Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!killer!elg From: elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm Subject: Re: 1541 fast load cartridges Message-ID: <3708@killer.UUCP> Date: 16 Mar 88 07:28:33 GMT References: <852@umbc3.UMD.EDU> Reply-To: elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) Organization: Bayou Telecommunications Lines: 80 Keywords: 1541 disk-drive fast-loaders In article <852@umbc3.UMD.EDU> pete@umbc3.UMD.EDU (Pete Hsi ) writes: > >Yes! I FINALLY got tired of waiting for my 1541! > >I'm looking to buy a fast load cartridge and I would like your opinions and >experiences about the following products: > Turbo Load/Turbo Save (Better Working) ^^ A pile of garbage. Don't work with half my software, and craps out when used with RS232. > Fast Load Cart. (Epyx) -- I heard this one was crappy... true? ^^works. Compatible with most software (including everything by Epyx, of course). > Final Cartridge II and III (H&P) -- this is a "do-it-all" cart... > pretty expensive ^^ INFO-64 reports that The Final Cartridge has a lot of bugs and is far from final. > Super Cartridge (?) -- Competitor for the Final Cart. Super Snapshot. For the moment, the "Cadillac" of plug-in cartridges. Does most of what TFC does, without the bugs. Does screen captures etc. too, via wonders of having an on-board RAM (so it can stash the old screen before messing things up with its menus). Only disadvantage is that, when used with a C-128, you need something like an Aprotec expander chassis or else you have to unplug it every time you want C128 mode. Also has the advantage of fastloading with 1581s, too. >In particular, I would like to know the following: > 1. Do you MUST re-format your files to take advance of the speed? You can. Makes them almost as fast as 1571's burst mode. But not necessary. > 2. How convient are the utilities (copiers, fast formattors, etc)? Semi. Hit a button, at any point, and the current state of the computer is saved in its on-board RAM. Then you can do all sorts of things, like the formatter, issue disk commands, get a disk directory, etc. Have to be careful, I imagine... > 3. How compatible is it with copy protected programs? I really wouldn't know. You mean you still have programs with copy protection on them?! One function of Super Snapshot is to remove copy protection.... lovely, when you're using antique software such as Superscript or Superbase that takes forever to load otherwise. > 4. Does it work when used with REL, SEQ, etc files types (from word processor > and spreadsheet output files)? REL files will never be fast (sorry!). Would be childs play to speed up SEQ files (because of the on-board RAM, you could fast-burst 256 bytes at a time without handshaking, & buffer them internally for CHRIN & CHROUT). Dunno if they do, though. Doubt it. >*** butane lighter on **** >50 lashes with a wet noodle to whom ever was responsible for designing the >1541 ;-) I just worked on an IBM PC for the first time and boy what a >difference in load time! >*** butane lighter off *** The problem is that the 1541 was designed by committee, over a period of 5 years :-). Actually, the whole C-64 system was designed in something like 4 months time, by mucho hacking of code for previous systems (the C64 ROMs are obviously derived from the VIC-20 ROMs) and use of silicon that had been kicking around internally for ages (e.g. the infamous VIC-][ chip). The 1541 was a slight modification of the 1540 (the VIC-20 drive, but it couldn't work with the 64 because of the VIC-][ chip stealing bus cycles), and the 1540, in turn, was a very bastardized single-drive version of the 4040 disk drive... if you look at the ROMs, they still have code all over the place for handing dual drives (the source of the infamous save-with-replace bug). The 1571 is even worse -- they left all the 1541 in place, but, patched it here, there, everywhere, with jmp's to 1571 routines, with tests all over the place in those, "duhh, am I in 1541 mode? Ohwell, better do what was replaced by the jmp, and head back to original 1541 code." One can become neurotic, attempting to trace the 1571's spaghetti (and here we were, thinking the 1541 was bad!). I was quite disappointed when the C128 came out with the same old cassette-based operating system... I was hoping Commodore would finally move out of the stone age... but so be it. Oh well. -- Eric Lee Green elg@usl.CSNET Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191 {cbosgd,ihnp4}!killer!elg Lafayette, LA 70509 "Human evolution ended when civilization began".