Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!apple!agate!web-3d!labc-2aa From: labc-2aa@web-3d.berkeley.edu (Greg Burrell) Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Subject: Re: Homecum 640k acts like 64 Message-ID: <1989Oct3.023922.545@agate.berkeley.edu> Date: 3 Oct 89 02:39:22 GMT References: <89092920434743@masnet.uucp> Sender: usenet@agate.berkeley.edu (USENET Administrator;;;;ZU44) Reply-To: labc-2aa@web-3d (Greg Burrell) Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 59 In article <89092920434743@masnet.uucp> doug.purdy@canremote.uucp (DOUG PURDY) writes: >But I feel let down with this happening on our C128 with 1750 REU, 1571 >and 1581 disk drives. How did it come to pass that this fast, powerful >machine can't run software any better than a 64k, 1541 combo? > I don't have a C128, but I do know that instead of trying to emulate the C64, the C128 actually just contains a whole C64 inside. One benefit is that this is 100% compatible, but unfortunately most programs cannot take advantage of the 128's extra memory and capabilities. When software companies publish a program, they strive to make it work on the largest number of machines and configurations - alas, this is often the plain-vanilla C64 without any extra memory. >Why is it so hard to include routines to take >advantage of the hardware available? Why aren't such routines widely >available and at low prices? Good question. Technically this is possible, but I guess that most software companies just don't want to bother. Perhaps this is tied to your next question. >Where are the real professional Commodore programmers? Why do many >programs feel like they were created by some first time amateur with >professional graphics tacked on as an afterthought? >With the 1581 available at such low prices, why is anything written >exclusively for the notoriously slow and expensive 1541? Why is Willow >too slow and awkward for a 640k machine with an 800k 1581 when the whole >thing is less than 500k? I can't see why it shouldn't be a dream on a >256k REU equipped C64! Because most of these programs were created by amateur programmers. Any competent professional programmer can make a lot more money for a lot less work by programming for some of the more advanced machines available today. The 1581 came quite a while after the 1541 and so there are a lot more 1541s than 1581s. Once again, software publishers are aiming for the largest possible base of potential buyers. (See my reply to question #1 above.) Willow is too slow and awkward because it doesn't make any use of the extra memory or faster processor of the C128. Also, the company probably don't figure there are enough REU equipped C64s out there to make it worth the extra effort. What this all basically boils down to is the fact that the C64 and C128 are older machines with outdated hardware. Now before everybody and his brother starts to flame, I believe that they are good machines for their time and price, but by today's standards they are out of date. Also, software for these machines is relatively inexpensive (compare a $30 C64 word processor to $200+ for IBM, Mac, etc). Most software companies and programmers just do not want to take the extra effort involved. Greg Greg Burrell labc-2aa@WEB.berkeley.edu Univ. Of California, Berkeley