernal is watching for some sort of user response, either from the keyboard or the mouse. If the user performs an
Commodore World
“GEOS WwatTCHES FOR AN ‘EVENT’ TO HAPPEN, AND RESPONDS ACCORDINGLY . Iv’S A NICE WAY TO DO THINGS.”
will respond by reentering your application. This portion of G 5 running is called ‘MainLoop', Normally, outside of GEOS, you would have to have your own main loop and include the needed programming to catch the user’s input. Instead, all that is needed here are lookup tables for MainLoop to look at when it gets a response from the user. Iftherearenolookup tables, then nothing happens, GEOS ignores the user's actions and the user gets the fecling that the computer has just locked up.
Ifyour application simply performs a job and finishes, you can end it by jumping to EnterDesktop. Butifyou need some user input, such as clicking onicons or menus, you will need to tell GEOS where to find the appropriate lookup tables before you get to that first rts.
When your program gives control to MainLoop, the user might click the mouse. There is one thing you must keep in mind here. GEOS will look for anicon table. Ifit does not find one, there will be problems. It doesn't seem to mind if there is no table for menus, but you need to at least provide an icon table even if your application is not going to use icons. This only applies if you return to MainLoop with an rts. If you exit back to the Desktop instead of MainLoop, the user doesn’t get control of the mouse anyway andlikewise, MainLoop will never get control while your application is running. It all depends on what your application is going to accomplish. Ifyouneed user input, youricon table can define an icon that does not exist. This way GEOS won't havea problem. I'll show you how to do that ata later date.
In the SamSeq file supplied with geoProgrammer, you will find an icon table. It will begin with a label called ‘IconTable’, This particular table consists of 9 lines. Copy this into the sample file that we are building here. You might want to put it on page 2 to keep it out of the way. Create another label after this table called ‘Icon1Picture’ just like in the SamSeq file. Following this will go a photo scrap of whatever icon you wish to use. So, load up geoPaint and create a graphic of some sort. Copy it into a photo scrap and then paste that scrap into your source code after the label ‘Icon 1 Picture’, One thing you must remember here is to always puta blank line above and below any photo scrap you put in your source code, so do that now. This insures that geoAssembler knows the exact the graphic, Can you imagine having to code this graphic into your source code manually? This is pretty handy isn’t it?
Within the icon table, we need to tell GEOS how wide and how tall the icon is, Here again, geoAssembler will figure this out for us. As soon as it processes the photo scrap it will place these values into two of it's own internal variables, which are called picW and pic, From within your source code, you have access to these variables and can copy these values into your own symbols. This is normally done in your source code immediately following the photo scrap. So, type in the same thing as in the SamSeq file, or cut it to a text scrap and then paste it in your own file. Since you are including ICONIWIDTH =picW and ICONIHEIGHT =picH,
Volume 1, Number 2
art and end of
37
whatever values are contained in picW and picH will be in your symbols, You will finda reference to th get these values to show up in your icon table,
In this icon table, find the reference to Doleon1. s the name of the routine that GEOS will jsr to when the user clicks on your icon, For our purpose, let’s change this to EnterDesktop. This way, when the user clicks on your icon, your application will simply end,
Let's go back to page 1 and build a little bit of code at the start of our application now. Later on, I will get into the use of macros with geoProgrammer. And you will find that you really can’t live without them, It makes your coding so much easier. For right now, we will do without them for demonstration purposes. Anyway, use your tabs and type in the following code:
symbols in the icon table. This is how you
ProgStart: Ida = #[IconTable sta $82 Ida = #) IconTable sta $82+1 jsr Dolcons rts
‘That is the extent of our little application here. This along with the icon table, the icon picture, and the header block, is all of the code that will be assembled and linked. Load up geoAssembler and assemble SamSeqHdr and your new SamSegq file. Then load geoLinker and link the resulting .rel files together by selecting the file called SamSeq.Ink. If everything goes good, you will have a finished application that you can load and run from the deskTop.
What our code does here is to point the required zero page register to our icon table and call a GEOS Kernal routine known as Dolcon is usually referred to as r@, and after this we will ab into this ata later date also. Dolcons will do a couple of things for us. It will first set up a pointer within the GEOS Kernal so that MainLoop knows where tofind ouricon table. Then it will perform the job ofdrawing ouricon on the screen, Following this it returns to our application, In our case, we just do an rts now and let MainLoop take over and give control to the user.
The user now has full control of the mouse and the keyboard. There is really only one thing that GEOS will let the user do at this point. We did not tell GEOS that we are looking for keyboard input and we did not inform it ofany menus either, But we did define one icon, As soon as the user cli on this icon, GEOS will close out our application and reload the desk Top.
Our icon could have just as easily told GEOS to access another routine within our application. This is how GEOS works, and is called ‘event programming’. GEOS watches for an ‘event’ to happen, and responds accordingly. It's a nice way to do things.
Commodore World
SASic
INSTINCTS
by Gene Barher
When Doug Cottonasked me to expand BigGuns into a large game that would span across the ing five issues for this year, I was a little skeptical. Afterall, Big Guns was a fictional game we put together to illustrate sound programming practices, In fact Doug had to use some of that Editor-Columnist arm twisting in order to convince me to create the new game. After ngon this forsometime, Ifinally recognized the value of creatingsucha column. mustadmit, our editor here at Commodore World hada great idea and | believe that through these columns we are going to learn a great deal about programming. Even better, we're going to have fun doing it! Below you will find the results ofour efforts.
1 the first of five installments of the new game Starship Combat. Starship Combat is written entirely in Commodore BASIC v2. We will focus heavily on structured program development so that we can become better programmers. Although this column is designed forbeginning BASICprogrammers, even thoseof you who are experienced may want to review some of the advanced techniques utilized by Starship Combat’s subroutines,
we
The Game Starship Combat has the ability for two sets of forces (the Union and the Alliance) to duke it out
spec forces and the player controls the U: The battlefield is a (10) by (10) grid of sectors for atotal of(100)sectors. Only onesectorisdisplayed on thescreenatany one time. Each sectorisa(10) by (10) grid of characters, Each ship has its own letter (A-Z) to represent it in a sector; so we may have up to (26) ships in the game at any one time. Combat will be limited to the current sector for each ship; a ship may only attack other ships that are in the same sector. A ship can be destroyed in two ways: when its superstructure fails or when the ship runs out of power. The game is over when an entire side has been destroyed, In this installment of Starship Combat we will concentrate on the following:
= Setup the game screen
Volume 1, Number 2
- Design our text system (where and how we will output game text)
- Setup the game's main loop
~ Create the movement system for the ships Design a simple routine to guide the computer's ships
Before we begin to type madly at the keyboard, we must design Starship Combat on paper. Inthe long run this method will save us a great deal of time. Wewillcreatethe program Starship Combat in three steps:
(1) Outline main logic (2) Design data structures (our variable types) (3). Write the program
Outline Main Logic
Let's write out how Starship Combat will work in a simple format so that we will have some idea of how to approach this project in BASIC.
Initialize all Union and Alliance ships While the Union ships are alive; Initialize the movement points for all the ships While ships still have movement points; process ship with most movement points End_While End_While
The outline above will help us keep focusedas we develop Starship Combat’s code.
Design Data Structures
First and foremost, we need away to representall the ships in the game. The most convenient way to do this in Commodore BASIC is to use a two- dimensional array. We will call this array SL% for Ship List. The array will contain a record for each ship. Each ship has a number SH for SHip which will tell us where it is located in the array. A ship record will contain the following information:
SLM(SH,0) Ship type:
[0]- Union Scout
(1]-Union Light Destroyer [2] - Alliance Hunter
[3] - Alliance Light Destroyer
SL%(SH,1) Sector number where ship is
38
located [0-99]
X Coordinate of ship's location in the current sector [0-9]
Y Coordinate of ship's location in the current sector [0-9]
‘SL%(SH,2)
SL%(SH,3)
SL4(SH,4) Current number of movement points available [n] SL%(SH,5) — Amount of power remaining in
the ship's reserves [n]
‘The “%" following the array name tells BASIC that all the ay are integers. We'll use an integer array since integers use less than half the memory of real numbers (integers require two bytes per number and reals require five).
In the outline we created above, we wrote that we must init all the ships before the start of the game and we must initialize all the ships movement pointsatthe beginning of each round. In this installment of Starship Combat we have four ship types (0-3). Each ship typeis defined by its name, available movement points per round, and its default power supply, Since the name is character string AND the movement points and the power supply are integers, we must use two separate arrays to represent them. We will name the arrays TY$ and TY% for ship TYpes. The first array will be just a list of the ship names; so it will only require one dimension.
ues contained in the
TY$(0) UN Scout
TYS(1) UN L-Dest
TYS$(2) AL Hunter
TYS(3)_ ALL-Dest
The“$" following thearray name tells BASIC that
all the values contained in the array are strings. Our second array will require more than one number for each ship; so it will require two dimensions where:
TY%(X,0) Available movement points per round TY%(X.1) Default power supply level
“X" is the ship type (0-3). In the program listing youwill find that we reference this array using the ship type entry in the SL% array. For example,
Commodore World
TY%(SL%(SH,4),0) tells us the number of movement points that the ship SH in the game has per round,
Ourlast data structure will address our need to accept several different keyboard commands for the players options in the main menu. We will createanother one-dimensional array named OP$ for OPtions which will contain each of the command characters.
OPS) @ ~~ Move ship up OPS): Move ship left OPS(2)_ ; Move ship right OP$(3)_ / ~~ Move ship down OPS(4)_ uu Use an item
OPS(5)_ Effect repairs on ship
Wait one turn
Quit the game
Fire ship's phasers Fire ship’s torpedoes
OPS(6) w OP$(7) q OPS(8) [FI] OPS(9)_ [F3]
Write The Program Now that we have our outlineand data structures designed let's hit the keyboard!
As you type in the program make sure you review each section's comments below. This will help you understand the flow of the program. You will also find a couple of helpful notes and insights which you might find useful in the future.
IMPORTANT VARIABLES
NT Number of ship types available
UT — Number of union ship types available (union ship types must be first in the TY arrays) Used to detect whether a ship is from the Union or Alliance
TY$ — Ship type name array
TY% Ship type statistics array (movement points and power supply)
NS Number of ships that are alive
SL% — The ship list array containing the current status of each ship
OP — Number of options available in main menu
OP$ Array of possible command characters
SA$ Initialization string for status area
OAS _ Initialization string for options area
NAS _ Initialization string for notes area
SH Current ship
MP — Movement pointsavailable forthe current ship
PW Power supply for the current ship
XX X coordinate for current ship
XY Y coordinate for current ship
XZ Sector number for the current ship
Volume 1, Number 2
MAIN PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Lines 100-199 (setup main game loop)
- Call the setup screen routine
- Call the initialize game variables routine
Lines 200-299 (main loop for the game)
- Follow structure of our outline using calls to
subroutines
Lines 215 and 220 perform our first While by
cycling through all ships in the ship list SL%
until it finds a Union ship type
Line 225 calls the initialize all ships for next
round routine and frees up any unused strings
using the FRE function (this will help us avoid
a lengthy garbage collection delay caused by
our use of strings)
Lines 230-250 finds the ship with the most
movement points ble
- Lines 255-260 calls either the process Union ship or process Alliance ship routine
Lines 400-460 (all union ships are destroyed)
- Tellplayerall Union shipshave been destroyed
- Ask player if he/she wishes to play again
SUBROUTINE DESCRIPTIONS
Lines 10000-10199 (setup screen)
- Set screen colors and select the lowercase character set
- Print the main game screen
Lines 10200-10299 (print repeated ch string)
Given: XS$ - the string; XS - the number of
repetitions
- This routine prints the string XSS, XS times
Lines 10400-10699 (initialize game variables)
- Lines 400-499 sets up the ship type arrays TYS and TY%
~ Lines 500-570 sets up the main ship list array
SL% placing three Union ships in sector (22)
and four Alliance ships in sector (33)
Lines 575-600 creates the strings SAS, OAS,
and NAS which point to top left hand corner of
the Status, Options, and Notes text area on the
game screen
~ Lines 605-630 sets up the command character array OPS for the main options menu
Lines 11000-11199 (initialize all ships for next
round)
- Cycles through all the shipsin the ship list and resets their movement points
Lines 11200-11299 (clear notes area and set the
cursor)
~ Fills the notes area with spaces
~ Sets cursor color and position for the notes dfea
Lines 11300-11399 (clear options area and set
the cursor)
39
- Fills the options area with spaces
~ Sets cursor color and position for the options area
Lines 11400-11699 (update status and map area
for current ship)
Given: SH-the ship number; MP - ship's current
number of movement points
- Lines 400-499 prints the ship's stats in the status area
- Lines 500-599 updates the sector in the map
rea for the current ship
- Using screen memory which starts at 1024, the formulas place the shipsat their properlocation in the map area (through the use of the POKE command)
Lines 11700-11799 (print integer)
Given: XN-theinteg themaximum length
of the integer in characters
- This routine converts the integer to a string, removes the leading space from that string, pads the remaining string with spaces, then prints the string (using the MID$ function)
Lines 11800-11999 (kill ship)
Given: XK - the ship number to kill
- Informs player of ship's destruction
- Removes ship from ship list SL% and moves all
with higher numbers than XK down one position in the ship list
Lines 20000-24999 (process union ship turn)
Given: SH - Union ship number; MP - ship's
movement points
- Lines 000-030 Updates status and map areas for the ship
- Lines 035-070 Prints the main menu in the
options area
Lines 075-199 Gets the command character
from the keyboard and goes to its respective
routine
Lines 200-999 Ex
commands.
Lines 25000-29999 (process alliance ship turn)
Given: SH - Alliance ship number; MP - ship's
movement points
- Lines 000-030 Updates status and map areas for the ship
- Lines 035-999 Close in on the closest Union ship
shij
cute the respective
(See the program listing on the following pages)
A Note Concerning Program Entry Large program listings appearing in Commodore World magazine are accompanied by a list of checksum values to theleft ofeach line. Donotenter these valuesas part ofthe program. The values can be verified using the Commodore World CHK-LIST utility, located elsewhere in this issue.
Commodore World
5000 6DC2 cé67Cc 8589 OE6B
DA6B 28AF
3806
D18B 3D73
9B57 6D6F F25c 548B
5E73
STARSHIP COMBAT
195 rem commodore world magazine 119 rem basic instincts w/gene barker 115 rem starship combat part i
rem (c)1994 creative micro designs
rem-
rem setup main game loop
rem-
gosub10000:clr
gosub10400
rem-~
rem main loop
210 rem-
215 fori=Otons-1:ifsl%(i,@)<utthen225 next :goto4@o + gosub11000 : sh=999:m : fori=Otons-1
: if61%(i,4)>mpthensh=i:mp=s18(i,4
i=fre(@)
: next 250 : ifsh=999then200 255 : ifsl%(sh,) <utthengosub20000:goto2
260 : gosub25000:goto230
400 rem-
495 rem all union ships are destroyed 410 rem-
415 gosub11200
429 print"All Union ships have been dest royed."
425 gosub11300
430 print"Game over."
435 printoa$"{2 CRSR DN}Try again?" 44 printoa$"{4 CRSR DN} (y)yes"
445 printoa$"{5 CRSR DN} (n)no"
450 getx: £x$="n"thenend
455 ifx$<>"y*then450
460 run
LDOOD or era 5 rae aaa aad 10005 rem setup screen
106010 rem
10915 rem sets up screen for the game LOD 2 on a a aaa 10025 rem-
19030 rem set screen colors & ch set 10035 rem-
10045 poke53280,0:poke53281,0
10050 printchrs(14)
10055 rem-
1996 rem print the screen
10065 rem-
10970 print” {CLR/HOME} {DGRY}"; :xs=39:xsS ="{CMDR @}":gosub1@200:print
10075 print"{RVS ON} {SPACE} {WHT} Commodor e World's Starship Combat {4 SPACES) {DGRY } {SPACE)*
1008 xs$="{CMDR t}":gosub10200:print 10085 print"{CRSR RT}{YEL}{RVS ON}Status “spe (5) "Map"spe (8) "Options {DGRY)"
10090 xs$="{CMDR @}*:gosub10200:print 10095 xs=10:xs$="{RVS ON} {SPACE} {LGRY} {1 @ SPACES} {DGRY} {SPACE} {WHT} - -{DG RY} {SPACE} {LGRY}{15 SPACES} {DGRY} {SPACE) "+chrs (13)
10100 gosub10200
19105 xs=39:xs$="{CMDR t}":gosub10200:pr int
Volume 1, Number 2
STARSHIP COMBAT (c
19110 print"{CRSR RT}{RVS ON} {YEL}Notes{ DGRY}" 19115 xs$="{CMDR @}":gosub10200:print 10120 print"{RVS ON}"; :xs=6:xs$="{SPACE} {CRSR DN} {(CRSR L}":gosub1@200 10125 print"{RVS OFF}";:xs=39:xs$=" {CMDR t}":gosub10200 10130 print"{RVS ON}";:xs=6:xs$="{CRSR U P}{CRSR L}{SPACE}":gosub10200 19135 print"{HOME}{6 CRSR DN}{CRSR RT}{L GRY}"; :xs=10:xs$="{SHFT *}":gosub10200:p rint 1014@ print"{2 CRSR RT}{RVS ON}Move:" 10145 print"(CRSR RT}{RVS ON} Power 10150 print"{2 CRSR RT){RVS ON)}Shid:" 19155 print"{CRSR RT}{RVS ON}Super:" print"{2 CRSR RT}(RVS ON)Torp:" print"{CRSR RT}{RVS ON}";:gosub1d¢2 @O:print print"{2 CRSR RT){RVS ON}Sect:" print"{3 CRSR RT) (RVS ON)Pos:{SPAC
return print repeat ch string
xs$ - ch string - # of repeats
forxi=ltoxs:printxs$; :next:return rem= rem initialize game variables
rem setup ship definitions rem- nt=4:ut=2 dimty$(nt-1),ty%(nt-1,2) forxi=@tont-1:readty$ (xi) :forj=Oto l:readty% (xi,j) :next:next 19445 Gata “UN Scout",3,500 1045@ data "UN L-Dest",4,750 10455 data “AL Hunter",3,480 19460 data “AL L-Dest",4,725 10500 rem- 10505 rem setup ship list 10510 rem- 19515 ns=7:dims1%(ns-1,5) 10520 forxi=Otons-1 10525 : forxj=@to3:reads1%(xi,xj) :next 10530 : sl%(xi,5)=ty%(sl%(xi,®) ,1) 19535 next 10540 data 1,22,4,5 10545 data 0,22,2,7 10550 data @,22,6,7 19555 data 2,33,3,3 9 5 7
10560 data 2,33,3,
10565 data 3,33,5,
10570 data 3,33,5,
10575 rem-
10580 rem setup string variables
10585 rem-
10590 sa$="{HOME}{5 CRSR DN}{CRSR RT) {RV S ON} (LGRY}"
10595 oa$="{HOME}{5 CRSR DN}{23 CRSR RT} {RVS ON} {LGRY}"
10600 na$="{HOME}{18 CRSR DN}{CRSR RT}{R VS OFF) {WHT}"
10605 rem-
19610 rem setup option ch's
Commodore World
STARSHIP COMBAT (cori
S11E 8FDA
A560
AETS 1BF5 33c5 E750 E794 5FB7 6B4D AC92 O7E6 1E7B 138B 67AF 8495 F339 B7D1
72DC 4637 54BB FL7B 8011 ppc?
@B97
1A34 2660
EA76
62BD
DIED @6BE cc5A 6AE1
A4FO C536 ccs7 43B9 7F14 30F3
43FF 1p64
Volume 1, Number 2
10615 10620
rem= op=10:dimop$ (op-1) : forxi=@toop-1:r
eadop$ (xi) :next
10625
Qn {FL},
10630 11000 11005 11010 11015 11020 11025 11030 11035 11290 11205 11210 11215 11220 11225
¥$ (13) :gosub1 0200
11230 11300 11395 11310 11315 11320 RY)"; 11325
data "é", “{F3}" return rem=- rem initialize all ships for rem next round
forxi=@tons-1 : 81%(xi,4)=ty$(s1%(xi,@) ,0) next
rem clear notes area and set rem the cursor
rem= print" {HOME} {17 CRSR DN}" %S=6:xS$="(CRSR RT}(37 SPACES) "+ch
printna$;:return rem rem clear options area and set rem the cursor
rem print"(HOME}{5 CRSR DN}{RVS ON) {LG
x8=10:xs$="{23 CRSR RT}{RVS ON} {15
SPACES}"+chr$ (13) :gosub10200
11339 printoa$;:return
SUL OND ce Ol test rn ns int ine md iets 11405 rem update status and map area 11410 rem for current ship
11415 rem
11420 rem sh - ship #
11425 rem mp - movement points
11430 rem=—A- = -n a= anne Rina ann n 11435 rem-
1144@ rem update ship's status
11445 rem-
1145@ printsa$;left$(ty$(sl%(sh,0))+"(8 SPACES)", 10)
11455 print"(RVS ON){CRSR DN)"spe(7);:xn
=81%(sh,4):
11460
xl=4:gosubl1700 print:print"{RVS ON)"spe(7);:xn=sl
%(sh,5): gosubl1700
11465 c(7) 53 11470
%(sh,2)
11475
print:print"{RVS ON) {4 eo DN} "sp xn=s1%(sh,1) :gosub11700: rh print:print"(RVS ON}" BpeUnG pixn=sl :xl=1:gosub11700:xx=xn print"(CRSR RT)";:xn=s1%(sh,3):
gos
ub11700:xy=xn
11560 11505 11510 11515
10:xs$="{12 CRSR RT} {RVS ON)
rem= rem update map area
rem-
print" {HOME} {5 CRSR DN) {WHT}";:
+
chr$ (13) :gosub10200
11520
forxi=Otons-1:ifsl%(xi,1)<>xzthenn
ext :gotol1530
11525
xi,2),
11530
poke1O24+5*40+12+91% (xi, 3) *40+s1%( xi+193 :next xt=1024+5*40+12+xy*490+xx:pokext, pe
ek(xt)-128: return
117¢0 11705 11710 11715 11720
rem-- rem print integer
rem
rem xn - the integer
rem xl = max length of integer
165B
@OAL B36C 1B06 8268 4A07 D1ip4 93FC 28DB 420A 9716
5A3D FEEF 4504 2FB9 E70D 82BB
11725 11730
STARSHIP COMBAT (covil.)
printmids (str$(xn)+"({5 SPACES)",2
x1);
11735 return
11800 rem-
11805 rem kill ship
11810 rem
11815 rem xk - ship # to kill
11820 rem-
11825 x: 13 (xk, 2
11830 xt=12+5*4O+xx+xy*40:poke55296+xt , 2 spoke1024+xt,170
11835 gosub11200
1184@ print"Ship is destroyed!"
11845 rem-
1185@ rem update ship list
11855 rem-
11860 ifns=1then4go
11865 ns=ns-1;ifxk=nsthenreturn
1187@ forx k+ltons
11875 forxj=0to5;s1%(xi-1,xj)=sl%(xi,x 3) rnext
11880 next
11885 return
20000 rem=-------~--~--~~-~--~~~-----~~ 20005 rem process union ship turn
2OO1LD) PEM — = ne 20015 rem-
20020 rem update status/map/options 20025 rem-
2003@ gosubi1490
20035 gosub11300
20040 print" (@,:,;,/)move"
20045 printoa$"{2 CRSR DN} (u)use item" 20050 printoa$"{3 CRSR DN) (r) repairs" 20055 printoa$"{4 CRSR DN) (w)wait"
20057 printoa$"{5 CRSR DN}(q)quit game" 20060 printoa$"{6 CRSR DN}(F1l]fire phase x
20065 printoa$"{7 CRSR DN) (F3]fire torp* 20070 printoaS"{9 CRSR DN) (A-%)view ship 20075 rem-
20080 rem get option
20085 rem-
20090 getxx$:ifxxS=""then20090
20095 ifxx$>="A"andxx$<="Z"then20700 29100 pw=s1%(sh,5)
20105 forxi=ltoop:ifxx$<>op$ (xi-1)thenne xt:goto2009o
20110 onxigoto20200, 20300, 20400, 20500, 20 990, 20090, 20800, 20600, 20090, 20090
20200 rem-
20205 rem move ship up
20210 rem-
20215 ifxy<>@thenxy=xy-1:goto20230 20220 if (xz-10) <@then20230
20225 xu=xz-10:xy=9
20230 rem-
20235 rem do the move
20240 rem-
20245 s1%(sh,1)=xz:s1%(sh,2)=xx:s1¢(sh,3 )=xy
20259 mp=mp-1:pw=pw-1
29255 rem-
20260 rem update stats
20265 rem-
20270 s1%(sh, 4) =mp:s1% (sh, 5)=pw
20275 gosub11400:ifpw=@thenxk=sh:gosub11
800
3B6A | 20280
gosub11200:return
41
Commodore World
STARSHIP COMBAT (cont.) STARSHIP COMBAT (cont,)
rem- B321] 25135 : ifxl>9thenxl=x1-10:yl=yl+1:goto2 vem move ship t
sl%(xi,1) :y2=0 2-10:y2=y2+1:goto2
20315 20320 i
thenxx (str$(
1:goto20230 ,1)="0"then20230
20325 xx=9:goto20230 : xl=abs (x2-x1) :yl=abs(y2-y1) rem- Kt=xl+yl rem move ship right ifxt<xdthenxp=xi :xd=xt :x3=x1:y3= 1:xn=s1%(xi,1) Othe K=xX+1:G0t020230 next ights$(s 9"then20230 ifxp=999then400 +1:xx ifx3>y3then25190
if (xz-xn) <@then20500 3 goto20200
20500 rem- 20505 rem move ship down
20510 rem- x1=xz:x2=xn 20515 ifxy<>9thenxy=xy+1:goto20230 ifxl>9thenxl=x1-10: 8 | 20520 if (xz+10)>99then20230 ifx2>9thenx2=x2-10:goto25200 ‘ 20525 xz=xz+10:xy=0:goto20230 if (x1-x2)<@then20400 20600 rem- goto20300 rem quit game rem-
rem close on closest union ship
rem-
xp=999:xd=999
forxi=Otons-1 1£(s1%(xi,@)>=ut)or(s1%(xi,1)<>x
z) then25345
25330 : yx=xx-s1% (xi, 2) :yy=xy-s1% (xi, 3)
25335 : xt=abs (yy) :ifabs (yx) <xtthenxt=ab
s(yx)
25340 : ifxt<xdthenxp=:
rem- 5 gosub11300 print"Quit gam
466 20630 4 20635 px 40 20645 20650
R DN} (y)yes" R DN} (n)no* n"then20000
G=xt :2x=yx:zy=
rem view ship yy
rem 25345 next
sh=asc (xx$) -asc("A") 25350 ifabs (zx) >abs (zy) then25365 ifsh>=nsthenreturn 25355 : ifzy<Othen20500
25360 : goto20200 25365 ifzx<@then20400 25370 goto20300
mp=s1%(sh,4)
20730 gosub11400
20735 gosub11300
20749 print"View ship:"
20745 printoa$"(2 CRSR DN}(press a key)" 20750 g ex$:ifxxS=""then20750
ae 2 CW & RUN Back Issues 20800 20805 rem wait one turn
For years RUN Magazine provided Commodore Users
20810 rem- with a great source of information and now CMD has AEP See Rea Ww-1:goto2@255 given you Commodore World. Don't let this valuable pei 4 information slip away, fill in the voids in your library now!
RMJAN92 January/February 1992
2 aoe RUN Magazine [Pirie Marchi 1992 25020 rem update status/ma Aoat RMJAN88 January 1988 RMMAY92 May/June 1992 sate Zen, pda tatus/map/option MERHES February 1988 RMAULO? unAugust 992 25030 gosubl1490 RMMAR88 March 1988 ce See AMABRGG Apri 1988 RMNOV92 _ Nov/December 1992 25049 print"Alliance ship" RMMAY88 Yate Commodore World 25045 printoa$"{CRSR DN)closes!” RMJUN88 June 1988 25050 pw=s1%(sh,5) RMJUL88 July 1988 CW1-1 Volume 1, Number 1 25055 x RMFEB89 February 1989 CW1-2 Volume 1, Number 2 2596@ rem move towards a union ship RMMAY89 May 1989 25065 rem- RMJUN89 June 1989 25070 forxi<Otons-1:ifxi=shthen25080 RMJUL89 July 1989 RUN Back Issues: Any 3 issues for 25075 : if(sl% ,0) cut) and(s1%(xi,1)=xz RMAUG89 August 1989 $12.00; Any 6issues for $18.00; Any )then25300 RMSEP89 September 1989 12 issues for $24.00.
6033 | 25080 next RMOCT89 October 1989 Commodore World: $4.95 each
780C | 25100 rem- RMSP89 _— Special Issue 1989
79DD | 25195 rem find closest union sector RMJANSO January 1990
63AB | 25 rem- RMMAY90 May 1990 RUN: 3 or 6 issues - U.S. $3.00,
83CE 5 xp=999:xd=999 RMJUN9O June/July 1990 Ganada $5.00, Foreign $15.00; 12
CEFT forxi=Otons~1
RMDEC90 December 1990 issues U.S. $5.00; Canada $7.00; RMJAN91 January/February 1991 Foreign $20.00.C' U.S. and RMMAY91 May/June 1991 Canada $2.00 eacl
Volume 1, Number 2 42 Commodore World
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Volume 1, Number 2
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43 Commodore World
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
by Doug Cotten
Last issue we began lookingat methods ofmaking ‘common code’ programs that operate on both the C-64 and C-128. We generated a single line BASIC program to‘snooparound’ and discover our configuration. [also presented a brief list of things to consider when writing code of this type. In this installment, we'll takea look at some specific ways to create these ‘common code’ programs utilizing some of those considerations.
It bears repeating that this kind of programming will require input to be performed on a 128—a C-64 simply doesn’t have the ability to recognize BASIC 7.0 commands which will be used from time to time.
In looking over our ‘snooper’ line from last issue, | did notice an error that crept in when the program was converted to text; the CHR§(127)at the beginning of that program line should have been a CHRS(147). To make sure these errors don’t happenin the future, I'm writing a program that will handle the conversions without human intervention.
Here then is the corrected program line:
One of the main points I want to cover in this issue is dealing with a large machine language written to run on both the C-64 and C-128. Normally, when a machine language program is written specifically for the C-64 or C-128, itis written to reside ina known location. Programmers often use a separate loader program that loads the machine language into that fixed location, or end up writing custom front-ends for programs each time they make a new program, Having to keep separate files together in order to get a program to work is not only annoying to a user, but it also brings other problems into play—like how to handle device numbers, subdirectory paths, etc, Granted, we all