Welcome to the September/October 1992 edition of ReRUN. I'd like to start things off by sharing yet another Commodore eight-bit experience with fellow users. I continually hear from user group members, small business owners, self taught programmers, and many others eager to share their Commodore 64/128 stories. My favorite stories center around kids and their computers.
Working with children who use computers is certain to give one a unique perspective. Because of my line of work and resulting access to hardware and software, both my seven- and eight-year old easily qualify as computer experts by most standards. Yet, if you ask them which computer they favor, they don't think in terms of speed, technical sophistication or price tags. Rather, they think in broad concepts of entertainment, educational and graphic software, which means they're are as likely to pick the Commodore as any other computer.
My thoughts on computers differ little from theirs. Having access to powerhouse computers and four-digit software doesn't make me think less of the 64 and 128. Rather, I still admire their capabilities. Sophisticated graphics, video applications and desktop publishing notwithstanding, most daily data processing doesn't require a lightning fast processor and loads of RAM.
That statement doesn't imply that you shouldn't make efforts to improve your Commodore's overall performance. Rather, I continually encourage users to add a RAM expander, hard disk, and various disk drive enhancements to their systems for added versatility. It's far cheaper than upgrading to a PC and there's plenty of options still available from Creative Micro Designs and mail order firms, if you're ready to make your 64/128 easier to use. While I'm quick to recommend 64/128 improvements, they're not always necessary. Helpful, yes; necessary, no.
When it comes to telecommunications, word processing and small scale database management, dollar-for-dollar, the Commodore 64 and 128 still can't be beat. Encouraging signals and dialog from users also seem to indicate that the little Commodore computers are here to stay. That gives me hope that the 64 and 128, with or without their parent company's help, will enjoy life well into the 21st century.
What's New?
As I once again review the line-up, I have to admit that the September/October issue of RUN brought us an interesting mix of programs. The first on the list, Hotkey 64, is a program designed to create a handy interupt-driven utility for your C-64. This program works by setting up the F1 key as a "hot key" that operates unobtrusively in conjunction with your Basic programs. Pressing F1 puts the Basic program temporarily on hold and executes the code for a desk accessory, such as the sample calculator included with the program.
The next program is Stack 'em 128, a variation of one of the classic Bars game. You must move the bars one at a time from the first stack to the third stack, in as few moves as possible. The minimum number of moves is 127, unless some imaginative ReRUN users can devise an alternative method of stacking.
Cassette Manager is next on the list. If you record your own cassette tapes for home or automotive use, you need this program for your Commodore. By following a few screen prompts, anyone can use their computer and printer to print well-organized labels for labeling cassettes.
Next, you'll find Crypto Puzzler, a program that lets your C-64 create cryptogram puzzles. These are puzzles where the computer substitutes one letter for another. Type in a message and the program processes the letters, and the result is a encypted message known as a cryptogram. These cryptograms can be solved on screen, saved to disk or printed out.
Mark Jordan's 128 Mode from the September/October issue takes a indepth look at the Print command and its many uses. On this disk, you'll find a copy of a sample print program demonstrating the versatility of the Print Using command.
When it comes to bonus programs, we've offering an impressive selection this month. First, there's RUNDisk Pro by Jay Taplin. I would best describe this progam as a disk management program for the C-64. You can copy files to and from devices 8 or 9, delete files and rename files. Since no Commodore user can have too many disk utilities for their computers, RUNDisk Pro should prove to be a welcome addition.
Next, there's Basic Plus 64. As its name implies, this program expands the usefulness of Basic 2.0 by adding new commands. The program adds commands such as Renumber for renumbering Basic programs and a Key command for defining the function keys for one-keypress functionality.
Finally, there's Menu Maker and Menu Entry 64/128, an elaborate and powerful menu system for both the 64 and 128. The beauty of this program is its ability to work with both Commodore and Creative Micro Designs storage devices and overall ease of use. You configure a special sequential file on disk that contains descriptions of the programs found on the disk for future reference. This ReRUN disk includes both a 64- and 128-specific versions of the program and a sample sequential file. For increased operating speed, the 64 version is compiled.
We're Sill Listening
After implementing the letter writing feature of the ReRUN menu system with the November/December 1991 edition of ReRUN, we've received a steady stream of reader feedback. Most are positive, a few are negative, but all make for informative, entertaining reading.
I decided to publish one of the longest letters we received to date in its entirety. While this area is generally a forum for letters relating solely to ReRUN, I wanted to use this area to share a letter I received from Gilbert Settlage of Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania.
As some of you may recall, Mr. Settlage was the winner of the May/June 1992 ReRUN contest. Mr. Settlage's experiences with with his Commodore should strike a familiar chord with other ReRUN users, and provide some deviation from the usual small talk. I'm certain that many other long-time ReRUN users can relate to Mr. Settlage's trials and tribulations. Here's his letter:
I knew that there would not be enough space on the new disk file for this letter to the editor. This is not a complaint letter, strange as that may seem. I did send you a short note on your new ReRUN disks last night, but wanted to expand on a couple of things.
First, it appears that the number of advertisements in RUN has decreased. Is that because of dwindling support for eight bit processors? The reason I mention it is because recently I decided to expand my C-128. The first thing I did was expand my computer's memory.
I ordered a RAMlink with one megabyte of RAM from Creative Micro Designs. It didn't take long to exceed the one meg of RAM, but the experience showed me I was heading in the right direction. I ordered a four megabyte SIMM to upgrade the unit. I had a difficult time making the new and old chips work together, so I called CMD. Eventually, I ended up returning the chip to them.
CMD found the problem, fixed it and returned it to me two weeks later. I'll now be expanding the unit to its full 16 megabyte capacity. You cannot believe the difference not having to wait for the disk drive to access the disk. The CMD technical people were super to work with, responsive and customer-oriented. That is rare in today's world.
Second, I want to say that what you have done with the ReRUN disks is outstanding. I don't want this to sound like complaints, but rather as considerations for future ReRUN disks.
I have a Suncom joystick and a 1351 mouse. The Suncom does not work well with ReRUN disks. The movement from one menu item to another is about four times slower with the Suncom joystick than with the cursor keys. The color scheme on the menu is hard to read. I also suggest changing the Help screen colors.
Would it be possible to put the C-64 programs on one side of the disk and the C-128 programs on the other? That would prevent having to flip the disk as often. Some of the minor items mentioned in letters spruce up what you have started. I know that everthing cannot be thought of
