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Commodore 64 Turns 25
I was just reading on CNN that the C64 is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. This was the second computer I ever owned, a huge increase from the Vic20 that I had.
The C64 started me playing video games, I remember taping an entire game of Video golf I played with a friend at University, and playing the 1986 Olympics against what seemed like most of the Dorm floor.
I enjoyed my C64. And I'd like to thank Frank W, who gave me my first Vic20 and C64. He worked for Commodore at the time. I found out that he died earlier this week. He will be missed.
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While I also have my experiences with Commodores (some of them with Ice) and I still have some Amigas and a 128 in my basement. The part of the story I noticed was the loss of Frank.
I enjoyed meeting him the few times our paths crossed I and know how much you will miss him. My condolences to you and your family.
While you guys played with your toys, I was blessed with the bad boys of the early PC ear, the Apple IIs. Had several, including an Apple IIc with an after market LCD. Yeah, a portable with a single 5.25" floppy! Just like in 2010, if any of you had the unfortunate experience of seeing that movie.
Went through the IIgs to the Mac+, Mac IIcx, Mac IIvx, PowerMac 6100, 7100, 8500, G3, G4 ... . That's not even mentioning my collection of Newtons. And I'm buying myself a Mac Mini for Christmas.
Yeah, a little Apple crazy to say the least.
That's my opinion at least. Damn monoliths, they're everywhere!
Had just about every incarnation of the Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer, but have fond memories of playing games on my friend's 64, and programming on a Pet in high school. I'm also the proud owner of a mint Vic20 (with box), a recent addition to the Apple Museum.
My uncle was a HAM and had a CBM (no, not a PET, an actual CBM). While spending my X-mas vacation at his place, I sneaked downstairs in the middle of the night and learned to program the damn thing (BASIC) with no permission to actually TOUCH it. I was 10.
I bought the fist VIC-20 that made it into the city. $450CDN at the time. No screen, no storage. Type the program in each time I wanted to play anything since powering it down cleared the RAM. I was 12. 4 months later, I bought the first DATASET (stores the machine's RAM unto audio tape... yes, AUDIO tape).
I remember that a VIC-20 had so little RAM that 2 pages of BASIC filled the memory. Oh, and Commodore had multiple typos in their BASIC programs included in the User Guide, so I had to learn debugging right off the bat.
It made me the man I am today.
No, i'm not that old, my dad got it used from one of his friends. I can't remmeber any specific games, but I do remember that you could actually program with it. I made two columns of circles, one red and one blue! Take that Xbox 36-crap.