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Commodore 64 Exectutive. Curious about luggables.

facattack

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http://oldcomputers.net/sx64.html

http://www.cedmagic.com/history/commodore-sx64.html

sx64.jpg


What would be a worthwhile retro portable computer? THIS?

I would like something comparable to the Tandy 1000 EX graphics and I learned that The Last Ninja game originated on C64. I have previously criticized COCO. Maybe I should post this question on there, but the TRS-80 model III looks very cool.

http://oldcomputers.net/trs80iii.html

Monitor with computer built-in?
 
The SX-64 is more of a novelty than a usable computer. The tiny 5-inch color CRT is okay for games, but text is microscopic and hard to read.
 
But a lot of these portable computers had external monitor support? I just would like a comparable graphics to what I mentioned for games and I can easily take from place to place if I wanted to. :D It doesn't have to be a luggable or laptop but a very small computer I can easily hook up to VGA and be light enough that it is around 20 lbs. :D
 
Yes, you can use it with an external monitor (composite or luma/chroma, not VGA) -- although it lacks the RF modulator that the regular C64 has. It also doesn't have a cassette port.
 
I should be asking this in the Commodore section but how much would a full C64 set run me? By RF modulator, it would run on a TV? Flatscreen or SD TV?
 
Have you ever used a C64 before? If not, setting up a monitor is a piece of cake compared to learning its wonderfully cryptic commands like LOAD "*",8,1 and POKE 53281, PEEK (53280) :)
 
I loved my SX-64. Text is a little hard to read on it, but not impossible. It does have a User Port, serial port (for disk drives and the like), joystick ports, and an external monitor port (for composite video). It will do 99.9% of what a real C-64 can do just in a nifty package. As noted it has no cassette port, but the only thing that practically matters for is if you want to use cassettes (why?) and/or a parallel port printer adapter.

I would caution that you have to be careful of powering things off of the user port's 9VAC. I did this with mine with a 1660 modem, and I'm almost certain that it screwed up the transformer in the power supply.
 
A full C64 desktop setup or the sx-64 setup? I think I still see working sx-64 systems for low $100s. I do personally think they're fun little systems. Especially if you have enough to mod it with a virtual drive and ethernet. Pretty damn cool. The built-in screen for whatever reason does limit the graphics a bit (16 colors although it's still fluid animation) but you'll get the full graphics back I think on an external monitor. I thought the built in sound is pretty good too. Only other catch is the 1541 drive has a reputation for being on the slower side.

A regular C64 desktop .. really you should be able to find one for around $50-60 I'd imagine.

Other luggables are mostly the same boat. Limited screen on the system itself but able to output full capabilities to an external. I've said it before, I really like the Compaq Portable, or perhaps a Compaq Portable II which may weigh a little less but still take regular ISA cards for expansion.

The catch with any of these is lack of battery power. So you really do end up with a luggable desktop unless you go for something a bit newer.

Emulation wise I think I've only played with VICE for the Commodore side. I think the same folks (Cloanto?) who did the Amiga Forever package also have a C64 Forever or something similar but it's commercial I believe. I've heard much good praise though on the Amiga front even though I think that just uses WinUAE, but they've been making it easy to preselect a type of Amiga to emulate and then later bought the rights to the ROMs to officially package with the Amiga side.
 
The built-in screen for whatever reason does limit the graphics a bit (16 colors although it's still fluid animation) but you'll get the full graphics back I think on an external monitor.

The SX-64's built-in monitor uses luma/chroma video, so it shows the same exact colors and graphics as an external monitor -- just much smaller.
 
The SX-64's built-in monitor uses luma/chroma video, so it shows the same exact colors and graphics as an external monitor -- just much smaller.

I always wondered that and wondered why it would have any limit. I was going to say it doesn't seem like it's limited to me but I honestly don't use either enough that I would probably notice. Several websites and books mention 16 colors to my surprise but I'm not sure why or if that's some technicality that the regular system has.
 
Several websites and books mention 16 colors to my surprise but I'm not sure why or if that's some technicality that the regular system has.

The C64 only has 16 colors. Maybe you're thinking of the Atari 8-bit computer series, which can display up to 256 colors?
 
Trouble running Quo Vadis as a .tap file on C64 Forever. I'm pretty sure the file is okay and there's a little icon for a cassette tape in the bottom portion of the c64 forever screen. How long would it take to run??? AFAIK the emulator is trying as hard as it can to be like an old PC and d64 files actually give off the sound of an old disk drive working.

The problem is its just as fast as an old disk drive...
 
VICE is the best emu, IMHO
You can speed up disk access with JiffyDOS (full disc. I sell it)
First color portable computer, so it's famous
About $100-$150 is your price tag
A regular 64 with disk drive is dirt cheap, but the drive shipping will kill you if not careful. However, I did just send a 1541 + 64 to someone in WI last weekend for $20.00 shipping, so it can be done.
Both SX and 64 can use newer LCD monitors/tvs. Need a video in, or Svideo.

Jim
 
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