pcr@genrad.com (Perry Rothermel) (08/30/89)
I have just sold my 128 and purchased a 128D and I thought I would pass
on some obsevations about the system.
The separate keyboard is nice and the keys have a better "touch" than
did my "flat" 128. The graphic symbols are on top of the keys with the letters
instead of on the front - this gives the keyboard a "cluttered" look. Also, the
keyboard cord could be a little more flexible or made of "phone cord".
I wanted the built in drive (since I now have 2 drives). But it appears
its like all the other Commodore disk drives I've owned - when the heads are
reading/writing, they are noisy. In fact when I am working on something that
requires a lot of drive activity the noise is actually a little annoying.
One last thing, the joy-stick ports are really not that accessible. They
should have been swapped with the cassette port (I mean, does anybody even
use the cassette port?), and placed in front of the keyboard port not behind
it.
All in all I am satisfied with the 128D (even with the few "critisizms").
I have 2 questions:
1.) Besides Maverick v3.0 & Basic 8.0, how is any other 128D owner useing/
utilizing the 64k ram? Can it be used in any other way?
2.) Any way I can adjust, fix, tweek, etc the disk drive to make it operate
with less "rattling" noise?
Please feel free to add or take away from this discussion. Maybe we can get
a general discussion going about the 128D. Thanks in advance for any help or
info.pcr@genrad.com (Perry Rothermel) (08/30/89)
In article <25438@genrad.UUCP>, pcr@genrad.com (Perry Rothermel) writes: > I have 2 questions: > > 1.) Besides Maverick v3.0 & Basic 8.0, how is any other 128D owner useing/ > utilizing the 64k ram? Can it be used in any other way? > Ooops, I meant the added 64k VIDEO ram! Thanks! pcr%genrad.uucp@wjh12.harvard.edu
daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (09/06/89)
in article <25438@genrad.UUCP>, pcr@genrad.com (Perry Rothermel) says: > Keywords: 1571 - 64k video ram > Also, the keyboard cord could be a little more flexible or made of "phone > cord". No it couldn't. The C128D keyboard is still scanned by the 8502, just like on the C128. That takes almost 25 wires to accomplish. Most of the computers with thin keyboard cables, like the Amiga, have a separate CPU (a 6500/1 in the case of the Amiga) that do the keyboard scanning, and communicate to the host machine via a two wire serial interface. -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Systems Engineering) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy Too much of everything is just enough
scott@max.u.washington.edu (09/08/89)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The following entry should be credited to JON MINES of
"Library BBS", (206)547-2447, Seattle, WA, USA
In article <25438@genrad.UUCP>, pcr@genrad.com (Perry Rothermel) writes:
> I have just sold my 128 and purchased a 128D and I thought I would pass
> on some obsevations about the system.
[...some part taken out...]
> One last thing, the joy-stick ports are really not that accessible. They
> should have been swapped with the cassette port (I mean, does anybody even
> use the cassette port?), and placed in front of the keyboard port not behind
> it.
> All in all I am satisfied with the 128D (even with the few "critisizms").
>
Msg#:43552 *Commodore*
09/06/89 20:47:00
From: JON MINES ---> Library BBS, (206)562-2447, Seattle, WA, USA
To: SCOTT STEPHEN (Rcvd)
Subj: REPLY TO MSG# 43382 (774: C128D COMMENTS)
Yes, some people do use the cassette port! Cassette drives are used more in
Europe than disk drives! This is a FACT! Interestin eh?
Jon