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Computer Corner

My computer - the Commodore 128

The C128 belongs to the best 8-bit computers, which the company Commodore ever built. The equipment was presented 1985 for the first time and was planned as a big brother to the C64. The C64 at that time was considered as best-sold home computer of the world.
The special at the C128 is that it unites practically three computers at one time in itself. You can select between the following modes of operation:

• C128-Mode:
  2Mhz Speed (8502 CPU), 128K Memory, very nice 80x25 RGB display, advanced Basic 7.0

• C64-Mode:
  With the basic instruction 'GO64' the C128 can be transformed into a nearly completely compatible C64. With the C64-Mode it is easier for former C64-User to transfer to the C128, so the old games and/or programs and modules as far as possible can be continued to use. The C128 announces itself in this mode like a completely normal C64 with the well-known Commodore basic 2.0.

• CP/M mode:
  The operating system CP/M 3,0 can be loaded from disk. The computer is then switched from the 8502-CPU to the Z80A-Processor. The entire software variety is available for CP/M: Many programming languages, standard software (Dbase, multi-plan, WordStar), and very many freely copyable programs. Also a data exchange by means of disk and C 1571 drive assembly to the MSDOS and/or APPLE -, OS2 -, or Windows PC is only made possible thereby.

Thus, everything began that way:

My entrance into the computer era came actually very late. Only in the year 1989 I added myself a Commodore 128, after some initial difficulties it became my faithful companion. Since I got in addition an very strange printer, specially designed for C-128 of the company Seikosha, I had to write my own text processing programme for writing my letters and texts, since commercial applications did not support the jungle of the data channel openings for the different instructions.
Afterwards a VTX module came to the entrance of the computer's (and also my entrance) into the world-wide-web.
Still today still the faithful comb stands ready to work on the desk awaiting for the things to come.

Data sheet Commodore 128

Feature year:	1985
Ex-factory price:	GB-£ approx.320 US-$ about 300
Processor:	MOS Technologies 8502 Zilog Z-80
Clock frequency:	8502: 1 MHz mode   - 0,97 MHz in PAL   - 1.02 MHz in NTSC 8502: 2 MHz mode   - 1.97 MHz in PAL   - 2.04 MHz in NTSC Z-80:   - 4 MHz, 2 MHz with bus accesses
Main memory:	128 KByte, developable to 256 KByte (4 banks to ever 64 KByte) Memory is addressed via a MMU by means of Bankswitching
ROM:	80 KByte:   - C64 Basic V2.0 (8 KByte)   - C64 kernal (8 KByte)   - C64 character set (4 KByte)   - C128 Basic V7.0 (32 KByte)   - C128 kernal (16 KByte)   - C128 character set (8 KByte)   - Z-80 Boot-ROM (4 KByte)
Operating systems:	Basic V2.0 Basic V7.0 CP/M
Graphic chip:	VIC-II 6566/6567/6569 (depending upon year of construction) VDC 8563
Text modes:	16 Colors:   - 40 x 25 letters (VIC)   - 80 x 25 letters (VDC)
Graphic modes:	- 320 x 200 in 2 colors per 8x8 pixel block (VIC)   - 160 x 200 in 4 colors per 4x8-Pixel-Block (VIC)   - 640 x 200 in 2 colors (VDC with 16 KByte VRAM)   - 640 x 200 in 16 colors (VDC with 64 KByte VRAM)
Sprites:	8
Sound chip:	SID 6581 / 8580 (probably the best sound chip in a home computers)
Sound:	3 Synth channels with filters, mono
in/out chip:	2x CIA 6526
Other Chips:	MMU 8722
Keyboard:	92 built in keys
Shape of the body:	Keyboard computer
Extern drives:	- 1541   - 1571   - 1581   - all Commodore Datasette Cartridges drive assemblies except the 1531
Display:	Television Composite monitor Digital RGB monitor (TTL)
Expansions:	Module card port User port ROM card port for ROMS up to 32 KByte internal
In/out:	Module card port User port Two Joystick ports Television port SVHS and composite monitor poert (with audio) Serial port for printers and floppy disk drives Special Tape interface with 300 bps RGBI monitor connection

Now, with this high-end machine my way began into the Internet. As a matter of course you can program all modern homepages with Flash, Java, PHP and similar feature only with this machine.