motrucker

https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44617&start=0 Here's the link that should work this time. My apologies for for including a link that didn't work.

I remember seeing a demo of the Spartan at our old Commodore User Group, in about mid 1986. It had all of the updates, and even had the 1541 board. Very interesting bit of hardware, if some what expensive. It did a very good job of running Apple ][ software, although IIRC they could not get the 1541 to work 100%. It took so long to be released, it was being referred to as vaporware back then. Here are some more thoughts on this add on; https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44617&start=0

From this angle, could that ball be a track ball?

Both of the early joysticks are known as model #1311; http://www.zimmers.net/cbmpics/jjoysticks.html To the best of my knowledge neither is very desirable on the market, since they are both quite terrible.

While there are newer storage options, I would highly recommend getting a real 1571 to use with your "new" C-128. The 1571 is one of the best disk drives Commodore ever made, and makes a great partner for the C-128! You can speed up disk functions even more with Jiffy DOS, or Warp Speed or Mach 128 cartridges. I believe the C-128 is the best eight bit computer made, period.

There's always this option too. This gentleman has been doing calendars for years for the Commodore community. https://retroinvaders.com/es/retro-calendarios/2020.html

I can completely agree that an REU helps running CP/M on a C-128. It speeds up disk access except the initial boot. As far as I know, the original Commodore REU is what you will need. They can made larger though - I use a 2Mb REU. The Indus GT is a great drive, but is still a 1541 clone, and has the same limitations.

The only problem I see with the Atom is the price - $85.00 seems a tad high for what it is. I'm lucky, I still use a Commodore 1764 PSU - they are impossible to find these days though......

You can not beat Ray Carlsen's work, either in his power supplies or his eight bit repair work. I can see why some people overseas shy away due to the shipping costs, but that's life.

It felt great to beat Raid On Bungeling Bay (about thirty years ago!), but finally beating Beyond the Forbidden Forest was more fun. (also around thirty years back there).......

IIRC, Abacus Software (and Data Becker) had the Commodore ROMs listed in their books, in English. https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Abacus_Software

That last post reminded me of all of the Commodore 64 run BBSs back in the 1980s. Many of those systems had hard drives and ran 24/7. Not bad for such a "poor quality" computer, is it?

I don't like C-64 games on anything but a CRT! I keep an old 1080 mostly for the C-128 and C-64 side of the desk. Even other C-64 software, like Sky Travel, looks better on the CRT to me. I have a Phillips (U.S.) 44" smart TV/monitor that doesn't need a scaler. Of course if bought new, these things are expensive!

I will very likely buy a RetroTink 2X soon. I have been using a Viewsonic N6 for years, with excellent results. I'm a bit surprised this hasn't been mention on this site before. The N6 cost me almost $100.00 including shipping, but it was well worth it (it was a new, old stock unit), about five years ago.

RetroTink seems to work quite well, at least on the Commodore 8 bit machines; https://www.retrotink.com/ There's also this option; https://www.ebay.com/itm/Extron-System-7SC-System-Switcher-Integrated-Video-Scaler-Tested/383045902383?hash=item592f50a02f:g:ztsAAOSwd2JdKIpF:sc:FedExHomeDelivery!21037!US!-1 The Extron scalers work very well too, even if they are older technology. The Extron DVS 204 Digital Video Scaler should also work Here's another thread from Lemon64; https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=68065

You're right. Way waste all that space on any type of disk drives, or cartridges, a mouse, or............. I know a lot of people think along those lines.

When I first got the mini I used it for a couple of weeks, but I'm back to the real C-64c system - there's just no replacing it.......

While the SD2IEC can be a handy addition, I would recommend getting a real disk drive too. Get a 1541 II to avoid the problems of the old 1541. The reason is simple, there are loads of programs that will not work with the SD2IEC. Having a real drive in your system will guaranty all your software can be used.

That link is to aaascrapdogsunlimited which is run by good people. I can highly recommend them - very good stuff that they make - and great to work with.

If you think the C-64 is such a bad computer, why in the world did you buy one? Since so many have lasted thirty five years, I wouldn't be to hard on them. To address the heat problem, just remove the cardboard "RF shield", and maybe add a couple of heat sinks (to the PLA and VIC chips). That will work wonders. The Epyx Fastload is good for speeding up disk access, but there are a lot of other options from Jiffy DOS to a Warp Speed cartridge. Jiffy DOS has the advantage of leaving the cartridge port empty for other use though.

You are quite right that upscaling can drive you nuts! Even with all of the HDMI TVs and monitors I have, I keep a 1080 and 2002 on hand for the older 8 bit systems. In my experiences, the 1080 is a better choice than the 1084/1804S.

It isn't only this post, but the prices in Australia are incredibly high for Retro computer stuff across the board.

I am referring to to games from the original publishers. You sure wouldn't ever see user group disks packaged for sale in a retail store here. VIC 20 commercial disk games were no where near as prolific as C-64 games, and I don't mean to infer that, but they were there, at least in this area. Programs on tape just weren't very popular here, for the C-64 or the VIC. Cartridge based games are another story.....

I too never had a problem using the Epyx Fast Load cartridge in the SX-64. Of course I prefer Warp Speed, which also works well in the SX.

In this area Vic 20 software could be purchased from places like Sears, K Mart, etc., on disk, or computer shops that supported the 8 bit market. We had a "super store" for CBM stuff called Buried Treasure in Rockville (just out of Washington D.C.). There were fast loaders for disk drives for both the C-64 and Vic 20. Compute! Magazine ran a type in program for both machines. A quote from Wikipedia on this; "Several popular Commodore magazines published type-in fast loading software. In April 1985, Compute! published TurboDisk, a fast loader that included C64 and VIC-20 versions. This program proved popular and was republished in the July 1985 issue of Compute!'s Gazette. It was printed yet again in August 1986, without the VIC-20 version, but with several accompanying utilities to relocate the program in memory and to create auto-booting software that took advantage of TurboDisk's speed. A Commodore 128 version was also included for those C128 users who still had 1541 disk drives."