Anybody own the C64 Mini? Impressions?

[pimpmaul69]

7 hours ago, LoTonah said:

Dumb question: has anyone updated the Mini using the Max software?  I'm wondering how different the hardware actually is.  I'm not gonna try it, I only have one of them... anyone not using theirs now that they got the bigger brother and want to tinker? 

The updates are all the same. There is no available software specific to the full size c64. 

[+OLD CS1]

1 hour ago, pimpmaul69 said:

The updates are all the same. There is no available software specific to the full size c64. 

So, VIC-20 mode is available on the Mini, or did I miss something?

[eightbit]

1 hour ago, OLD CS1 said:

So, VIC-20 mode is available on the Mini, or did I miss something?

 

It is not. The firmware upgrade file is the same file for both units, but the software detects what model you are upgrading and applies those specific updates to said console. So while the mini got some new stuff, it did not get Vic-20 mode with the latest update (1.3.2).

[pimpmaul69]

Deleted

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by pimpmaul69
Deleted

[LoTonah]

Any way to trick it?  LOL  I hope they offer it at some point (soon!)

[eightbit]

On 1/14/2020 at 4:48 AM, LoTonah said:

Any way to trick it?  LOL  I hope they offer it at some point (soon!)

  

[+wongojack]

Did they ever make it easier to use other controllers with the mini?  I know in this thread that @pimpmaul69 had talked about updating the controller files.  Did they ever incorporate your work into an official update?

[motrucker]

I got my mini for $29.95 here in the 'States, but I haven't turned it on in months. I still use my real C-64c and VIC 20. Still don't care much for this emulation.

 

 

[pimpmaul69]

On 7/7/2020 at 2:58 PM, wongojack said:

Did they ever make it easier to use other controllers with the mini?  I know in this thread that @pimpmaul69 had talked about updating the controller files.  Did they ever incorporate your work into an official update?

I didnt pursue it any further. They identified an issue with a ton of controllers with both analog and dpads and were supposed to add the fix. Not sure if the full-size got the fix as i dont have one but the Mini never did. 

[+OLD CS1]

What was the last update for the Mini?

 

So the last update was sometime around the beginning of the year.  I was hoping for another update by now.

[pimpmaul69]

34 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

What was the last update for the Mini?

 

So the last update was sometime around the beginning of the year.  I was hoping for another update by now.

Nope. Only update now is the announcement of TheVIC20 full size

[+OLD CS1]

44 minutes ago, pimpmaul69 said:

Nope. Only update now is the announcement of TheVIC20 full size

New toy.  Forget the old ones.

[Torr]

On 7/7/2020 at 6:28 PM, wongojack said:

Did they ever make it easier to use other controllers with the mini?  I know in this thread that @pimpmaul69 had talked about updating the controller files.  Did they ever incorporate your work into an official update?

Thats why Mine is unfortunately gathering dust.The flimsy (and shitty) pack in stick broke fairly quickly and there just don't seem to be any others that work with it... incredibly stupid. The C64 Mini was a great idea I think... the execution however? well.. executed is probably too appropriate as a choice of words.

Really wish I didn't have to type that, because I loved my C64 as a kid and enjoyed my C64 Mini for the brief period I could play it.

 

[Loafer]

Are you on the latest firmware Torr?  There are a couple of options open to you:

 

- there certainly were other joystick/gamepads added on the later firmwares, I'm using a SNES style gamepad and it works flawlessly

- You could also get a USB to DB9 adapter such as the one from Retronic Design and use any of those db9 joysticks that work back in the day on a real C64. Works great, Retronic Design specifically added support to their adapter and its flawless victory!

[+wongojack]

1 hour ago, Loafer said:

Are you on the latest firmware Torr?  There are a couple of options open to you:

 

- there certainly were other joystick/gamepads added on the later firmwares, I'm using a SNES style gamepad and it works flawlessly

- You could also get a USB to DB9 adapter such as the one from Retronic Design and use any of those db9 joysticks that work back in the day on a real C64. Works great, Retronic Design specifically added support to their adapter and its flawless victory!

I knew about the SNES pad, but not Retronic.  Good tip.  I wonder if the Stella Adapter works.  I own one of those already and a device called the Ultimate PC Interface which serves a similar purpose . . .

 

Still, I don't think that is good enough.  For a comparison, I recently went looking for an old PC game from 1999.  I found a version on internet archive that worked.  When I plugged in my Xbox controller, it took all of 20 seconds for me to configure it to work with software created over 20 years ago.  The mini should be the same.

[pimpmaul69]

24 minutes ago, wongojack said:

I knew about the SNES pad, but not Retronic.  Good tip.  I wonder if the Stella Adapter works.  I own one of those already and a device called the Ultimate PC Interface which serves a similar purpose . . .

 

Still, I don't think that is good enough.  For a comparison, I recently went looking for an old PC game from 1999.  I found a version on internet archive that worked.  When I plugged in my Xbox controller, it took all of 20 seconds for me to configure it to work with software created over 20 years ago.  The mini should be the same.

There is a program on the pc for creating cjm files. You can make a universal file that works for all games that sits in the root of your usb and then make separate cjm files for any that need any special change like setting pal or ntsc. And without editing the gamecontrollersdb.txt you cant use a stella adapter or a upci. 

[Hwlngmad]

On 7/8/2020 at 9:53 PM, pimpmaul69 said:

Nope. Only update now is the announcement of TheVIC20 full size

I don't imagine they will update the Mini for a lot further, if at all considering it looks like their efforts have shifted to the full sized unit.  BTW, THEVIC20 can now be ordered from Amazon UK and shipped to the States.  I saw that at 1:30am this past Saturday and went ahead and ordered it.  I do realize it is just a tweak of the THEC64, but I find the Vic more aethetically appealing than I do most versions of the C64.  Now, if they did a THEC64C with the GUI in it, that would be something.

[pimpmaul69]

9 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

I don't imagine they will update the Mini for a lot further, if at all considering it looks like their efforts have shifted to the full sized unit.  BTW, THEVIC20 can now be ordered from Amazon UK and shipped to the States.  I saw that at 1:30am this past Saturday and went ahead and ordered it.  I do realize it is just a tweak of the THEC64, but I find the Vic more aethetically appealing than I do most versions of the C64.  Now, if they did a THEC64C with the GUI in it, that would be something.

I would disagree about updating the mini. There will probably be an update when the vic20 is out. The last update was for both the mini and full-size when the full-size came out. 

[DragonGrafx-16]

I really wish I could use my Hori USB arcade stick with my C64 Mini but sadly it doesn't work with it.

[+OLD CS1]

I have grown a bit disillusioned with the Mini, and thus anything else THEy will put out.  I guess all of the promises have been met, but we still lack an easy way to manage multi-disk games and joystick support still is not to my liking.  As well, this is probably a minor inconvenience, as most of the games we can run these days are G64 or D64 images which have been cracked or otherwise no longer need two disks or more.

 

Meh.  What keeps me going is the awesome home-brew stuff that keeps coming out (and older stuff I keep stumbling across.)  I just ordered a clam's worth from RGCD.  Mainly my Mini is for travel, and most of what I do is on real iron, anyway, as I am not traveling much (i.e. not at all) these days.

 

I have concluded that the Classics and Minis are good enough to replace real iron on the entertainment stand; the NES Classic (with Hakchi,) Sega Genesis Mini (with Lunar,) the ColecoVision Phoenix, and THEC64 Mini are good enough to replace their forebears, so at this point all I need is the TI-99/4A and Atari 7800 on the shelf taking up comparatively massive amounts of space.  I am considering ejecting my NeoGeo X Gold -- oh, how I would love to use its controllers with the 64 Mini.

 

My "simple" wish list for THEC64/Mini:

• More controller support (NeoGeo X Gold, Sega Genesis Mini, NES Classic, etc.)
• Ability to swap disk images in virtual menu
• Printer capabilities (either via a USB-parallel port or PostScript, though PS will probably cost licensing)
• XU1541 compatibility to use real Commodore and compatible disk drives

[pimpmaul69]

41 minutes ago, OLD CS1 said:

I have grown a bit disillusioned with the Mini, and thus anything else THEy will put out.  I guess all of the promises have been met, but we still lack an easy way to manage multi-disk games and joystick support still is not to my liking.  As well, this is probably a minor inconvenience, as most of the games we can run these days are G64 or D64 images which have been cracked or otherwise no longer need two disks or more.

 

Meh.  What keeps me going is the awesome home-brew stuff that keeps coming out (and older stuff I keep stumbling across.)  I just ordered a clam's worth from RGCD.  Mainly my Mini is for travel, and most of what I do is on real iron, anyway, as I am not traveling much (i.e. not at all) these days.

 

I have concluded that the Classics and Minis are good enough to replace real iron on the entertainment stand; the NES Classic (with Hakchi,) Sega Genesis Mini (with Lunar,) the ColecoVision Phoenix, and THEC64 Mini are good enough to replace their forebears, so at this point all I need is the TI-99/4A and Atari 7800 on the shelf taking up comparatively massive amounts of space.  I am considering ejecting my NeoGeo X Gold -- oh, how I would love to use its controllers with the 64 Mini.

 

My "simple" wish list for THEC64/Mini:

• More controller support (NeoGeo X Gold, Sega Genesis Mini, NES Classic, etc.)
• Ability to swap disk images in virtual menu
• Printer capabilities (either via a USB-parallel port or PostScript, though PS will probably cost licensing)
• XU1541 compatibility to use real Commodore and compatible disk drives

On the full size you can swap disks in the menu. Wish they would release that as an update on the mini. As far as the controllers go i can edit the gamecontrollerdb.txt to support other controllers. I however do not own a neo geo x so if you wanted me to set that up you would have to ship the controller to me so i can set it up then i would ship it back to you. I have the genesis mini and the retrobit official 6 button controller for the genesis mini so i could add those as well. 

[carlsson]

9 hours ago, OLD CS1 said:

• Printer capabilities (either via a USB-parallel port or PostScript, though PS will probably cost licensing)
• XU1541 compatibility to use real Commodore and compatible disk drives

These points in particular probably are far from their typical customer. The more features supported, the more complex the product becomes and harder to maintain. You sound like a power user who probably could hack your own C64DTV or replace the interior of the THEC64 Mini with something like a Raspberry Pi that would let you add features as you wish.

 

Perhaps rather there is a market for an XU1541 device with some cache RAM that presents itself as a memory stick, if that technically is possible?

Edited August 5, 2020 by carlsson

[Hwlngmad]

15 hours ago, pimpmaul69 said:

I would disagree about updating the mini. There will probably be an update when the vic20 is out. The last update was for both the mini and full-size when the full-size came out. 

Definitely I would be happy to be proven wrong as the Mini is still a viable choice even now, but I personally just don't see them really putting much effort into trying to update it at this point.  Still, again, I would be glad to be proven wrong.

[+OLD CS1]

3 hours ago, carlsson said:

The more features supported, the more complex the product becomes and harder to maintain.

I know Vice supports or supported a "real drive" setting which can use the XU1541.  It was slow for me, but any number of factors could have been responsible for that.

 

3 hours ago, carlsson said:

You sound like a power user who probably could hack your own C64DTV or replace the interior of the THEC64 Mini with something like a Raspberry Pi that would let you add features as you wish.

Then I would have a completely disparate and useless product.  It is a "wish list" for a reason, and the bottom two wishes allow for something to give up during the negotiations

 

3 hours ago, carlsson said:

Perhaps rather there is a market for an XU1541 device with some cache RAM that presents itself as a memory stick, if that technically is possible?

My guess is whatever is possible in Vice is possible on THEC64.

[Loafer]

RG (TheC64 mini devs) I believe stated recently there are more updates coming to the mini.  for the multidisk support, my guess is they didn't want to hurt the sales of the Maxi since that was one of the important unique value of the upgrade, along with the keyboard of course, so once the next Wave of Maxie's sell out and yeah, probably close to the Vic20 maxi launch we are likely to see this finally added to the mini because after the vic20 is out, I don't see them going back to that well, time to move on to other products (please dear god, let it be the Amigamini!)