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"I knew the Commodore 128 was released in 1985 as a sort of bridge between the Commodore 64 and Amiga ..." That may have been Commodore's intention, I don't kn

"I knew the Commodore 128 was released in 1985 as a sort of bridge between the Commodore 64 and Amiga ..." That may have been Commodore's intention, I don't know, but technically the C128 is merely a modest step from the C64 and very far from the Amiga in every way. All the same the C128 offers a lot to explore, whether you run it as a C64 or as a C128, and I wish you lots of fun with it!

mixmastamyk 2y ago
I remember drooling over one and the Plus/4 in the store at the time. Didn’t realize they were mostly smaller C64s with double the RAM. But compared to my ancient Vic-20 (C-5? :-) it was very advanced. So it did cp/m as well? Oh well, had no money for software anyway.
- wazoox 2y ago
  The Plus/4 had 64KB but absolutely no software available, because it wasn't C-64 compatible... at least the C128 has a C64 mode.
  - rbanffy 2y ago
    It’s odd that the C128 had the same kind of C64 mode that the Apple /// was so criticised for - it could emulate an absolutely unimproved C64 despite being able to run twice as fast as its predecessor.
- cmrdporcupine 2y ago
  I (VIC-20 owner) drooled over the C128, too. 80 columns! Mo memory! Then I realized I could get an Atari ST with 512KB of RAM, 68000, 3.5" drive, mono monitor for the same price. The C128 made no sense, price wise. So I followed Tramiel over to his new venture, too.
helf 2y ago
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rbanffy 2y ago
I really wanted a C128, but now that I know more about it, it feels like a meh computer. It’s kind of Commodore’s “C64gs” but without the 16-bit processor and with a Z80 for CP/M. In retrospect, the Plus 4 looks like a much more interesting computer, with great graphics at the price of minimal sound. It strikes me as odd that Commodore developed the TED without an 80-column text mode or that the C128 80-column mode couldn’t be overlaid on top of the VIC2’s output. Those would be small changes that could mean a lot of other applications for both computers.

mixmastamyk 2y ago

I remember drooling over one and the Plus/4 in the store at the time. Didn’t realize they were mostly smaller C64s with double the RAM. But compared to my ancient Vic-20 (C-5? :-) it was very advanced. So it did cp/m as well? Oh well, had no money for software anyway.

wazoox 2y ago
The Plus/4 had 64KB but absolutely no software available, because it wasn't C-64 compatible... at least the C128 has a C64 mode.
- rbanffy 2y ago
  It’s odd that the C128 had the same kind of C64 mode that the Apple /// was so criticised for - it could emulate an absolutely unimproved C64 despite being able to run twice as fast as its predecessor.
cmrdporcupine 2y ago
I (VIC-20 owner) drooled over the C128, too. 80 columns! Mo memory! Then I realized I could get an Atari ST with 512KB of RAM, 68000, 3.5" drive, mono monitor for the same price. The C128 made no sense, price wise. So I followed Tramiel over to his new venture, too.

helf 2y ago

[dead]

rbanffy 2y ago

I really wanted a C128, but now that I know more about it, it feels like a meh computer. It’s kind of Commodore’s “C64gs” but without the 16-bit processor and with a Z80 for CP/M. In retrospect, the Plus 4 looks like a much more interesting computer, with great graphics at the price of minimal sound. It strikes me as odd that Commodore developed the TED without an 80-column text mode or that the C128 80-column mode couldn’t be overlaid on top of the VIC2’s output. Those would be small changes that could mean a lot of other applications for both computers.