Re: Apple ///?

[pubpc1@library.ucla.edu]

jcompton@typhoon.xnet.com (Jason Compton) wrote:
>pubpc1@library.ucla.edu wrote:
>: Hey, Beavis: you could take your PC Jr software to your PC and your
>: Vic20 software to your C64 and then Amiga from DAY ONE.
>
>Now, wait a second, this isn't remotely true.
>
>The 64 and Vic-20 were pretty different, and while you could recode a VIC
>BASIC program to run on the 64, anything else would be a serious bit of
>coding to port.

Well, most Vic-20 programs were BASIC.  Commodore BASIC between
computers were very similar.  Also, the hardware was compatible.
The 1541 disk drive worked with many Commodore computers, for
example, as did the datasette.

My first encounter with a Commodore computer was a lab full of
CBM machines and a few PET computers.  I learned BASIC on these
and the commands just like the C64 variety.  OPEN CMD 4,4 or
something to print (or was it to put to disk?  It was a long
time ago).  I wrote my first and only computer virus that infected
the school's network of CBM and PET machines.  You see, back in
those days they taught programming on the Commodores.  The IIe
computer lab was reserved for the English writing classes.  I
took a poker card game program and tied a routine based on the
score.  Whenever someone got a certain score, the routine was
triggered and the program was copied to another (floppy) drive
on the network.  Then, at various scores, the program would
issue a SCRATCH command followed by a wildcard designating
"everything".  Countless disks were deleted and the teacher
was stumped.

"Hey, I don't even know HOW this program got on my disk."
"Let's try swapping the floppy drive"
"My problem set got erased!  F***"

It was so funny, but no one suspected little old me.  The
instructor listed the program, but didn't catch the code.  I
was never discovered.  :)

Years later, I picked up an abandoned Commodore Plus 4 (the
failed successor to the C64).  Great computer, with four built
in programs and the same sound and graphics hardware of the C64.
The old programs worked fine on it.

Incidentally, the designers of the SID chip went on and founded
a company called Ensoniq which today makes professional synths.
They made the Ensoniq 5503 DOC 32-oscillator wavetable synthesis
chip that went into the GS.

Ironic that the GS got better sound than the Amiga because of
Commodore derived hardware.  On the other hand, did you know
that before the Amiga was designed, the engineers of its video
chipset approached Apple to see if they wanted to use it in
their new Apple IIx?  Apple declined and as a result, the
Amiga got superior graphics and that is what continued to define
it.  If you look at how the Amiga 1000's video hardware works,
you'll see that they had to use special techniques to make it
work, since it was originally designed to interface with 65Cxxx
hardware.

-Scott G.