nfs1677@dsacg3.UUCP (Harold Chodnoff) (08/12/87)
As a new C64 user I have many questions, however I will address only three at the moment. 1. Can anyone suggest a good C64 manual? The one that it comes with seems to leave a lot of questions unanswered. 2. Is it normal to save a file on disk, after modifications, to the old file name and not have those changes saved? It seems that I have to scratch the old file in order to save those changes under the same name. 3. I am presently in the market for a dot matrix printer. Keeping in mind that I may want to some day in the distant future upgrade to an, excuse the expression, IBM compatible, are there any Ideas? Are there interfaces made for the Commadore printers? The reason I'm asking is that I keep getting a lot of different answers from associates as well as retail stores. Thanks in advance, THE NEW GUY -- Harold Chodnoff@Defense Systems Automation Center, Colunbus, OH. 614-238-9068
cgwong@orchid.waterloo.edu (Clint Wong) (08/13/87)
In article <295@dsacg3.UUCP> nfs1677@dsacg3.UUCP (Harold Chodnoff) writes: > >3. I am presently in the market for a dot matrix printer. Keeping in > mind that I may want to some day in the distant future upgrade to > an, excuse the expression, IBM compatible, are there any Ideas? > Are there interfaces made for the Commadore printers? The reason > I'm asking is that I keep getting a lot of different answers > from associates as well as retail stores. I would highly recommend buying a non-Commodore parallel printer and an interface. The printers with the most features are probably the non- Commodore ones (ie. Epson, Gemini/Star, Roland, ... ). Also, buying a non-Commodore printer ensure that if and when you decide to upgrade to a different computer, you won't have to throw away your printer because nothing talks to it. Also, in buying a parallel printer with a good graphics interface, you get the best of both worlds. You can do anything a Commodore printer can do and more; especially with good word processing packages. -- UUCP : {allegra,clyde,decvax,seismo,utai}!watmath!orchid!cgwong ARPA : cgwong%orchid.waterloo.edu@csnet-relay.arpa CSNET : cgwong@orchid.waterloo.edu BITNET : cgwong@water.BITNET < Clint Wong > CDNet : cgwong@orchid.waterloo.cdn < University of Waterloo ve
eric@cbmvax.UUCP (Eric Cotton) (08/13/87)
In article <295@dsacg3.UUCP> nfs1677@dsacg3.UUCP (Harold Chodnoff) writes: > As a new C64 user I have many questions, however I will address >only three at the moment. >1. Can anyone suggest a good C64 manual? The one that it comes with > seems to leave a lot of questions unanswered. If you do not already have the C64 Programmer's Reference Guide then buy that first. If you are looking for material that is more tutorial there are many good books on the market. Try the local bookstore; most are pretty well stocked with c64 books for all users from novice to expert. >2. Is it normal to save a file on disk, after modifications, to the > old file name and not have those changes saved? It seems that I > have to scratch the old file in order to save those changes under > the same name. The syntax for save-with-replace is: save "@0:filename",8 A word of caution here: It is not advisable to use save-with-replace on the old 1541 disk drives. Delete the file first and then save the new version. >3. I am presently in the market for a dot matrix printer. Keeping in > mind that I may want to some day in the distant future upgrade to > an, excuse the expression, IBM compatible, are there any Ideas? > Are there interfaces made for the Commadore printers? The reason > I'm asking is that I keep getting a lot of different answers > from associates as well as retail stores. You might look at the CBM MPS1000 and MPS 1250 dot matrix printers. I believe both can be used on the C64 line as well as IBMs. -- Eric Cotton Commodore-Amiga *======================================================================* *===== UUCP: {ihnp4|allegra|seismo}!cbmvax!eric =====* *===== FONE: (215) 431-9100 =====* *===== MAIL: 1200 Wilson Drive / West Chester, PA 19380 =====* *===== PAUL: "I don't find this stuff amusing anymore." =====* *======================================================================*
lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Christopher Lishka) (08/14/87)
In article <2214@cbmvax.UUCP> eric@cbmvax.UUCP (Eric Cotton) writes: >In article <295@dsacg3.UUCP> nfs1677@dsacg3.UUCP (Harold Chodnoff) writes: >>2. Is it normal to save a file on disk, after modifications, to the >> old file name and not have those changes saved? It seems that I >> have to scratch the old file in order to save those changes under >> the same name. > >The syntax for save-with-replace is: > > save "@0:filename",8 > >A word of caution here: It is not advisable to use save-with-replace on >the old 1541 disk drives. Delete the file first and then save the new >version. > > Eric Cotton > Commodore-Amiga Hmmmm... I *have* been using the @0: command on my old 1541 drive since I have had it (four or five years now), and have NEVER had any problems. I also thought that a Commodore Representative posted a message saying that as long as one specified the drive number (i.e. the 0 in @0:) that the porblem would NOT occur; the problem only occurred when one used '@:' (i.e. without specifiying which drive). What is the official word on this (yet again), and could we have the advice of someone who designed or knows a lot about the 1541? I repeat that I have never had any problems ever with the '@0:' command, and have used it to an incredible extent (in games such as Elite, when you want to resave your current pilot under the same name, just use the old @0:, because you cannot delete the old file first!). [My apologies to Eric Cotton if he was involved with the 1541 design, or if he is quite knowledgable about 1541's; however, I am positive that I read a message from a Commodore Rep. who said that the @0: command worked fine _as_long_as_you_specified_the_0_] -Chris -- Chris Lishka /lishka@uwslh.uucp Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene <-lishka%uwslh.uucp@rsch.wisc.edu \{seismo, harvard,topaz,...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka
schein@cbmvax.UUCP (Dan Schein MAGAZINES) (08/14/87)
In article <10209@orchid.waterloo.edu> cgwong@orchid.waterloo.edu (Clint Wong) writes: > >I would highly recommend buying a non-Commodore parallel printer and an >interface. The printers with the most features are probably the non- ^^^^^^^^ and then again ...... >Commodore ones (ie. Epson, Gemini/Star, Roland, ... ). Also, buying >a non-Commodore printer ensure that if and when you decide to upgrade to >a different computer, you won't have to throw away your printer because >nothing talks to it. Also, in buying a parallel printer with a good >graphics interface, you get the best of both worlds. You can do anything >a Commodore printer can do and more; especially with good word processing >packages. All very good points why to buy a parallel printer, but why not buy one with a built in serial interface and save those extra $$$$. Take a look at the Commodore MPS-1000 and MPS-1250 printers. So if you do decide to upgrade (To an AMIGA - right?), you can keep the same printer. >-- >UUCP : {allegra,clyde,decvax,seismo,utai}!watmath!orchid!cgwong >ARPA : cgwong%orchid.waterloo.edu@csnet-relay.arpa >CSNET : cgwong@orchid.waterloo.edu >BITNET : cgwong@water.BITNET < Clint Wong > >CDNet : cgwong@orchid.waterloo.cdn < University of Waterloo > -- +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Commodore Business Machines | | 1200 Wilson Drive uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!schein | | West Chester, PA 19380 arpa: cbmvax!schein@seismo.css.GOV | | (215) 431-9384 or schein@cbmvax.UUCP@{seismo|harvard} | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | All spelling mistakes are a result of my efforts to avoid education :-) | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Quote: Those who worked the hardest Gary Ward - Oklahoma State | | are the last to surrender baseball coach | +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
bryce@COGSCI.BERKELEY.EDU (Bryce Nesbitt) (08/15/87)
In article <252@uwslh.UUCP> lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Christopher Lishka) writes: >In article <2214@cbmvax.UUCP> eric@cbmvax.UUCP (Eric Cotton) writes: >>In article <295@dsacg3.UUCP> nfs1677@dsacg3.UUCP (Harold Chodnoff) writes: >>>2. Is it normal to save a file on disk, after modifications...??? >> >>The syntax for save-with-replace is: >> save "@0:filename",8 >> >>A word of caution here: It is not advisable to use save-with-replace on >>the old 1541 disk drives. Delete the file first and then save the new >>version. >> Eric Cotton Commodore-Amiga > >Hmmmm... I *have* been using the @0: command on my old 1541 drive >since I have had it (four or five years now), and have NEVER had any >problems. I also thought that a Commodore Representative posted a >message saying that as long as one specified the drive number (i.e. >the 0 in @0:) that the porblem would NOT occur; Wrong, wrong! There is a definite bug in the 1541 (and family) ROMs that is the cause of this bug. Certain combinations of BAM (Block Availability Map) setup will bring it out. Essentially, blocks that have actually been allocated are left marked as free on the disk surface. Another file saves over that and "boom". You may not get bit for a *long* time, but save to a well used disk enough times and it *will* bite! The bug can be patched to "dissappear" from the lower half of the ROM ($C000-$DFFF) or *fixed* in the other half ($E000-$FFFF). You can also prevent the conditions by the use of the the "0" drive specifier: >> You will not see the save @ bug *if*, after a drive reset, you and *all* the programs you use *specify* drive 0 *every* time there is a disk access. << If drive "1" is *ever* specified the 1541 will be poisoned. If *no* drive is specified in a command the 1541 will say. "Hey, drive "1" has not been initialized... I'd better do that!". Drive "1" does not exist, an error is created for that drive and the system is poisoned. The actual patch to fix the problem is only about 16 bytes long. It is not the same as Slaymaker (sp?) et all have been providing. As far as I know, Commodore has not yet fixed this on the newer drives. The one "fix" I saw for the 1571 just shifted the conditions of the bug, and did not address the real, deep seated bug. I have not explored this much since digging and digging under layers of bugs to find the *real* cause of save @ problems, many moons ago. Maybe I should tell CBM about that one... and that other bug... and how about... The save @ is a rare bug in that I know of no programs that depend on it in order to run without trouble. |\ /| . Ack! (NAK, EOT, SOH) {o O} . ( " ) bryce@cogsci.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!cogsci!bryce U Poet: "To be or not to be?" Hacker: "$ff"
rickc@pogo.TEK.COM (Rick Clements) (08/19/87)
In article <252@uwslh.UUCP> lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Christopher Lishka) writes: >In article <2214@cbmvax.UUCP> eric@cbmvax.UUCP (Eric Cotton) writes: >>A word of caution here: It is not advisable to use save-with-replace on >>the old 1541 disk drives. Delete the file first and then save the new >>version. >> Eric Cotton >> Commodore-Amiga >Hmmmm... I *have* been using the @0: command on my old 1541 drive >since I have had it (four or five years now), and have NEVER had any >problems. I also thought that a Commodore Representative posted a >message saying that as long as one specified the drive number (i.e. >the 0 in @0:) that the porblem would NOT occur; the problem only >occurred when one used '@:' (i.e. without specifiying which drive). Using "@0:<file> instead of "@:<file>" is not enough. If an other operation does not specify the drive number (the 0) the problem can still occur. The problem is the drive can try to reference the non-exisant drive 1. It then allocates a buffer for the sectors in use on that drive. Then, the right chain of events can cause the drive to loose track of the sectors in use on drive 0. This can cause a lot of strange probems. I had a disk with two files sharing a common end. I do not use the save and replace. Because, I do not trust programs written by someone else to always use the drive number. I lost enough data the first time this happened.
elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) (08/23/87)
in article <10209@orchid.waterloo.edu>, cgwong@orchid.waterloo.edu (Clint Wong) says: >>3. I am presently in the market for a dot matrix printer. Keeping in >> mind that I may want to some day in the distant future upgrade to >> an, excuse the expression, IBM compatible, are there any Ideas? > I would highly recommend buying a non-Commodore parallel printer and an > interface. Note that the Commodore MPS1000 is an Epson Homewriter in another case, with both parallel and Commodore interfaces (the big "EPSON" on the printhead gives it away!). The MPS1200 is similiarly another printer re-packaged by Commodore, tho I don't know whose. They are both a bit pricy considering what you get, but they do work. I recently got a Star NX10 and a Xetec Supergraphics interface from Lyco Computer. The whole package, complete with shipping, costed $230 or so. I am quite satisfied. The NX10 seems to be completely Epson FX80 compatible, not to mention having lots of its own features that some programs can take advantage of (e.g., quad-density graphics mode -- I use the Gary Label Maker to print out beautiful mailing labels, consisting of a Print Shop graphic, and text in various fonts). NLQ is readable, although more "near" than "letter quality". All in all, a pretty good buy -- and I love Star's tractor-feed design, which lets you roll the paper both forward and backward (which I used when re-writing the super/subscript code in my word processor's device driver -- otherwise, super/subscripts weren't in NLQ). -- Eric Green elg%usl.CSNET Ollie North for President: {cbosgd,ihnp4}!killer!elg A man we can believe (in). Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191 Lafayette, LA 70509 BBS phone #: 318-984-3854 300/1200 baud