wg@aluxp.UUCP (gieske) (04/09/85)
I've heard that Commodore is selling/planning to sell a C128 (?) that will run all C64 software, has an 80 column screen, and sells/will sell for <$300 (i.e. $299.99). They have a business 128; are these one and the same? The business 128 is >$300. W. Gieske aluxp!wg
pjm@spuxll.UUCP (PJ Maioriello) (04/09/85)
The machines mentioned are not the same. The B128 came out at least a year ago. It uses a 6509 (6502 instruction compatible) microprocessor, does 80 columns and is only moderately compatible with any ohter CBM machine. This means that very basic BASIC (no machine dependent pokes) will work. Also I beleive the perennial kernal jump table was maintained. These beasties are currently featured in a bundles package sold by Protecto Enterprises at a really nice price for what you get. The only catch is that the machine never caught on, and there has not been much software written specifically for it. The "C"128 (actually, I believe it's officially called the Commodore 128, ala Commodore 64) is a totally different animal. It is actually three different computers with three deifferent processors (6510,8502,z80), and two different video display chips(composite 40 col, sprites, 320x200, 16 colors and rgb1, 80 col, 640 horizontal pixel resolution, 16 colors). It operates using these various processors in a native 128 mode, a z80 CPM mode and it is also literally a 64. Note this is not an emulation. It is a 64 when it is in 64 mode. Note the machine supposedly posesses 112k rom to support all of these modes. This includes the 64 basic intepreter and kernal. Supposedly not one byte has been changed. Even access to the new features has been sacrificed the preserve its ability to be a 64. The April issue (I think) of Creative Computing has an article by Sheldon Leeman (sp), desribing some of the goodies of the 128 mode. Apparantly the 8502 has some fairly nice memeory management capabilities that go beyond simple bank switching. Common memory areas can be defined and made accessible in multiple banks. Color memory is not fixed so that displays can be set up and instantly accessed. The 8502 chip also supports multiple zero pages and stack segments. I have a few more details if anybody is interested. As a current c64 owner I plan to purchase a 128. The 64 compatibility access to CPM, and 128 mode make it very attractive. Its like getting a new computer without giving up anything. All my existing software will still work, and CPM access is a nice bonus. Also be on the lookout for a 1200 baud Auto dial, Auto answer, Auto baud modem for under $100. Supposedly the deal has been struck where U.S. Robotics will make them and Commodore will market them. Sorry if I sound like a commercial, but I would love to see some real competition between CBM and Atari where the real winners will be the people who get more computing power for less money, us!! If anybody has any new info please post. P. J. Maioriello spuxll!pjm
sct@lanl.ARPA (04/11/85)
> I've heard that Commodore is selling/planning to sell a C128 (?) that > will run all C64 software, has an 80 column screen, and sells/will sell > for <$300 (i.e. $299.99). They have a business 128; are these one and > the same? The business 128 is >$300. > > W. Gieske > aluxp!wg Commodore's business 128 is called the B128 while the new Commodore is called the C128. The two are not the same.
percus@acf4.UUCP (Allon G. Percus) (04/11/85)
No. The B128 and C128 are entirely different. (I didn't even
know that the B128 existed. Commodore has not made a big thing
out of it, but I know that Protecto Enterprizes has been
advertising, for whatever that's worth..)
A. G. Percus
(ARPA) percus@acf4
(NYU) percus.acf4
(UUCP) ...!ihnp4!cmcl2!acf4!percusravi@eneevax.UUCP (Ravi Kulkarni) (04/12/85)
I remember reading that the 80 column mode did not have any graphics capability so if you wanted to do graphics stuff you had to go back to the 320x200 mode or the 160x200 multi color mode. If so I don't see much advantage except for word processing and terminal emulation. One question, is this 1200 baud modem going to be rs232c compatible or only for plugging into the user port like the current 300 baud models. -- ARPA: eneevax!ravi@maryland UUCP: [seismo,allegra]!umcp-cs!eneevax!ravi