mab@druak.UUCP (Alan Bland) (02/24/86)
I may be getting a C128 and 1571 in the near future. In order to
continue using much of my existing commercial software, I'll need to use
the 128 in 64 mode, and the 1571 in 1541 mode. Unfortunately, this
means that the 1571 will be as slow as a 1541. (For you Europeans, that
means you can watch your fingernails grow while a program is loading).
My question is this: Do any of the disk speed-up packages for the
64/1541 work with the 1571 (and the 128 in 64 mode)? I currently have a
64/1541 with 1541 Flash. I seriously doubt that the 1541 Flash will
work on a 1571 (although it's advertised to work with a C128/1541
combination). I plan to sell my 64 and 1541, and probably the Flash too
if it won't work with the 1571. But I might not upgrade to the 128
if I'm forced to use a slow disk in 64 mode. Any experiences from
people who have upgraded to a 128/1571 are welcome.
Thanks in advance!
--
Alan Bland
AT&T Information Systems, Denver CO
{ihnp4|allegra}!druak!mabbub@rlgvax.UUCP ( Mongo Mauler) (02/26/86)
> ... if it won't work with the 1571. But I might not upgrade to the 128 > if I'm forced to use a slow disk in 64 mode. Any experiences from > people who have upgraded to a 128/1571 are welcome. > Thanks in advance! > Alan Bland I'm not 100% sure, but it is my belief that the 1571 has the same rom as the 1541 for use in 1541 mode. I'll check my documentation (I do remember reading about this same inquiry in one of the magazines I subscribe to) and post my findings, but I'm relatively sure that the rom cartridges such as Fast Load, Mach 5, etc. work with the 1571 in 1541 mode. I know for certain that I've seen advertisements for 1571 speed load rom cartridges as well. Whether they are specific to 128, CP/M, or 64 modes is something I'll have to recheck. I've purchased the 128 myself and have been using my 1541 for months (I made a promise to myself that I'd get the new 1571 after taking a tough 'C' programming class, but the bucks just ain't materialized!). It is a slow process in all modes, but 128 and CP/M modes make the wait tolerable. If you are a 'serious' programmer and you do ANY work in BASIC, I would highly recommend the 128 even if you can't speed up the 1541 stuff. With the 128 AND the new 1571, your BASIC 7.0 and CP/M work would whizz along. You might want to reconsider your maybe not making the purchase based on 64/1541 molasses mode only. The other virtues of the machine are just incredible compared to your old 64. I'd be interested in purchasing your old 64, by the way. If I were you, I'd consider hanging on to the 1541 as a second and/or backup drive! Bubba
bub@rlgvax.UUCP ( Mongo Mauler) (02/27/86)
> I may be getting a C128 and 1571 in the near future. In order to... > ...if I'm forced to use a slow disk in 64 mode. Any experiences from > people who have upgraded to a 128/1571 are welcome. > > Thanks in advance! > -- > Alan Bland > AT&T Information Systems, Denver CO > {ihnp4|allegra}!druak!mab Here's a bit more on the 1571/1541 compatibility question - From the April '86 issue of the COMPUTE!'S GAZETTE magazine, here's a blurb for a new speed loader for the C128 using either your old 1541 or new 1571 disk drives: "...Access Software introduced the Mach 128 cartridge, a fast-load and DOS enhancement package for either the 1541 or 1571 disk drive. Program loads are [claimed to be - Bubba] up to 700 percent faster with the 1541, and 'burst speed' loads are possible with the 1571. Features include a reset switch for warm starts and a switch for selecting 128 or 64 mode. Also included are short-hand DOS commands, 40- and 80-column screen dumps, and DISK ORGANIZER, a disk based utility for cataloging and organizing disk libraries. Suggested retail price is $49.95." In the February '86 issue of ?SYNTAX (the monthly newsletter of CHUG - the Commodore Houston Users Group), Thomas Gumm Sr writes: "Contrary to popular belief the 1571 is not totally compatible with the 1541 so you will need to keep your old drive if you run commercially protected software. One way around the problem is to copy your software from the 1541 to your new 1571 using a 2-drive copy program such as COPY-II. If you use this technique, make sure to use the C-64 version of the copy program rather than the C-128 version. Many of the programs coming on the market today can be used in both C-64 and C-128 machines and therefore must be stored on a single-sided disk so they can be read by a 1541 or compatible drive." I think the last statement refers to a need to store programs on a disk that has been formatted in 1541 mode on one side using your 1571, not necessarily using a single sided disk only. Hope this helps you with your decision Alan, and I hope it helps anyone else interested in the purchase of the new Commodore equipment. Bubba Sometimes I Feel Like I Been Tied To The Whippin' Post Pearson | | ---( )--- ____________[( . )]____________ x x x x
mab@druak.UUCP (Alan Bland) (03/03/86)
Regarding C64/1541 disk speedups that work on the C128/1571, I received
a message from one person who is using the Epyx Fast Load cartridge on
his C128 and 1571 with no problems. With the cartridge installed, the
C128 boots up in C64 mode.
The 1571 (in 1541 mode) is not 100% compatible with a real 1541.
Due to the copy protection schemes used, HACKER and ZAXXON fail to load
on a 1571. If anyone knows of other programs for the 1541 that don't
load on a 1571, please post to the net.
Thanks to everyone who responded to my query about the 1571. The C128/1571
combination really looks attractive. (The suggestion that I keep my 1541
as a second drive is a good one, but my potential buyer for my C64 also
wants the 1541).
--
Alan Bland
AT&T Information Systems, Denver CO
{ihnp4|allegra}!druak!mab