isusevm@pyr.gatech.EDU (Vernard C Martin) (03/19/88)
I own a commodore 128 machine with the standard peripherals. I was considering giving it up in favor of a 'better' machine but I have lots of money invested in it. I was wondering how compatible the cpm mode of the c128 is with other machines and is there really that much PD software available to make the 128 worth keeping. I really like my machine and I don't want to get rid of it but working on some of the 16 and 32 bit machines lately and playing with some of there software has made me have second thoughts. Any advice/answers greatly appreciated. Vernard Martin GIT "Designing Tomorrow Today With Yesterday's Equipment"
prindle@NADC.ARPA (Frank Prindle) (03/21/88)
Yes, the C128 really does have CP/M. It is the version of CP/M known as CP/M 3.0 or CP/M Plus, and most existing PD software does indeed run on it. At 2 Mhz., you might find that it runs a bit more slowly than you have come to expect from faster CP/M machines, but in the vast majority of cases I've experienced, speed is adequate. Some CP/M 2.2 software will not run under CP/M 3.0 (C128 or any other) without modification (for example, programs which exploit direct BIOS calls, such as a disk sector editor, as well as programs which touch upon the rare incompatibility between those CP/M versions). In most cases of such programs, a separate CP/M 3.x version already exists. Will the 128 really be useful to you in CP/M mode? The only way to answer that is to try it out and see for yourself. CP/M will never be as flashy as it's successors (MSDOS, UNIX, etc.) because it was designed for much more humble machines. That impressive 16-bit or 32-bit software you've been playing with is memory hungry and can't be shoe-horned into a CP/M style machine. Still, CP/M on the C128 can get most of the same jobs done quite well if you can live without the flashy graphics and sound. Sincerely, Frank Prindle Prindle@NADC.arpa