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Commodore 64 cp/m Cartridge and HES 64 forth Cartridge

I've heard that performance on the C64 CP/M cartridge was pretty lackluster, but I've never used it, myself. The 128's CP/M mode definitely is pretty balky, but there's a replacement BIOS (and several expanded/Z80-optimized CCPs) you can get that make it a whole lot more responsive; no idea if there's an equivalent for the C64 version.
 
commodorejohn said:
I've heard that performance on the C64 CP/M cartridge was pretty lackluster.
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That's probably true, but I think the bigger problem was that most people were using 1541 drives which couldn't read the wide range of disk formats that the 1571 could. This would have made it difficult to get software and really limited its appeal.

Still a fun little curio, and with the ease of connecting a C64 to a modern pc, it would be at least be easier now to transfer software to disks for the 1541.
 
Yeah it bombed on the 64 from what I understand, I don't think the 64 really had enough memory to utilize it anyway but yes it's still an interesting and intriguing piece of history. I love hardware emulation when different platforms could read each others stuff.
 
I have used the 64 CP/M cartridge in the past. It's very very slow and has (I think) only 48 or 44K memory available. The special boot disk is required to get to the A:> prompt. The cartridge does have the Z80 (or so I've been told). The system is very challenged operating with the 40 col display. It does, however, run and you do have the A> prompt.
The C-128 in CP/M mode is a not too bad of a system. If you add the REU with the later cp/m revisions the REU becomes the m:> drive and ends up being a very respectable machine running CP/M plus. Putting some of the frequently required programs like PIP on the M> drive things happen at a respectable pace.
 
I'm actually a little curious as to how the memory in the C64 version would work. If it's just the Z80 accessing the 6502's memory map, then you would be stuck with 52KB for a TPA because the various I/O devices and ROMs are located above that. (The ROMs at least can be switched out for RAM and the BIOS/BDOS kept there. The I/O can be switched out, too, but it'd be kind of a pain.) Still, 52KB is a pretty respectable TPA for at least pre-version 3 CP/M...
 
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