Brand new used C-64 PC

From: liste_at_artware.qc.ca <(liste_at_artware.qc.ca)>
Date: Tue Mar 14 23:19:35 2000

So I poked my nose into the local Salvation Army, on the off chance they
have one of those 60s style stereo "furniture" things. The kind with a
radio, turntable, red velvet booze drawer and obligatory lounge hits LP,
all disguised as a small sideboard.

They didn't, but they did have a C-64. Now I'm young enough that the
first PC I got to play on was an IBM PCjr. So I know very little
about C-64s. However, 10 dollars canadian got me :

C-64 Personal Computer
2 x 1541 floppy drives (one w/ lever, one w/ "door")
MPS 1200 dot matrix printer w/ tractor feed
Joystick (wico)
power supply, some cables, manual for C-64 (not PC) and monitor

All the above is dirty, though no scratches nor dents.

Conspicously missing :
Monitor
Software

I've tested the C-64 by plugging in a floppy drive in, turning everything
on, and blind-typing load "foo",8. Red LED on the drive came on, noises
were made, red LED started a blinken.

When I turn the printer on, the LEDs come on, the out of paper LED
flashes. FF causes the (imaginary) paper to feed. LF works also. This
printer reminds a lot of my old Epson LX-80.

So now the call for help. What sites would you recomend to learn about
hacking these things? Is there software available? Can one get floppy
images and write them w/ a 5.25" drive on modern PCs? When I get a TV or
monitor rigged up, I'd like to learn 6502 assembler (I already know z80
and 8086 assembler).

There is a port marked "serial" on back. I'm guessing that all the
periferals plug into this. Floppy drives and printer. (Hmm... if the
MPS-1200 is a serial printer, could one get a converter and plug it into a
wyse 85 or vt220?)

The other thing I would like to do is hook it up to my main computer
(prolly as a serial terminal) and then get on the net. I aim to recreate
the authentic B1FF experience. :) The manual leads me to believe the
serial port on a C-64 isn't compatible w/ RS-232, however. :(

-Philip
Received on Tue Mar 14 2000 - 23:19:35 GMT