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CBM-Command v1.0.2 Beta

July 9th, 2010 No comments

CBM-Command is a disk manager for the Commodore 64 / Commodore 128 / Commodore VIC20 / Commodore C16 computers. It is written like Norton Commander or Midnight Commander, but is much simpler due to the target platforms. Both the C128/C64/VIC20/C16 have their own native version of the application.

Release Notes – 2010-07-09 – Version 1.0.1/1.0.2

New Features:

  • Added support for Commodore Plus 4 computer.
  • 32K Expanded VIC-20 now supported.

Changes:

  • (VIC20) Refactored many of the screens to better fit the 22×23 layout.
  • (VIC20) Filename shortening removed and the file type moved to the left of the directory display.
  • (PLUS4) Created color scheme to match the environment.
  • (VIC20) Panels are not displayed side by side, only one panel is displayed at a time.
  • (VIC20) D64 support is removed, the RAM was needed elsewhere.
  • (ALL) The screen has been made more scalable.

Known Issues:

  • (VIC20) Many of the keyboard shortcuts on the left side of the keyboard do not work under VICE. After speaking with members of the VICE team they are pretty sure this is a problem in the GETIN kernel routine which is used by cc65. I would greatly appreciate it if someone with a real VIC can verify that the keys do not work on real hardware before I bring the problem up in the cc65 forums.
  • (VIC20) I still haven’t figured out why saving the configuration doesn’t work. :(
  • (VIC20) CTRL-D and CTRL-E don’t work.
  • (VIC20) The launcher doesn’t yet know about the VIC, so it loads the wrong version of CBM-Command.
  • (VIC20) The configuration tool cannot save.

source: cbmcommand.codeplex.com

Atari 800/130 Software cassette

July 6th, 2010 No comments

Today i picked up some software cassette for Atari 800/130.

Unboxing SIO2SD interface by Pigula

July 6th, 2010 1 comment
SIO2SD interface by Pigula

Autopsy:

Testing the SIO2SD interface for Atari

The SIO2SD  is a device that allows you to load games/applications into any 8-bit Atari XL/XE computers via SIO interface from SD/MMC cards.

Device abilities:

  • Works with SD (not SDHC) and MMC(FAT12,FAT16 and FAT32 formats)
  • Handles ATR (rw), XFD (ro) and COM/XEX (ro) file types.
  • 16×2 LCD display allows to “walk” catalog tree and choose files to load.
  • Handles SIO with turbo (allows to set speed index from 1 to 16, default is 6 (69kb/s), in versions 1.x speed index was always 10 (51kb/s))
  • All densities with 128B and 256B sectors, including 16MB disks.
  • Handles drives D1 to D8.
  • Can be configured using ATARI (it’s possible to load configuration tool directly from MCU flash memory, so no SD card is needed)

SIO2SD in Action:

source: sio2sd.gucio.pl marcinprusisz.pl

Some new Games for Commodore 64 (Basic game compo 2010)

July 4th, 2010 No comments

New 8 Bit Software – Scavenger, Penultimate Fantasy and DungeonExplorer for Commodore 64.

source: noname.c64.org

Commodore Free Magazine Issue #41

July 4th, 2010 No comments

Commodore Free Magazine Issue #41

In this issue you can find:

  • Editorial.
  • Readers Comments.
  • News.
  • Interview With Jim Brain.
  • Review Of Knight ‘N’ Grail.
  • How The C64 Changed My Life.
  • Equinoxe – Evolution (8-Bit Girl)
  • Interview With 8-Bit Girl.
  • Adventures In Time Review.

source: commodorefree.com

Categories: Magazine, News & Rumors, Today

SD2Iec Firmware v0.9.2 Released

July 1st, 2010 No comments

SD2IEC is a hardware mass storage device using an SD/MMC card and interfacing with the IEC bus. It is based on the ATmega644 microcontroller from the Atmel AVR microcontroller family.

The most prominent use of SD2IEC is emulation/replacement of a Commodore-1541 disk drive for a C64. Hardware and the microcontroller’s firmware is available as open source (GPL).

Changelog:

2010-06-21 – release 0.9.2

  • Bugfix: Rename was broken on FAT.
  • Turbodisk is now disabled when running on internal RC clock.
  • Button debounce timeout increased.

source: sd2iec.de gitweb forum thread c64-wiki

Categories: Firmware, News & Rumors, Today

(Italian) Jurassic News numero #30

July 1st, 2010 No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Categories: Magazine, News & Rumors, Today

Some new Games & Utility for Commodore VIC-20

July 1st, 2010 No comments

Some new Games & Utility for Commodore VIC-20.

  • FCBPaint-0.5. This is a preview of an editor for a new graphics mode I’ve been working on for a while.
  • FIFA WORLD CUP 2010. FIFA’s unofficial VIC 20 football/soccer game.
  • Odi Est Amo. You will hate this game.
  • Q*LOAD V0.1/U. Q*LOAD is a tape loader / mastering tool for the Vic-20.

source: Denial (The Commodore VIC-20 forum)

Retrocommodore second meeting

June 27th, 2010 No comments

The new meeting will be held on July 3rd, 2010 at Orvieto.

We will be guests of the beautiful event CRACK AT THE TREASURE CAT 2010 (www.wardriving.it) with our retrocomputers.

source: retrocommodore.com

Categories: Event(s), News & Rumors, Today

High Voltage SID Collection Update #53

June 26th, 2010 No comments

After this update, the collection should contain 37,714 SID files!

Thanks to all the people who have helped to make HVSC the collection that it is today, without your help it would be a much tougher task.

This update features (all approximates):

  • 1045 new SIDs.
  • 897 fixed/better rips.
  • 20 PlaySID/Sidplay1 specific SIDs eliminated.
  • 133 repeats/bad rips eliminated.
  • 1076 SID credit fixes.
  • 81 SID model/clock infos.
  • 23 tunes from /DEMOS/UNKNOWN/ identified.
  • 10 tunes from /GAMES/ identified.
  • 81 tunes moved out of /DEMOS/ to their composers’ directories.
  • 11 tunes moved out of /GAMES/ to their composers’ directories.

source: hvsc.de

Categories: C64/SX64, News & Rumors, Today

(Italian) Tecnovintage, le foto dell’hi-tech del passato

June 24th, 2010 No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Categories: Event(s), News & Rumors, Today

Atari 800 XL (Boxed)

June 23rd, 2010 4 comments
Atari 800 XL (Boxed)

Autopsy:

The Atari 800XL was the third version of the Atari 8-bit line of computers introduced in 1983. The system contained a full 64K of memory, had all the standard VLSI chips (Antic, GTIA, Pokey, PIA) and was in a smaller and more compact design. The keyboard was good, not as good as the 1200XL keyboard, but it had a solid feel to it.

The cartridge port had been move to the top center of the system and used special metal spring loaded doors to allow the insertion and removal of ROM cartridges. This system of spring loaded doors also kept dirt and objects from falling into the cartridge slot when it was not occupied.

Overall the system is basically a cost reduced Atari 800 with a fuzzier picture. The system came with built-in diagnostics and a HELP key. The OS was still slightly incompatible with many original Atari 400/800 software titles, but Atari began to distribute a “Translator” disk which would load up a 400/800 compatible OS into memory so that the 800XL could support those programs.

A never version of the 800XL was being readied called the 800XL-F which included the new “FREDDY” memory management chip that would have allowed for more use of free memory for programs and geater use of graphics by the “ANTIC” video processor.

from: atarimuseum.com

Philips HCS80 Videotex Terminal (Videotel / Minitel)

June 22nd, 2010 4 comments
Philips HCS80

Autopsy:

from Wikipedia:

The Minitel (Videotel) was a Videotex online service accessible through the telephone  lines, and is considered one of the world’s most successful pre-World Wide Web online services.

It was launched in France in 1982 by the PTT (Poste, Téléphone et Télécommunications; divided since 1991 between France Télécom and La Poste). From its early days, users could make online purchases, make train reservations, check stock prices, search the telephone directory, and chat in a similar way to that now made possible by the Internet.

source: wikipedia linux terminal

Atari XC12 Program Recorder (Tape drive) Boxed

June 20th, 2010 No comments
Atari XC12 Program Recorder

Autopsy:

from Wikipedia:

This is a Atari XC12 tape drive (small model like the 1010, sold worldwide). Similar models were released, mainly in Eastern Europe. These included:

  • XCA12 (same case as XC12)
  • CA12 (same case as XC12)
  • XL12 tape drive (an XC12 with minor changes)
  • XC13 – “T2000 ready” version of XC12

source: wikipedia

Atari 65 XE (Color Fixed)

June 20th, 2010 No comments

My Atari 65 XE can show only Black & White pictures, i have found the problem when i have open it, someone has put a screw in the wrong place and the trimmer which adjust the color is broken.