**** COMMODORE 64 BASIC V2 ****. 64K RAM SYSTEM 38911 BASIC BYTES FREE. READY...
How many memories are indelibly linked to this computer that has now entered history, or rather, legend! For me, it is a tribute to a past of fun with many dear friends in the company of the C64 (CPU: Mos Technology 6510). In this case, I deemed it necessary to start from the beginning, that is, the user manual (Copyright © 1982 by Commodore).
The text is divided into 8 chapters. Chapter 1 describes the installation and various connectors of the keyboard. Through the serial port, you can connect the Floppy Drive 1541 or the printer, and it's also possible to insert a Vicmodem loader to access numerous information networks. Chapter 2 relates to the keyboard functions, loading and saving programs on tape or disk, printing, and calculations. Chapter 3 describes the initial operations of programming in BASIC. Chapter 4 is dedicated to advanced BASIC. Chapter 5 concerns advanced commands for colors and graphics. Chapter 6 introduces animated graphics "Sprites" (VIC-II video chip). Chapter 7 explains how to create music (SID-6581 chip). Finally, Chapter 8 pertains to advanced data manipulation. The manual also includes a series of appendices (A-Q) featuring descriptions of: accessories, software, commands, functions, abbreviations, codes, memory maps, tables, graphs, programs, and other useful information.
The C64 was introduced in '82 and continued to be produced until '94. During this time span, over 17 million units were sold. Commodore created a gold C64 and presented it at CES in '84 when it reached a sales milestone of one million. Even though it hasn't been on the market for many years, there are still enthusiasts who dedicate time and passion to the development and realization of programs, curious demos, and various hardware 'gizmos'. Some examples? The SuperCPU, an expansion to insert into the cartridge port that allows the C64 to run at 20 MHz. The 3.5-inch FD-2000 Floppy Drive, capable of emulating the formats of classic Commodore drives, with a real-time clock and the availability of over 6000 free blocks. External Hard Disks up to 2 GB (100 times faster), capable of emulating all Commodore drives, equipped with a port to connect peripherals or PCs. The Turbo 232 high-speed Modem interface, allowing internet connection at a maximum speed of 230 Kbps. With Action Replay or VCF 280 cartridges, via a special button, you can 'freeze' a program or game to make infinite modifications. Over these years, technology has 'evolved' rapidly, and if today the capabilities of C64 hardware seem 'ridiculous and outdated', back then, they were revolutionary.
With its 0.985 MHz, the C64 has gifted us with timeless masterpieces thanks to the fundamental support of ingenious programmers. They are innumerable, but I would like to at least mention: Andrew Braybrook (Paradroid, Uridium, Morpheus), Manfred Trenz (Turrican, Katakis), and Jeff Minter. Among thousands of programs, I wouldn't want to forget SEUCK, which allows the development of games at a professional level; while for those who want to compose music, there's Mac Music, and to copy programs, there's Fast Hack'em V2.0.
There's so much more I would like to write... but perhaps not! So I conclude with a: "Thank you Commodore, thank you C64". SYS 64738.
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