Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uwm.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!mbs110
From: MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu (MarkNo Goofy Nickname Sachs)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: amiga users future...
Message-ID: <91152.200719MBS110@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: 2 Jun 91 00:07:19 GMT
References: <1991May27.210910.24220@cdc835.cdc.polimi.it>
 <1991May27.215527.16909@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>
 <1991May28.064746.23548@nntp-server.caltech.edu> <11685@hub.ucsb.edu>
 <22033@cbmvax.commodore.com> <1991May31.190737.22003@javelin.sim.es.com>
Organization: The Universe
Lines: 39

In article <1991May31.190737.22003@javelin.sim.es.com>,
blgardne@javelin.sim.es.com (Blaine Gardner) says:
>
>daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) writes:
>>Still, it was a great project to work on, back then, and the C128 still has
>>one of the all-time great hidden messages in it.  Made all that much greater
>
>Care to enlighten those of us that have never had their hands on a C128?
>Sounds like it must be a good one. :-)

Well, as I recall you would type SYS 32800,123,45,6, the screen would
clear, and it would display the names of (six? it's been a while)
people who worked on the C128, plus the message "Link arms, don't make them."
(Of which I heartily approve! :) )

I don't pull out the old C128 much any more (obviously, since I have this
nice shiny Amiga 500) but I still have a soft spot for the thing. Definitely
the pinnacle of 8-bit computers. BASIC 7.0 with all that memory space
and all the special commands was a joy to program in. Plus the nifty
80-column display chip -- last I recall, someone had convinced it to display
more horizontal resolution in 16 colors than an Amiga is capable of: the
max was something like 800x400 interlace, with some REALLY clever
programming. Plus the 1571 drive, a nice surprise after the awfulness
of using a 1541, plus...

Admittedly the 64-compatibility practically destroyed any chance of a large
market for 128-specific stuff ever coming out. But on the other hand,
if it HADN'T been 64-compatible, the 128 would never have sold anywhere
near the 3 million it did. So...

Oh yeah, it was CP/M compatible, too! Just as CP/M was giving its last
gasp before vanishing forever, unfortunately, but still it was a neat idea.

Sigh. The good old days...

[Your blood pressure just went up.]
//-Mark Sachs, aka mbs110@psuvm.psu.edu --//----- Remember the 1980's? ----//
// DISCLAIMER: It's NOT MY FAULT!        /AMIGA   When things were so      //
//-Kei and Yuri forced me to say it. --\X/------- uncomplicated... - ELO --//