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Additions to PLUS/4 Review [message #76155] Wed, 29 May 2013 23:44
wanttaja is currently offline  wanttaja
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Message-ID: <171@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Oct-84 18:22:36 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.171
Posted: Thu Oct 25 18:22:36 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Oct-84 07:48:59 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
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Some additional opinions on the PLUS/4, after 10-15 hours of use:

1.  The video display is fantastic!  The size of the border has been
shrunk, allowing the characters to be much larger, especially in width.
This also allows individual pixels to stand out much more clearly, when
compared to the '64.  The pixel width is now about 80% of the height,
compared with about 60% for the '64, in addition to being longer as
well.  VERY easy to read, almost as good as a VIC... except 40 columns!

2.  Conversely, the keyboard is worse.  The keyboard is very similar to
that of the SX-64; white, smooth, and "wiggly."  The '64 has much
solider, non-slip keys.  It may be that I'll get used to it, because
I have been switching back and forth between my '64 (for which I have
an assembler) and the +4.

3.  One keyboard feature which gets a solid thumbs-up is the cursor control
keys.  These are four arrow-shaped keys (not square keys with an arrow
printed on them, but ARROW shaped!)  set aside from the regular keyboard.
As opposed to the keyboard itself, these took practically ZERO adjustment
to use.  I now fumble on the right side of my '64 for the cursor control.

4.  An interesting aside is the design itself.  Most of you are familliar 
with the appearance of the casing from magazine articles, but these
pictures are deceptive regarding the size of the unit.  It is small!  Still
has a full-size keyboard, but the casing ends immediately on either side
instead of the wide expanse, including function keys, that the VIC/64
has.  In overall size, it is very close to the TI-99.  Very  attractive, also.

5.  Apparently, for those that like to generate lots of custom characters,
or bit-map using custom characters, the +4 does not support us quite as well.
Only 128 of the characters are available for modification; characters 128-255
are always the inverse video of characters 0-127.  Therefore, you either
bitmap small areas using character sets, or the entire screen using the
GRAPHICS modes.  One item of mollification: you now can place your character
sets anywhere in memory, without worrying about bank switching, etc.
Remember to switch out character ROM first by entering POKE65298,192.
Location of your set is controlled by bits 4-7 of 65299.

6.  The word is, Commodore has also started shipping the Commodore-16, which
is essentially a 16K version of the +4.  It uses the VIC/64 style case, 
will sell for less than $100, and, aside from memory considerations, will be    fully compatible with the +4.  How it will compete when ATARI will be selling
48K 800s at the same price is unknown...

7.  Regarding my earlier comments concerning the non-standard joystick and
cassette ports:  The word is, Commodore went the the new style ports in order
to get FCC approval much faster (the new ports are shielded).  Adaptors are
sure to follow.

It still appears that Commodore is trying to sew up the market for software
for the '16 at least, as few machines have been released to third-party vendors.Stay tuned for further developements, including a review of the '16 when it
becomes available.

						Ron Wanttaja
						(ssc-vax!wanttaja)

"Are you a policeman?"
"No, I'm a constable."
"What's the difference?"
"... They're spelled differently..."
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