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t.keydos review
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2022-08-28
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KeyDOS ROM by Antigrav Toolkit
Reviewed by Fender Tucker
$32.50
Antigrav Toolkit
P.O. Box 1074
Cambridge MA 02142
The people who designed the C-128 knew that there were improvements
over the C-64's DOS that screamed for implementation. For instance, why
should looking at a directory require loading a program which wipes out the
program you're working on? So the 128 designers added quite a few features
to BASIC 7.0 and the C-128 DOS that made the 128 so much nicer than the
C-64. Did they add enough? Of course not.
That's why I have JiffyDOS installed in my 128. I don't like typing
directory (or even diR) when I want a directory. I also don't like using
defined F-keys, although I'm probably in the minority about that. I grew up
on the DOS 5.1 wedge and that's why I like JiffyDOS and SuperSnapshot v5;
they use the traditional wedge commands.
But this is a review of KeyDOS ROM, not JiffyDOS. To me, KeyDOS ROM is
an alternative to JiffyDOS that has some big advantages, and only a few
disadvantages. One of the disadvantages is a big one, though: JiffyDOS
speeds up disk access, both loading and saving; KeyDOS ROM doesn't. But one
of the advantages is a big one, too: KeyDOS costs half as much as JiffyDOS.
Installing KeyDOS ROM is very simple; open the case and plug the IC
chip into the empty socket. The 52-page manual describes installation quite
well. The chip can also be installed in an REU. You would put the chip in
the REU if you used an REU all the time or if you wanted to put another chip
of some sort in the computer's empty socket.
When you reset your computer with the ALT key held down, KeyDOS is
active. You get a help screen that looks like this:
FUNCTION Keys:
F1 - LOAD program F2 - RUN program
F3 - Disk catalog F4 - RUN C-64 program
F5 - Type SEQ file F6 - Scratch file
F7 - New active drive F8 - Scratch and Save
RUN - Boot disk/file HELP drive # and RETURN
ESC Keys:
BACK ARROW - KeyDOS help 1 - KeyDOS Utility
2 - KeyDOS Compiler 3 - 1581 Partitioner
4 - Subdir key on F8 5 - Batch exec on F8
6 - CBM RAMDOS 7 - GEOS SuperRBoot
8 - Diskmon 9 - Monitor dump
0 - Hexpert + - Renumber drives
- - Reset drives \ - New collect
* - UnNEW program ^ - Alternate screen
: - Find/replace ; - Screen dump
= - One Drive Copy , - Screen Edit
. - Clock Manager / - Video Manager
As you can see, there's a lot of power in the KeyDOS chip. The F-keys can
be re-programmed by using the keyDOS Compiler. By using the CMDR key along
with SHIFT, the chip gives you 20 user-definable F-keys. You can save your
definitions and have them loaded automatically.
The KeyDOS Utility is handy for performing typical DOS things on
multiple files. It gives you a new menu of 17 functions as well as a
directory listing. You just move an asterisk marker up and down the
directory selecting files. Then you choose what you want done to all of
them -- scratch, rename, type to screen in ASCII, PETASCII or screen code
(very useful!), print, etc.
NOTE: I'd like to inject a short sermon on typing to screen. Commodore
should have included a way to read any file to the screen in every DOS it
wrote. There's no reason why a user should have to load a program to read a
file, whether it's SEQ, PRG, USR or REL. When you get a disk, you should be
able to easily read all of its text files. I can, because I have JiffyDOS
and KeyDOS. And while I'm in the pulpit, all text files should be PRG
files, not SEQ. PRG files can be LOADed into memory. SEQ files (unless
some trickery is used) must be READ into memory. LOADing is almost always
MUCH faster than READing. KeyDOS uses F5 to type a SEQ file to the screen,
but requires you to go to the Utility menu to type a PRG file to screen.
It's traditional to put text in a SEQ file, obviously, but it's not the best
way to do it. End of sermon.
Copying with the KeyDOS Utility is easy but it's not especially fast.
JiffyDOS' copier is faster, but only because of JiffyDOS' faster drive
access. For the fastest file copying, Maverick is the way to go. If you
don't have a file copier, you should consider getting KeyDOS just for its
copying utility. Every user needs a file copier.
Some of the other functions of KeyDOS need explanation. I've put an
asterisk in front of features that JiffyDOS doesn't have.
*Compiler - this is the utility to define and save your preferred F-key
functions.
1581 Partitioner - the Commodore DOS commands for partitioning a 1581 disk
are so clumsy, most people simply don't use partitions on 3 1/2" disks. I
don't. But if I were, I would use KeyDOS' utility.
CBM RAMDOS - this makes using an REU much easier. You can move the
interface code in memory so if you know what you're doing, you can probably
get your REU to work with most commercial programs. I prefer my RAMLink,
but then it cost $300. JiffyDOS doesn't have this feature, but with
RAMLink, it isn't needed.
*GEOS SuperRBoot - this insures against a fatal GEOS crash. I knew there
was another reason I don't use GEOS.
*Diskmon 128 - this adds the power of a sector editor to the C-128's
built-in monitor. I have a pet sector editor I use when I need one, but if
I didn't know it so well, this one would come in quite handy. It allows you
to analyze a disk sector by sector, loading, editing and saving a sector at
a time. This is a very good feature for intermediate and advanced users.
*Hexpert - this is a software debugger designed by Eric Trepanier. Since
I'm not a Machine Language programmer, I don't use it, but if I were... It
is well-documented and looks like a good one.
*New Collect - this allows you to collect (validate) a disk without wiping
out the auto-boot sector.
*Alternate Screen - I can imagine times when I needed an alternate screen
while programming. This utility (and several others) comes from Transactor
Magazine, which, sadly, is defunct. It was the very best ever magazine for
the serious C-64 user/programmer and it's a point in KeyDOS' favor that they
used Transactor's programs.
*Find/Replace/Scroll - this is an invaluable tool for searching through big
BASIC programs for specific codes. As an editor I spend a lot of time
listing through programs. I've gotten in the habit of using this and it's
saved me a lot of time and work. It uses the $1300 area so it's not
compatible with many other utilities/programs, but it's very handy -- you
just have to reset before and after using it. Scroll allows you to scroll
forward and backward through BASIC code. Why didn't Commodore BASIC allow
this in the first place?
*Screen Editor - turns the screen into a scratchpad. I use a paper
scratchpad. Old-fashioned, I guess.
*Clock Manager - sets up an on-screen clock. Again, I have a clock on the
wall. Usually I try to arrange my life so that I never have to be anywhere
at anytime, but sometimes the world insists... The clock can be used in
other programs if you know how to program in BASIC.
*Video Manager - this allows you to configure the screen colors, tabs,
cursor mode and even character heights, then save the parameters as the
power-up default.
There is a handy Swapper routine which moves BASIC programs around to
ensure compatibility with KeyDOS ROM. It's not for beginners.
The disk that comes with the chip has some utilities on it as well as
some demos of some of the more complex functions. It also has a program to
allow you to use KeyDOS with a Quick Brown Box.
The last page of the manual is a memory map of KeyDOS' utilities. As a
BASIC programmer who needs to know this stuff so I can use ML routines in my
programs -- some of which are difficult to relocate -- I really appreciated
this.
Writing up this review has given me a more thorough knowledge of the
chip's power. I must admit that I only have KeyDOS installed in my second
computer and don't use it as much as I do JiffyDOS on my first computer.
Randy Winchest