Questions tagged [commodore]
Commodore Business Machines and their products. Use more specific tags like [commodore-64] or [amiga] instead if appropriate.
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What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years
I have a Commodore 128D that hasn't been powered in about 15 years. I want to begin using it again. It has been stored in cool dry places like attached garages, in a cardboard box.
I hope this ...
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Why does the Commodore C128 perform poorly when running CP/M?
I have seen several claims of poor performance of the C128 when running CP/M, and would like to better understand these claims, especially in comparison to other CP/M machines of the early to mid-...
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Why did the stock Amigas not have a battery for keeping the time/date?
The Amiga computers were advanced machines meant to do all sorts of things, including file management. They had a GUI OS (Workbench) and everything right from the very start. They were not some games-...
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Commodore BASIC: why was the PET's GOTO so slow?
Received wisdom has it that Commodore didn't want to pay Microsoft extra for updated BASIC interpreters, and thus very little changed in Commodore BASIC v2 from the PETs to the C64. But consider the ...
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6
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When did MOS Technology upgrade to 5µm?
I'm trying to understand exactly why various chips were designed the way they were at different times, in the service of which I have a rather specific question:
When did MOS Technology upgrade to ...
- 58.4k
27
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5
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Why was IBM BASIC so Huge?
The early versions of Microsoft BASIC required 4KB of ROM, and many versions existed in the 8KB and 16KB size. But Microsoft's IBM BASIC (known as "Cassette BASIC") for the original IBM PC (Model 5150)...
- 60.1k
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Commodore BASIC and binary floating point precision
I am mildly curious that though the 6502 provides BCD arithmetic which would be useful for implementing decimal floating point, Commodore BASIC uses, like all (?) Micro-Soft BASIC, binary floating ...
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What was the role of Commodore-West Germany?
Most of the history of Commodore in personal computers took place while East and West Germany were divided, and Commodore maintained a significant corporate presence in West Germany. While I believe ...
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Commodore Mouse not recognized by a Commodore PC30-III 286 machine
I have Commodore PC 30-III 286 machine with a serial port at the back labelled "mouse". If I plug my Commodore mouse 1900 serial mouse then execute mouse.com at the DOS prompt then I get the ...
- 805
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7
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Part-bad chips other than RAM
In the early eighties, you could buy half-bad 64k RAM chips at a discount. Some cost-conscious manufacturers such as Sinclair and Tandy took advantage of this, buying eight such chips to make a 32K ...
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What is the proper way to test the PSU output for a Commodore 128D?
This question is directly related to comments on the more general question and answer here.
The Commodore 128D and 128D-CR have an internal PSU that can be readily and safely disconnected from the ...
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How do you send code to a Commodore disk drive and run it?
Commodore disk drives such as the 1541 used with the Commodore 64 and similar computers, and the earlier 8050 used with the PET series, had their own 6502 CPU and 2 kB or so of RAM used to run the ...
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What is this extra lead in my monitor cable?
I have a breadbox Commodore 64 with a Commodore 1702 monitor.
My monitor has three RCA-style inputs on the back:
Audio (White)
Luma (Yellow)
Chroma (Red)
I purchased a cable which claims to be an ...
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Is there a device that will take composite video from a vintage computer and filter it so it is green or amber like the old monochrome monitors?
I know some monitors have a mono/green switch, but I'd like to do this with my 1702. If one doesn't exist, I'll probably try and make one (somehow).
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What is the best option to connect old computer to modern TV
I was exploring different options of connecting both my Atari ST and C64 to a modern TV.
I opted for a composite signal passed through a cheap AV to VGA converter, and although the display works, ...
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Why did Commodore files not include metadata to say where in memory to load it?
On the Commodore 64, (and I believe also the VIC-20, PETs etc.) you may instruct BASIC to
LOAD "something",8
to load a file to the start of BASIC's area (and that address may vary between machines),...
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Early BASIC memory management
Can anyone verify or correct my memory here?
Long ago, I had access to a Commodore PET which I think had 8kB of memory. Also slightly less long ago, I had a Commodore 64 with its "elephatine" 64kB. ...
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2
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What does Shift-RETURN do on Commodore's 8-bit computers?
Someone recently commented that, "a shift-Return is really different from a normal one. It moves the cursor to the next line, but does not complete an input operation."
This would be interesting and ...
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Commodore monitor to VGA or HDMI
I have this monitor, which I think is a Commodore 64 monitor.
I would like to connect it to a pc.
Anyone know how to convert VGA or HDMI to this connector format?
I've tried searching, but so far I'...
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What were Commodore's keyboard layouts before the VIC-20?
Starting in 1980 the VIC-20 keyboard seems to have become sort of a
standard for Commmodore, being re-used on the MAX Machine (in membrane
form), C64, C16 and (with additional keys added) the 128.
...
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Benchmark between Home computers? What can be a valid parameter for that?
I'm writing my thesis about the home computer market between 1977 and 1984 (focusing on Commodore Inc.so PET, VIC-20 and 64 and competitors). I'm trying to plot a curve describing the technological ...
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