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Intro
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1991-10-02
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316 lines
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The A64 Package. This manual assumes that you are
familiar with the basic usage of the CLI and WorkBench. If you
are not please consult your Amiga user's guide or other books on
the Amiga. This manual also makes the assumption that you are
familiar with using the Commodore 64. If you want to learn more
about using the Commodore 64 there are many good books available
on the subject.
Throughout this manual some names are used that we would like to
clarify. When you see the name "The A64 Package" we are
referring to the entire package including all its utilities.
When you see the name "A64" by itself we are referring only to
the A64 program. The names: "A64's hardware interface",
"hardware interface" or just "interface" all refer to the same
interface.
Some parts of this manual get a little technical. We did our
best to try and explain things in a way that an average user
would understand them, but it is not always easy to explain
technical features simply. If you don't understand a feature
don't hesitate to experiment with it.
We recommend that you fully read this manual before attempting to
use any of the programs included with The A64 Package.
WHAT IS THE A64 PACKAGE?
The A64 Package is both a hardware and software product. It was
designed to give Amiga owners the ability to access Commodore 64
peripherals, programs and data directly from their Amiga.
The hardware is an interface that plugs into the parallel port of
your Amiga and allows The A64 Package to access Commodore 64 disk
drives and printers.
The software is a collection of Amiga programs that help bring
the world of the C64 to the Amiga. The main program included
with The A64 Package is A64. A64 is a Commodore 64 emulator.
The word emulate means to strive to equal or excel, especially
through imitation. A64 emulates the Commodore 64. This means
that using A64 is just like using a C64. There are literally
thousands of programs available for the Commodore 64 and A64 will
run a majority of them. The A64 Package also includes several
utilities that are meant to compliment A64. These utilities
serve a variety of valuable purposes like transferring files to
and from the C64.
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The A64 Package is especially well suited for C64 owners who want
to upgrade to the Amiga. Commodore 64 owners have spent hundreds
or even thousands of dollars on their C64 peripherals and
software. Many of them would like to upgrade to the Amiga, but
they do not want to lose their investment. There is a solution!
The A64 Package will allow them to continue to use their familiar
Commodore 64 software and peripherals while they're learning how
to use their powerful, new Amiga.
Now bridging the gap from the Commodore 64 to the Amiga is easier
than ever before. The A64 Package helps to make the upgrade path
a little easier to take.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
You can get a complete version of The A64 Package by paying a
registration fee. The current registration fee is $39.95 plus
shipping and handling. Shipping and handling charges are: $3.00
for customers in the US, $4.00 for customers in Canada and $5.00
for all other countries.
The adapter cable needed for the A1000 is available for an
additional $20.00. If you order the cable with The A64 Package
we do not charge additional shipping and handling, but if the
cable is ordered separately then the following shipping and
handling charges apply: $3.00 for customers in the US, $4.00 for
customers in Canada and $5.00 for all other countries.
Connecticut residence must add 6% sales tax when ordering.
WHAT YOU GET
When you become a registered owner of The A64 Package you get a
complete copy of the software, a two disk set which includes the
latest version of A64, The A64 Packages' documentation and all of
the utilities. The necessary hardware to connect your C64 disk
drives and printers to your Amiga. You will also be eligible for
technical support and be notified when new versions of The A64
Package are made available.
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HOW TO BECOME A REGISTERED OWNER
Included with the documentation is the file "Registration.form."
This file serves as a registration form for The A64 Package.
Please print this file (See PrintFile in the UTILITIES section)
and then fill it out and send it with your payment to:
QuesTronix
P.O. Box 340285
Hartford, CT 06134-0285 U.S.A.
US customers can pay with a check or money order.
Make checks payable to QuesTronix.
Foreign customers can pay with either an international money
order or cash. If cash is used please send it registered mail.
We can not be held responsible for lost or misdirected funds.
Funds must be in US currency and payable through a US bank.
US orders are shipped FIRST CLASS mail and foreign orders are
shipped AIR MAIL. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.
Please take the time to fill out the registration form
completely. The information you put on it will help us to put
out better updates of The A64 Package. Users without printers
can substitute the registration form with a letter.
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WHAT'S IN THE FUTURE
In the last couple of versions of The A64 Package we have listed
what can be expected from future versions and we are happy to say
that we added most of the features in V2.0 that were listed in
the last manual. We would like to briefly list them:
o Sound support
o A64Mon
o Amiga printer support
o Improved Amiga drive support
o Improved transfer capabilities
o Improved modem support
o File requesters
o More A64 Prefs features
o Completed Colors screen
o Improved sprites
o Support for multiple C64 fonts
We also made countless other improvements in V2.0, but what we're
trying to show is that we did what we said we would do. And we
did it for one reason only. Because of the many people who
supported The A64 Package by becoming registered owners. Thanks
to these people we were able to continue working on The A64
Package and make it what it is today. Which, in our opinion, is
the best C64 emulation package currently available.
The response to The A64 Package has dropped off considerably
since the last release, but we hope that with the release of V2.0
it will spark a new interest in The A64 Package. And if the
response does improve, we have an all new list of features to
add:
o FAST LOADER support, especially GEOS
o Support for C64 RAM expansion
o More input devices
o Complete A3000 support
o Support for 1581 formats on Amiga drives
o Better file transfer capabilities
o The abilty to use C64 drives and printers with Amiga
programs
o Faster and more compatible (two areas that can probably
always be improved no matter how good A64 gets)
o Improved sprites
o PAL support
o Documentation and software translations for other
countries
And the list could go on and on...
Remember, it is you who can help make The A64 Package the best
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it can be. Be either becoming a registered owner yourself or by
helping to spread the software. Our goal is to make The A64
Package available to every Amiga owner who might benifit from its
use. We can not do this alone. If you have some use for The A64
Package, whether it be running C64 software on the Amiga or
transferring files or just for the sake of nostalgia, become a
registered owner. And even if you don't have a use for The A64
Package help spread the software by uploading it to a BBS or
giving it to your local dealer or users group. With your help we
can reach our goal.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
When I first released The A64 Package I contemplated making it a
commercial product, but because of the reputation of past C64
emulators I was afraid that most people would not give A64 a
chance and would think of it as "just another emulator." So I
released The A64 Package as a shareware product so people could
see for themselves that it is a quality product. I do not regret
this decision one bit. We currently have registered owners in
over 25 countries. This is fantastic for any product, commercial
or otherwise. Because of this level of response I have been able
to continue work on The A64 Package and it is now in its third
release. As long as the support continues I will continue
working on The A64 Package and doing my best to provide the best
possible C64 emulator at the lowest possible price.
I would like to say thank you to all the people who have
registered so far. It is because of you that A64 V2.0 exists.
Best Regards,
Cliff Dugan
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