C64 Basic Upgrade

[Darrin]

I still use Simons BASIC on my C64.  I remember writing my O Level computer science project on it and having to lug my C64 and floppy drive into school in order to get graded.

[Darrin]

The IT teacher in my school hated me and my friend because we could code and he couldn't. He actively discouraged us from teaching ourselves to code.

He is still there at the school 20 years later apparently.

Damn, it really bugs me to find out that computer classes have been dumbed down to that sort of level.  Computer Science was about programming and hardware in my day.  If you wanted to know about Excel and Word then you had to sit in the typing classes with the girls!

One thing that did upset us computer geeks was when they replaced our two Research Machines 380Z machines with 3 brand new BBC Model B computers (for 25 of us to use)... and replaced the 15 manual typewriters in the typing class with 15 BBC Model B computers!

I think my worst memory was having to flowchart my A Level project.  I know the flowchart was worth 5% of the exam total, but I'm sure as hell certain that nobody waded through my sheets of paper to see if it was correct.

[Darrin]

The 380Z was a brick outhouse.  :-)

I still recall having to insert a disk to boot into CP/M and then inserting another one to boot into BASIC.  We had 2 models.  The newer one had a nice feature that would "slow scroll" your program if you hit a key combination.

[Darrin]

If memory serves me correctly the version we had at school used 8 inch floppy disks.

Ours had 5.25" disks.  The older one had a B&W monitor and the new one a nice green screen display.  Sat in the corner was the old teletype they replaced.  I'm glad I wasn't around for that.