Just got a C128

[dougal]

Not quite on Amiga topic, but i just got home with an Commodore 128. It came complete with a broken Datasette and loads of games. The HELP key is broken but the Commodore does work and is surprisingly white with almost no yellowing at all.

I paid 25 euros for the lot and it is also boxed.

Not bad i think ?

[narcea]

That's a good price. I recently purchased a c128 with a 1571 as well but for about twice that!. The c128 is a pretty cool *upgrade* to the c64 but I don't think there was allot software written for it.
I'm building an enhanced 1541III which will be placed internally with OSD and some other features.
Originally I was going to hack my c64 but it died so I got a 128. I always wanted one anyway.

[swift240]

Yeah I got 2 C128's.
Very good basic, and a great keyboard for typing.

Try the 80 column mode its pretty good. RGB it is, I use mine on an old 1084S monitor.

Mike.

[save2600]

Yeah I got 2 C128's.
Very good basic, and a great keyboard for typing.

Try the 80 column mode its pretty good. RGB it is, I use mine on an old 1084S monitor.

Mike.

I too just received a C128 and 1571 and am really impressed with both the build and quality of the machines. Incredible that they released a "super" 8-bit at nearly the same time as the A1000 though. Still, what a great computer (or three!).

Mike, as far as the RGB goes - without looking at and comparing the pinouts yet, do you have a dedicated cable for it? I've got some Atari 2600 DB9 joystick extension cords laying around that'll literally hook right into the C128's RGB out and a 1084's in. Just wondering if I may be so lucky not to have to hack this up or what  :-)

[Amiga_Nut]

The 80 column mode outputs RGB-I which is the same as the old IBM monitors not like analogue RGB like the Amiga outputs to the 1084.

I've got a 128D which is really nice quality and two 128s and one PSU between them (well I think it's the PSU that's the problem on the dead one).

[skilgannon]

From memory - doesn't the C128 work with some old CPM software?

[narcea]

From memory - doesn't the C128 work with some old CPM software?

Yeah, it even has a z80 processor.

[dougal]

This display from the RF is horrible. Much worse than my C64's. I am thinking about the RGb thingy... Would any 9pin serial male / male cable do ?

[save2600]

Okay, so I just confirmed that yes indeedy: a joystick extension cable also serves as an RGBi cable from the 128 to an Amiga monitor. Picture is really nice/crisp - but only in 128 mode. Does not work in C64 mode at all. So the RGBi port is *only* good for the 80 column mode of the 128 huh? Well that's rather limiting  :-(

[Damion]

Okay, so I just confirmed that yes indeedy: a joystick extension cables also serves as an RGBi cable from the 128 to an Amiga monitor. Picture is really nice/crisp - but only in 128 mode. Does not work in C64 mode at all. So the RGBi port is *only* good for the 80 column mode of the 128 huh? Well that's rather limiting  :-(

Yup - only for 128 mode. The "hot setup" back then was to have a 1902, both ports connected at the same time, and switch between 40 and 80 column as needed.

[save2600]

Yup - only for 128 mode. The "hot setup" back then was to have a 1902, both ports connected at the same time, and switch between 40 and 80 column as needed.

Ahh, okay. So in this case, what was once 'hot snots', is now 'cold boogers'.  lol

BTW: the video out on the 128 seems much better color wise than a C64c. IMO - more true to an original C64. Unless there's a hue pot inside that C64c...

[klx300r]

Yeah, it even has a z80 processor.

beat me to it :-)..i remember there being a business pack in CPM made specifically for the 128 cica 1987 i think...

[quarkx]

IF you read the book "On the edge" you will find out that the C128 has a very Very intesting history. Why just to bring it into existance, was almost a epic battle with the designers (Bil Herd and Dave Haynie -YES, Dave did make the 128 and the Plus/4/C16 also). C/PM waas on its very last legs at that time, and the C128 was aimed more at the Business market. It was only suposed to last a few years as a transition between the 8bits and the 16bits, they didn't think it would sell as long as it did.
The Z80 CPU is another story, Bil needed to get the C/PM cartrigde to work and the Magic Voice  (Bil had made it his Personal Mission for 100% backwards compatibility with the C64), and after a bit of reseach, he found out that the C/PM cart had a Z80 in it. There was also the fact that the MMU in the 128 had to boot at address 0000 and the Z80 did. So late one night he broke open his doorstop (a Sinclair 1000- which everyone had as a door stop at Commodore-another story) and by morning he had a working multi-CPU computer. The second multi-cpu computer by Commodore (Super Pet had a 6502 and a 6903).

video of Dave and Bil http://www.commodore.ca/gallery/video/videos/Bil_and_Dave_lg.wmv

[tone007]

The second multi-cpu computer by Commodore (Super Pet had a 6502 and a 6903).

6809, not 6903.

[quarkx]

6809, not 6903.

Opps sorry,
I keep getting the 2 mixed up as the Hittachi 6903 is a drop in replacement for the 6809 for the TRS 80- Color Computers.