[net.micro.cbm] Protecto 80-Col for C64

ridsdale@sfucmpt (Gary Ridsdale) (12/14/83)

I recently purchased an 80-col interface for my C64 from Protecto.
(It's actually made by DATA-20). It produces an 80X24 display on
any  monitor (NOT T.V.), and can be switched in software
between the C64 display(for graphics) and its own high-resolution display.
The thing arrived about when I expected it to (about 3 weeks from Illinois
to Vancouver, Canada). I've been using it for around a month now and it
appears to work fine. (I have a relatively cheap BMC monitor, and the
characters are as clear as on any medium-priced terminal.)
For $159 US you get the interface (which plugs into the user port
like a game cartridge) with some software  on a diskette.
This includes:
	1. A full-screen editor with word-processing functions.
		These include line-fill, right-and-left margin adjust,
		tabs, auto underlining, and so on.  
		It talks to both serial and parallel
		printers.  I've written a few letters and
		reports on it, and it seems to work quite well.
		Biggest drawback: two-column output is impossible.
		
	2. A spread-sheet program.  Not as versatile as a true
		visi-clone, but does all the regular things you need
		in such a program. Biggest drawback: you can't swap
		or duplicate rows (or columns).
		
	3. A terminal program that works in conjunction with
		the VICMODEM. Really awful. Biggest drawback:
		Works in upper-case by default, and you have to SHIFT to
		get lower-case!  You can easily write a new one in BASIC  
		that's much better.
				
In general, I think the whole package is not a bad deal for
$159.  
	
Biggest Overall Drawback: doesn't work with all machine-language
programs (but does work with any program that uses the KERNAL
I/O routines, such as any BASIC program.)