[net.micro.cbm] Commodore Plus 4 Question.

elg@usl.UUCP (Eric Lee Green) (07/22/86)

In article <188@rruxo.UUCP> dgi@rruxo.UUCP writes:
>This posting is for a friend of mine who's interested in
>buying a small computer for home use.
>
>Does anybody know anything about a supposedly new Commodore
>model called the Plus 4?  Any information about it would be
>appreciated.  Also does anyone know about a color monitor

The only "home" Commodore models in widespread use right now are the
C-64 and the C-128. Anything else is an incompatible orphan with no
software.

Once upon a time, about a year and a half ago, Commodore decided they
would replace the venerable Commodore 64. So, they invented the +4.
The +4 had a cheaper keyboard, no sound chip, limited RS-232 port, and
was completely incompatible with the Commodore 64 -- no C-64 software
will run on the +4. Commodore never managed to sell many, and lost a
bundle when they had to write down their inventory and liquidate. It
is an orphan now, so there never WILL be any software to run on the
+4. Useful only if you want to play around with BASIC, you'll never be
able to do anything useful on it.

>by BMC, model 125AUW and if so is it compatible with the
>aforementioned computer?

I haven't seen the BMC, but any composite monitor is compatible with
the C-64 or C-128. Note, however, that you get a better picture out of
the Commodore monitors (because they accept the pre-seperated chroma
and luma signals that the Commodore computers can produce, eliminating
the smudging induced by the chroma trap in ordinary monitors). Or you
can just use a monochrome monitor. I'm using a $50 NAP monitor for 80
column on my C-128 right now, in order to write this warning.




-- 
-- Computing from the Bayous, --
      Eric Green {akgua,ut-sally}!usl!elg
         (Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191, Lafayette, LA 70509)